Welcome back to "Entertainment on Jeff's Terms"...and as ever, I must begin with a brief explanation (to arguably NO ONE) as to why (A) you haven't seen me in about three months and (B) you will never see a look at the slate of fall shows on CBS and The CW.
Long story short (right on time), there are two reasons.
ONE: Fact is, CBS only has four (FOUR!) new shows this season. That's how ridiculously successful they are; and if you go look at their website and you can't automatically figure out the sole show that I'm excited about, you clearly don't know me. Plus, all that remained was The CW. 'Nuff said.
TWO: Right around the time that post was to go up, I had a death in my family. It wasn't someone of great consequence to my life, but as days wore on, it became clear I was more affected by it than I ever thought possible.
...and in a spot of poetry only network television can provide, grief plays a big part in this, the first edition of "Pilot Inspektor" for the 2012-2013 season.
Indeed, it's an EARLY REVIEW(!)--courtesy of the fine folks at Hulu--of NBC's upcoming Tuesday night "comedy" (and the quotes will soon be explained, with the results likely to surprise you), Go On.
Is the third time truly the charm for some Matthew Perry post-Friends success?--Let's find out.
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THE GIST OF IT
Sports radio host Ryan King (Perry) swaggers into his station with a confident smile on his face. It's the first time he's been back since the death of his wife a month prior. He is promptly met with a bewildered stare from the host who's filled in for him during his leave, and a stern beckon from his boss Steven (John Cho). Steven doesn't think Ryan is ready to be back in front of a microphone, and as such, orders Ryan to take ten sessions of group grief counseling before he can come back to work.
Begrudgingly, Ryan heads for the local learning annex, where--after mistakenly sitting in with a medieval LARP group briefly--he meets his groupmates which include: Anne (Julie White), a grieving lesbian widow; Owen (Tyler James Williams, who has grown up A LOT), a quiet teen whose reasons for attending are still (as of the pilot) a mystery; "Mr. K" (beloved alt-comedian Brett Gelman), a hilariously unnerving be-sweatered bearded man (so, in other words, Brett Gelman) whose reasons for attending are ALSO a mystery...although some imagery late in the episode suggests why (and why he may oddly be the most poignant character on the show); and George (the great Bill Cobbs a.k.a. the poor man's Morgan Freeman), an elderly black man with a number of issues, most notably that he is blind.
Within minutes, Ryan has taken over the group and has his groupmates competing in a bracket tournament--dubbed "March Sadness" by Owen--to determine whose reasons for attending are the saddest. After the winner has been declared and the group is sharing a celebratory dance, their true leader Lauren (Laura Benanti, most recently of last year's The Playboy Club) arrives and brings things to order, much to Ryan's chagrin.
In the next session, the group members are split into pairs and are assigned to come up with three words that their griefs(?) share. Ryan is paired with Owen, who--after showing Ryan some funny photos from Google Street View (I know this sounds like product placement, and probably partially is, but where it leads totally justifies it)--eventually opens up about his comatose younger brother. When the group comes back together, Ryan makes it very clear how little he takes these sessions seriously, infuriating Lauren who is cajoled into signing Ryan's release form just to get rid of him.
Ryan returns to work, where he puts on a great show with his guest Terrell Owens (as himself). At quitting time, Ryan's assistant presents him with a basket of all the sympathy items he's been sent in the past month and he heads out to the parking lot, where he spots Owens texting and driving. Ryan angrily hurls some fruit from his basket at T.O.'s Escalade, which almost leads to fisticuffs.
The next day, Ryan returns to the grief group and finally opens up. His wife was killed in a car accident after running a stop sign because she was texting him. Moments later, he spots the Google Street View camera car driving past the building and invites the group to chase after it, being photographed for all the world to see.
The next day, Ryan returns to the grief group and finally opens up. His wife was killed in a car accident after running a stop sign because she was texting him. Moments later, he spots the Google Street View camera car driving past the building and invites the group to chase after it, being photographed for all the world to see.
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MOVING FORWARD
As was the case last year, I don't really know what to do with this section for a comedy; even one with such dramatic elements.
I will assume, as episodes go on (pun not intended), we'll officially learn Mr. K's reasons for joining the group, and there will be many more wacky exercises and special guest stars from the world of sports. Plus, I'm sure the seeds will be planted for the inevitable Ryan/Lauren romance, so...yeah.
I will assume, as episodes go on (pun not intended), we'll officially learn Mr. K's reasons for joining the group, and there will be many more wacky exercises and special guest stars from the world of sports. Plus, I'm sure the seeds will be planted for the inevitable Ryan/Lauren romance, so...yeah.
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IN ESSENCE, MY FRIENDS...
...I liked this a lot more than I was even prepared for. However, the fact that NBC is promoting it as a straight comedy (and that, you know, it's on NBC) is going to hurt it, I guarantee.
Fact is, it's not a straight comedy. In fact, I would argue it's BARELY a comedy...which I actually mean as a compliment. What Go On really is (as you would guess from the subject matter) is a heartfelt human drama with elements of comedy tossed in; so once again, the way it's being promoted is going to hurt it.
That being said, it's got a lot of things going for it.
While I stand by my statement that Matthew Perry--while charming as ever--is trying a bit too hard, his presence is, as always, very welcome. This show is going to need a likable, sympathetic character actor at the helm and it's hard to do better than Perry.
Meanwhile (if I may be a bit heterosexual for a moment), GOOD LORD, is Laura Benanti ever gorgeous. Having to play a tight, hateful madam of sorts on The Playboy Club did her no favors both physically and, indeed, performance-wise; because in addition to being unable to take my eyes off of her anytime she was on screen, the lady is a talent. I honestly believe her in her role as the group leader more than I do any of the rest of the cast (including Perry) as the group members. She's authoritative but kind, and in just the few scenes we get with her for these opening 22 minutes, she steals the show.
As for the rest of the cast, while I think a majority of the group members were reduced to exaggerated mugging, Williams and White are heads above the rest. I've never seen a single episode of Everybody Hates Chris, so I'm no authority on the boy who would be Rock (please stop me when I start talking in stupid entertainment magazine-isms...oops, too late), but I am impressed and look forward to getting to know Owen more. The same can be said for White, semi-sadly probably best known now for thanklessly (and often, hilariously) playing Shia LeBeouf's mother in the Transformers trilogy. I, however, grew up watching her as the best friend on the '90s sitcom Grace Under Fire. There and, indeed, here on Go On, she never betrays the humanity of her characters. On Grace, she reminded me of strong but kooky women in my own life (particularly, my aunts on my mother's side). Here, she's an unconventional single mother lost...and I believe her. (Did I just contradict all that hyperbole about Laura Benanti up there?--Yes. Am I going to edit it?--No.)
What could work against the show (other than the fact that it's on NBC, which can't be stressed enough) is that, frankly, it's not the kind of subject people are going to flock to in droves, particularly for laughs. While writing this review, I learned the pilot actually aired four days ago during a break from NBC's Olympics coverage; and as such, garnered an impressive 16 million viewers...but I just can't believe even half of those people will be back on (ironically) September 11 at 9pm.
In truth, this was--and remains--NBC's most promising new comedy (implied air-quotes) of the season. Whether that'll be enough to keep it alive AND possibly help the Peacock network build a Tuesday night comedy block...I just don't know. At the very least, I'll be there.
In truth, this was--and remains--NBC's most promising new comedy (implied air-quotes) of the season. Whether that'll be enough to keep it alive AND possibly help the Peacock network build a Tuesday night comedy block...I just don't know. At the very least, I'll be there.
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THESE ARE BLURBS
Further, more errant thoughts on Go On...
- I'm kind of stunned a professional athlete, particularly one as publicly known as Terrell Owens would allow himself to be portrayed as such a violent, ill-tempered stereotype.
- I'll be interested to see what group members make it past the pilot stage. Honestly, if Tyler James Williams isn't back, this show is going to lose A LOT of its heart.
- POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: So here's what I'm thinking with Brett Gelman. Clearly, it has something to do with a lost child. This could mean that he's sterile, he lost his wife, his wife miscarried, both his wife and child died during delivery...whatever it ends up being, I totally see his story being the darkest and most serious this show has to offer...and I'm intrigued to see how Gelman handles it.
- Seriously, Laura Benanti...SWOON.
- Anyone else kind of disappointed this didn't play at ANY POINT during the pilot or that it's not the theme song?--I can't be the only one.
- GO ON OFFICIALLY PREMIERES TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11 AT 9pm EST ON NBC!
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...and all of a sudden, I'm back.
Hopefully, I'll be able to bring the same level of spontaneity to my next entry. Truth be told, the biggest albatross around this blog's neck is my inability to just write for myself and hope others groove on it. I put this undue pressure on myself, with nonexistent deadlines and some phantom authority figure frowning at me. I have issues. I get it.
Regardless, I hope to be back here in September when the fall season REALLY kicks off.
Regardless, I hope to be back here in September when the fall season REALLY kicks off.
Until then, good day and zerbert.
