Last "Draft" For THE LEAGUE

Article originally published as TV Review: 'The League' - Final Season Premiere on Blogcritics.

FX’s The League begins its seventh and final season with “That Other Draft.” A show about a fantasy football league, it has delighted both those who understand the conceit and those who just want a good comedy about a bunch of buddies that pick on each other mercilessly. After seven years, it’s hard to say that it’s ending before its time, but The League is going out while it’s still good, and will surely leave fans wanting more.


The last season premiere is called “That Other Draft,” and instead of featuring the fantasy football draft, as many first episodes have on this show, it takes place partially at the NFL’s official draft. The show has always been able to get guest stars from the world of the NFL, players, coaches, and anchors, and this installment is no different. Marshawn Lynch is one of only a few recognizable faces to grace this episode.

Well, recognizable if you know anything about sports. I admit, detesting football myself, I don’t find the cameo-heavy episodes as good as those that just focus on the core group. I absolutely love The League, but because so much time is given over to these athletes, this half hour doesn’t rank among my favorites. There are definitely jokes just for football fans, more obviously than in other turns, and while I can’t fault the show’s producers from bringing the real game into the proceedings, as I’m sure most viewers will appreciate it, “That Other Draft” is a let down during those parts for me personally. I’m sure I’m not alone.

That being said, that is only a portion of the episode, with much of the rest of the running time up to the show’s usual standards. Each character has at least a good line or two, and a major plot involves Taco (Jonathan Lajoie) getting his Sacko punishments. Let’s just say he takes it very differently than past losers have. There’s a port-a-potty gag that even I, who doesn’t like toilet humor at all, enjoyed immensely. And, as I feel there must be by now, there’s an appearance by Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas).

The League is, by and large, a comedy, with little time given for dramatic stories, but I feel this last season might be different, if only slightly. In “That Other Draft,” Pete’s ex-wife, Meegan (Leslie Bibb), shows up, and she is clearly going to be around for more than one episode, though I won’t reveal the circumstances. If this were any other season, I wouldn’t read too much into this, as people from the characters’ pasts show up from time to time and are usually only there to provide a laugh. But I can’t help but feel her return might be designed to help showcase Pete’s (Mark Duplass) growth, or possibly even contribute to a happy ending of some sort.
Or, I may be totally overthinking this. We’ll see.

I would like some closure from this final season. Having only watched two episodes so far, it’s much too early to tell if there will be a noticeable amount of emotion this season, and I’m sure whatever there may be, if any, will be kept light. Still, even with comedies, viewers invest in the characters over a long period of time. We want some type of payoff, even if it’s really only an assurance that the players will be all right long after we stop watching them. Will The League deliver on that? I am cautiously optimistic, though even if it doesn’t, I expect another solidly humorous season.

The League, which also stars Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Stephen Rannazzisi, and Katie Aselton, returns Wednesday, September 9th at 10 p.m. ET, and will air on FXX this season, not FX.

An Odd ODD COUPLE

Article first published as THE ODD COUPLE Review on Seat42F.

Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon | THE ODD COUPLE

 

 

Many have said that CBS’s new remake of THE ODD COUPLE, premiering this week, is unnecessary. Those people are absolutely correct. THE ODD COUPLE is a classic play, a classic movie, a classic television show, and is still performed on stages across the country (I, myself, was Felix in high school), so why does it need yet another on-screen version? Well, the key here would be were the series to be updated to reflect modern sensibilities. But it hasn’t been long enough since it was written to need even that.

CBS’s THE ODD COUPLE stars Matthew Perry (Friends, Go On) as Oscar Madison, a sloppy sportscaster who isn’t dealing with the emotional heft of his divorce. When Oscar’s friend, neat freak Felix (Thomas Lennon, Reno 911!, Night at the Museum), is similarly dumped, Felix comes to stay with Oscar. They quickly get on each other’s nerves.

Now, this will sound familiar because the basic story has not been changed in any way. Some of the lines of dialogue in the pilot come straight out of the original source, and the leading characters are essentially the exact same as their earlier counterparts. There is nothing distinguishing about this version, except perhaps that Felix makes vegetarian cuisine.

Everything else about this ODD COUPLE is sanitized and dated. Oscar’s mess is purely surface-level, a clearly staged disaster that is easily cleaned. The dialogue is hokey for 2015, and the story is not edgy enough. This feels like a sitcom from another era, which it is.

The first major mistake The Odd Couple makes is condensing the entire plot of the play into twenty minutes. From the poker night spoiled, to the awkward double date, the pilot of this show rockets right on through everything fans of the play or movie remember, condensed incredibly. This is really bad because the emotional arc between Oscar and Felix is similarly compacted, meaning Felix gets on Oscar’s nerves before he really has time to, and they come to an understanding way too early. I wasn’t a viewer of the old series, which aired long before my time, so I don’t know if they made the same error, but it feels very strange here, as if they should have taken a minimum of two half-hours, or preferably more, to cover this.

Interestingly, it’s actually emotional depth that makes THE ODD COUPLE work, though. Yes, the initial arc is too quick, but I like that Felix is determined to make Oscar face his feelings and Oscar realizes he needs that help. Felix also understands he needs Oscar to help him loosen up. Now that the pilot is out of the way, I’m interested to see where they build their relationship over time, and if they can make it evolve, rather than staying stagnant.

The supporting cast may help with that. Oscar’s assistant, Dani (Yvette Nicole Brown, Community), is only in the early bit of the first episode, so we don’t know what her reaction will be to Felix’s interference, but by her disgusted looks, she should approve. Oscar’s friend, Teddy (Wendell Pierce, Treme), must have his loyalties divided, not enjoying having the poker night ruined, but certainly glad for the assistance in getting Oscar back on track. Felix’s love interest, Emily (Lindsay Sloane, Horrible Bosses), is very much like Felix, so could hinder his growth. Guest star Casey (Leslie Bibb, About a Boy) could do the same for Oscar.

But in order for this to work, a lot must be overcome. Lennon and Perry are hilarious, to be sure, but THE ODD COUPLE makes me wish they’d created original characters instead of trying to use Felix and Oscar, as I’d be curious to see what they could do together without being boxed in by history. As it is, their considerable talents seem wasted, at least for now.

THE ODD COUPLE premieres Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

About ABOUT A BOY

Article first published as ABOUT A BOY Review on Seat42F.


NBC brings the acclaimed novel and film ABOUT A BOY to the small screen this week with a sitcom of the same name, previewing Saturday night after the Olympics. Having not seen or read that work, this review is solely about the “Pilot” of the new series itself. It’s the tale of two males, one old, one young, who form an unlikely friendship that helps them both to grow as individuals. And it’s totally not creepy.

David Walton (New Girl, Perfect Couples, Bent) stars as Will, a successful composer of a Christmas song who lives alone in a nice house in San Francisco. He has a friend, Andy (Al Madrigal, The Daily Show), but Andy has his own family, leaving Will alone most days to chase women and meander through life like an overgrown child. It’s a little pathetic. OK, maybe more than a little.

Then Marcus (Benjamin Stockham, 1600 Penn) moves in next door. Marcus is overly sheltered by his vegan mother, Fiona (Minnie Driver, The Riches, Good Will Hunting). Will’s a good son, dedicated to cheering her up with a song, as Fiona suffers from depression, even though she won’t let him eat ribs. Of course, a boy like this will be bullied, and is soon on the run from classmates who’d like to pound him to a pulp.

This has the makings of a mutually beneficial relationship. Marcus could use a male role model who can teach him how to loosen up and be cool, as well as protect him from bad boys, and Will needs to grow up, taking on a role as a mentor, and actually letting someone really get to know him. They also quickly appear to be layered individuals, both guys managing to keep what could very easily be stereotypical parts away from cartoonish territory.

The “Pilot” takes us through their first meeting, introducing the characters, providing illustrations of their starting points, and still manages to squeeze in a pivotal moment for their relationship. It does feel a lot like a full-length film condensed down to twenty minutes, which means the pacing is a little faster than it should be, and scenes pass by in a whiz.

That being said, ABOUT A BOY does do a great job of letting the emotion shine through. A montage makes the bond feel real, despite the brief screen time, and Walton and Stockham have amazing chemistry. Both being parts of failed series on multiple occasions before this one, ABOUT A BOY may just be the right vehicle to help them succeed.

There are definitely some cheesy parts in this first episode. For one thing, Marcus isn’t nearly as good a singer as the show pretends, and Will is a bit more devious than most viewers might be willing to overlook. Not to mention, Fiona is uptight enough to insist Will not grill meat unless the wind is blowing in a southeasterly direction. Ridiculous. The hope, though, is that this cast is good enough that the audience will see the talent in the writing, direction, and performances, and give it a second chance.

Even at its weakest points, I connected to ABOUT A BOY. There is something really authentic and joyous in the tone, something magnetic that should draw people to it. Don’t let the late, mid-season start fool you; ABOUT A BOY is better than pretty much any other new broadcast network sitcom this year, in my opinion, with the possible exception of The Crazy Ones. I can’t speak to the long-term viability of the premise yet, but Walton and Stockham have sold me on the project, and I’ve already happily set a season pass.

If nothing else, I’m really curious to see if the writers can keep Dakota (Leslie Bibb, GCB) around as a believable recurring character who might eventualy see past Will’s heinous lies. She seems poised to return at this point.

For fans of PARENTHOOD, which also airs on NBC, Will may seem familiar. That’s because the character already appeared in a January episode, meaning this series had a crossover before it even premiered! Pretty impressive.

Catch ABOUT A BOY late this Saturday night on NBC.

MOVIE 43 Blu-ray Review

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Movie 43' on Blogcritics.org.

Movie 43, a comedy film of small bits packed with big stars, is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Fox Home Video. Couched in a framing story about three boys’ search online for the very illegal and fictional Movie 43, bizarre bits that are supposed to be funny string along with little to no connection between them for about an hour a half.

Depending on whether you watch the theatrical version of the film or the alternate cut, both of which are included on this release, depends on what framing story you get. Either Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) pitches an ever-changing film to Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear), constantly shifting the characters and premise, or three boys (including The Inbetweeners‘ Mark L. Young) are hacking the internet to find a fictional film called Movie 43 that could destroy the world. Both go meta in a weird way; the other bits of the movie appear to be the same in both editions.

Neither scenario makes much sense, so I do wish the film’s producers had just let the scenes stand on their own. A bunch of different sketches performed by some of the most familiar faces in Hollywood is an intriguing enough concept without forcing them to be strung together. The way this is released, it feels like forced cohesion that doesn’t quite come together.

Because each segment is made by different people, they do feel like they fall across the spectrum, from the absurdly hilarious, to the confusingly weird, to the just plain gross. This is a common issue with every comedy made up of individual segments (just ask Saturday Night Live), and humor is highly subjective, so while I did not enjoy the entire hour and a half, there are some things in Movie 43 that I really loved. Others likely will watch the same movie and value different parts.

The best of the bunch are: “iBabe,” in which a woman (Kate Bosworth) just can’t make a boss (Richard Gere) and his underlings (Aasif Mandvi and Jack McBrayer) understand why teenage boys are getting their body parts mangled in a lower-region fan of an mp3 player that looks like a naked woman; a “Machine Kids” commercial showing sad children hiding inside ATMs and soda vendors; “Super Hero Speed Dating,” in which Batman (Jason Sudeikis) ruins Robin’s (Justin Long) chances with women ranging from Wonder Woman (Leslie Bibb) to Supergirl (Kristen Bell); and “Victory’s Glory,” in which a Coach (Terrance Howard) in 1959 faces an uphill battle in convincing a black basketball team they can beat a white one.

I think I like these four because they take something familiar, and turn it on its head in a clever manner. Wonderful performers lose themselves in these roles for a few minutes, doing something most people don’t expect from them, and doing it well. Throughout the segment, the tension and story ramps up, and there are odd twists.

The parts of the film I didn’t like involve sexual pooping, spilled period blood, and incestual make-outs. I can see how this might appeal to others, but it just crosses the line of my taste and goes too far. The point is, though, there is really something for everyone (except those who only like intelligent, witty stuff), with a broad swath of topics and genres.

The cast is amazing, and includes, besides those listed above, Common, Seth MacFarlane, Elizabeth Banks, Halle Berry, Stephen Merchant, John Hodgman, Anna Faris, Gerard Butler, Snooki, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Emma Stone, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sean William Scott, Uma Thurman, Chris Pratt, J.B. Smoove, and others. It really is a remarkably talented group of people, and while I didn’t appreciate all of the styles of humor represented, I don’t think any cast member felt wooden or out of place in the larger picture.

The extras leave a lot to be desired, unfortunately, Besides a trailer and some previews of other titles, the only bonus included is a cut scene featuring Tony Shaloub and Julianne Moore. This deleted segment is no better or worse than anything in the finished film, so I’m not sure why it isn’t integrated in with the rest.

But what I’d really like to see is the story of how Movie 43 came about, why all of these actors chose to participate, and who championed the idea in the first place. Surely, there is a rich story behind this, given the scope of the project, and I’m very curious about the back story, which is not revealed on this disc.

As far as Blu-ray quality, the picture and effects are great, but there isn’t a lot to push boundaries. It’s a very typical film, visually, with character-driven scenes, so aside from liking a crisp, clear image, there isn’t much argument to made on DVD vs. Blu-ray. The format is consistent, and I didn’t notice any static or graininess from either picture or sound. However, neither is there anything super impressive that makes use of an advanced playback system. Nor would I really expect there to be in this type of movie.

Movie 43 is available now as a two-disc Blu-ray, DVD, digital download combo pack.

More than one 'Revelaiton' in 'GCB' season finale

ABC's GCB brings its first season to a close with "Revelation." In the episode, pretty much all of the main characters head to unincorporated Juarez. Carlene (Kristin Chenoweth) leads the trip as a groundbreaking for her Christian condo project, but each of the others have their own agendas for coming, other than just friendship. Tension sparks bickering, especially when the women are briefly kidnapped, but in the end, all's well that ends well, right?

Only on television would a large group of friends end up out of town in the same place at the same time for a bevy of different reasons. This alone tosses all believability out the window. But it doesn't detract from the enjoyment because, honestly, GCB does not thrive on realism. It's a series of exaggerations with larger than life characters whose every obstacle become cataclysmic. Keeping this in mind, the Mexico trip is a fun romp, rather than a distracting ploy.

The characters in GCB have come into their own. Like Desperate Housewives, most of them aren't exactly likeable on the surface. That makes GCB hard to get into, especially because, at first, it lacks the campy charm that makes Housewives so entertaining. But as each person has become better defined, including the men, who were originally nearly interchangeable nothings, their chemistry has gotten better, and thus, so has the show. While GCB remains on the bubble, it could definitely fill the void that will be left by Desperate Housewives next year, if ABC decides to renew it. It's juicy, salacious fun.

"Revelation" isn't exactly the most surprising episode. It's pretty clear right from the get-go that Ripp (David James Elliott) isn't cheating on Carlene, but rather, has a secret daughter. GCB goes for the comedy of errors on this one, but by using such a predictable story, it fails. But other twists, such as learning that Cricket (Miriam Shor) now, though no direct action of her own, owns Sharon's (Jennifer Aspen) business, have some serious implications for next season. Also, it's fun that the kidnapper is revealed to be a ridiculous woman (Sandra Bernhard, The L Word, Roseanne) who wants to protect her "ancestry."

Of course, as much fun as these things are, the serious romantic entanglements are the real draw of a show like this. "Revelation" finds two of the main women facing major changes in this department. Mason Massey (Grant Bowler, True Blood, Ugly Betty) is more than a minor nuisance for Cricket, especially once he learns that her marriage to Blake (Mark Deklin) is a sham. Cricket and Blake have an arrangement that has worked for them for many years, but it's not like they're sexually attracted to each other. Someone is bound to come and disrupt the status quo, and by casting Bowler to do so, there are implications of a huge, permanent change on the horizon. But, considering Bowler will soon be starring in a SyFy series, he will probably just make a mess, then leave them to clean it up.

The second woman facing new love is Amanda (Leslie Bibb). Given her past, it doesn't matter how justifiable Luke's (Eric Winter) reasons for lying to her are; they are done. Considering these trust issues, though, is it any surprise that she falls into the arms of the man least likely to betray her, Pastor Tudor (Tyler Jacob Moore, Shameless)? Amanda doesn't seem pious enough to a minister's wife, but that doesn't mean she won't try out the idea, and shock the community along the way. There are all kinds of juicy ramifications that could come from this coupling, meaning, it's probably going to happen if the series is renewed.
GCB airs on ABC, and should learn of its fate soon.

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GCB is an appropriate name

ABC's newest drama, GCB, premiered this week. Originally titled Good Christian Bitches, but abbreviated due to decency standards, the story follows Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb, Iron Man, Crossing Jordan), whose husband dies unexpectedly in a sexual encounter, not involving his wife, while driving. After his demise, it comes out that he ran a Ponzi scheme, and Amanda, who looses everything, is forced to move home to Texas, and in with her mother, Gigi (Annie Potts, Designing Women, Ghostbusters). Believe it or not, Amanda's life gets worse than that, as she has trouble finding a job, and is soon tormented by the girls she wasn't so nice to in high school.

See, Amanda is a former mean girl, and her past victims would like to turn the tables on her, especially when she is so vulnerable. This clique is led by Carlene Cockburn (Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies, The West Wing), who lives across the street from Gigi. When Carlene isn't making veiled criticisms of Amanda in church or spying with bionoculars through the window, Carlene calls upon her network, including business maven Cricket (Miriam Shor, Damages, Swingtown), beauty queen-gone-to-seed Sharon (Jennifer Aspen, Glee, Rodney), and real estate agent Heather (Marisol Nichols, The Gates, 24). Heather quickly softens towards Amanda, as they don't hate each other as strongly. But Carlene is in charge, and Heather isn't likely to stray too far out of line. 

GCB is good, not great. Which is why the title is apt. The problem seems to stem with Bibb. Surrounded by pros like Potts and the other main women, Bibb just doesn't have the chops to pull off being the center of the series. It's not that she's terrible; this just isn't the ideal role for her, and she doesn't feel all that authentic in it. Bibb's faults are glaringly magnified in the company of the others. She's still a pretty face, but she doesn't exhibit the depth the others do.

It's a story told before, and it isn't all that fresh just because of the Texas drawl several, but not all, of the characters exhibit. Viewers are supposed to feel sympathetic towards Amanda, no matter what her past indiscretions are, because she is in a sorry state, and has changed quite a bit while raising two teenage kids (Lauran Irion and Passions' Colton Shires) as a widow. However, as soon as she is back with her mother, Gigi seems to take over much of the parenting responsibility, and Amanda starts to slip back into her old ways. Perhaps this can be forgiven, as she is being pushed to it, but it's not a pretty quality for her.

There are men in this story. It may not be immediately obvious because they are basically eye candy, interchangeable amongst each other. Of course, this is just the "Pilot," so some of them may grow into something down the road. But despite a few distinguishing moments, such as Cricket's husband, Blake (Mark Deklin, Lone Star, Hawaii Five-0), flirting with a guy, and Sharon's Zach (Brad Beyer, Jericho, Third Watch) trying to sleep with Amanda, they aren't all that memorable. It's no wonder that their wives are unhappy, with spouses who act like this! With even the lone faithful man, Carlene's Ripp (David James Elliott, JAG, Close to Home), barely developed, these stereotypes are enough to drive any girl crazy.

What isn't clear is if any of these characters will turn out to be good Christians. There are bitches aplenty, but characters that actually stick to their moral values, well, those are less sure.

Besides all of the cheating and the backstabbing, the actual good story here trying to get out revolves around the relationship between Gigi and Amanda. Gigi doesn't seem to have approved of Amanda's high school attitude, but still loves her daughter. She eagerly opens her home, and even anonymously showers Amanda with gifts. This is a mom trying to make up for perceived failure, which may not even be her fault. Which makes Potts the absolute best part of GCB.

Following Desperate Housewives, and with a somewhat related sensibility, one would expect something a little better. GCB is not that something. GCB airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

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