BLACK-ISH is Good-ish

Article first published as BLACK-ISH Review on Seat42F.

BLACK-ISH, as the title suggests, does not shy away from racial issues. In fact, it goes right to them in the pilot, and sets them up as themes for the show as a whole. Other series have touched on what BLACK-ISH does, but I can’t recall ever seeing the debate about what makes a modern African American family true to themselves and their culture as directly as this one does on one of the Big Four networks, at least not recently. And it’s decently, though not overly, funny.

I really like Anthony Anderson (Law & Order), who plays Andre, the main character. His humor comes from his suffering, and BLACK-ISH has plenty of that. Successful at his advertising agency, Andre is excited about being promoted until he finds out that he’s heading the new Urban department and feels like he’s being used for his skin tone. At the same time, he also deals with his kids acting “too white” with their upper-middle class peers, and tries to help them remember who they are. Basically, he’s beset on all sides, fighting multiple battles by himself.

It’s pretty cool that the rest of Andre’s family doesn’t worry nearly as much about race as he does. His wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Diana, Girlfriends), is a successful surgeon, and she’d rather concentrate on her job than perceived slights or stereotyping. His kids (The First Family’s Yara Shahidi and lesser knowns Marcus Scribner, Miles Brown, and Marsai Martin) are hilariously cute in their ignorance about the simplest things pertaining to their skin color, such as that Obama is the first black president. For children raised in this type of community at this time, race just doesn’t seem an everyday factor for them. Even Andre’s dad, Pops (Laurence Fishburne, Hannibal), who marched in the Civil Rights Movement, or so he says, though I’m not sure I believe him, doesn’t care as much as Andre does about their place in the world.

Being a white man myself, I may not understand all of the complex emotions and motivations that are part of being a black person in America these days. But I do know humor, and Anderson usually has it. The topics covered here may be touchy in certain company, but by putting something like this on TV every week as a sitcom, it will surely contribute to the breaking down of barriers. It doesn’t trivialize anything, but it gets the conversation going through an accessible medium, something important in the less-diverse-than-it-should-be network television landscape.

Unfortunately, it’s not as funny as it could and should be. As I’ve said, Anderson is good, but the material is weak-ish (hehe). BLACK-ISH has some great moments, to be sure, but there are also some weird ones. Anderson sometimes stretches just too far for a laugh, and it leaves the realm of believability. Luckily, there is heart and familial relationships to help push the show along when it lags between laughs. It could be better than it is with the ingredients it already has, and hopefully it will be.

I think the element of BLACK-ISH I like least is Rainbow. As a wife, she’s a stock character, the career woman aspect no longer being exceptional enough to rate attention, and lacking anything else to define her, at least in the first episode. Several times during the viewing, I found myself wishing Anderson’s Guys with Kids TV wife, Tempestt Bledsoe from The Cosby Show, had been cast instead. Not only did Bledsoe do something more interesting with a very similar character, but she had oodles more chemistry with Anderson. Sadly, it’s probably too late to correct that.

BLACK-ISH isn’t bad, and because it serves an important purpose, being the only current network sitcom with an all-black family, I hope it does well. The show’s take on current perceptions is sharp at times throughout. If the script could be cleaned up a bit, and often shows do improve past the pilot, it could definitely be a good addition to any DVR lineup.

BLACK-ISH premieres Wednesday, September 24^th at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Guys With Kids throws a "Divorce Party"

Article first published as Guys With Kids throws a "Divorce Party" on theTVKing.

Many scoff at NBC's Guys With Kids. At first, I was one of the many. But something spoke to me, perhaps because I am (emotionally, not financially) at the point in my life where I am ready to have kids myself, so I kept watching. And week after week, the series grew on me. By last night's season, likely series, finale, "Divorce Party," I realized I am going to miss this show.

Now if the target audience is only wanna-be dads, I admit, this is a limited demographic. It's not like it's a particularly smart or high quality show. I find bad sitcoms much easier to tolerate than boring dramas, and the overacting and cheesiness that Guys With Kids brings to the table does lump it in the bad column. However, there is also some heart, and the characters are likeable.

Lately, a through-line is given to Gary (Anthony Anderson), who, tired of being "just" a stay-at-home dad, decides to start his own business. How many parents in their houses all day with only children for company long to contribute something more creatively to the world? Gary's story is the "have it all" inspirational tale, and because it's TV, rather than real life, he will surely succeed, at least in some fashion. Get it? Because his product sort of relates to fashion? Yep, it's  a groaner, but the type that fits with the tone of this series.

Gary needs help, though, so his wife, Marny (Tempestt Bledsoe), arranges for her lazy sister (Tempestt's sister from The Cosby Show, Keshia Knight Pulliam) to help Gary out. It doesn't go so well, since Gary's sis-in-law doesn't understand the meaning of a work day, but of course, this being a feel-good comedy, she ends up helping out in an expected way. I could have done without this too-neat ending to the plot, but it's nice to see TV sisters reunited, their excitement at getting together again feeling genuine.

What Guys With Kids does best is couple chemistry. Gary and Marny may go back and forth with one another, but they are on the same level, and are in it for the long haul. Similarly, Nick (Zach Cregger) and Emily (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) may just be comic relief in most episodes, but they have a similar tone to the characters, and just feel right together. The makeup of these pairings, actors and actresses well attuned to what their TV spouse is doing, helps with believability. All four are fun characters.

The third couple is a little more rocky, and this makes sense, since they are divorced. When first we meet Sheila (Erinn Hayes) she is just Chris's (Jesse Bradford) stuck-up ex-wife who makes Chris miserable and Nick pull out his claws. Yet, after her role beefs up midway through this first season, viewers may start to feel some sympathy for Sheila, who does seem to care about Chris, but may just not know the correct way to show it. Plus, Hayes is always terrific in every role she does, bringing some ineffable quality with her.

Late this year, Sheila and Chris decide to have another baby so theirs doesn't get only-child syndrome. At first, they look into artificial insemination, but then Sheila decides they should go the old-fashioned route, making it pretty clear that she's looking for a reconciliation, not just another infant. At least, Nick thinks it's clear, so he arranges for Chris's ex-girlfriend, Sage (Fiona Gubelmann, Wilfred) to re-enter the picture to try to stop Chris from going through with it.

In a show that is all about relationships, I think I might just like the Sheila-Nick dynamic best. Nick doesn't hate Sheila; he's mad because she broke his best friend's heart. Thus, he is determined to prevent her from doing so again. Yes, they are two different people who will never be friends. But I do think their sparring comes from a place of love, and Sheila engages in it so fully because it makes her feel like a part of the larger group.

"Divorce Party" ends on a cliffhanger, with Chris torn between going home with Sheila, or staying at the party with Sage. Sage seems better for him, but television shows never allow their characters to have easy relationships. As the single guy on the series, Chris isn't going to get remarried anytime soon; that would take away the dating angle, which, for some reason, every show must have. Which means he'll probably choose Sage, which won't last. Though, if the series is canceled, as it likely will be, we'll never know.

Will the television landscape be poorer without Guys With Kids? Maybe not. But it's a heartwarming, somewhat amusing tale of young people who really care for each other, who also happen to have young children. Perhaps the run would be limited at the kids grow older, but for now, it's something I enjoy watching. I hope it gets a last minute reprieve.

Also, Guys With Kids has a fantastic theme song, in my opinion, which is a rarity on TV these days.

The "First (Good) Word" on Guys With Kids

When NBC's Guys With Kids began, I thought it was absolutely terrible. I still kind of do, in fact. The kids that the title refers to usually play only a supporting role in the story, and are, more often than not, seen, rather than heard. Also, the mothers in these relationships play a pretty large role, so it's weird that the title only mentions the fathers. Plus, the jokes are corny, the humor is frequently low brow, and there isn't really anything to keep drawing one back week to week.

And yet, there is something about it that has kept me watching this long. Maybe it's the fact that these guys are doing what I want to do, as I am young and married, but not yet a dad. Maybe it's the amusing theme song. Maybe it's the fact that the actors are selling the chemistry, even when they have to spout out nonsense lines. I cannot pinpoint what exactly I am starting to dig about the show, but for some reason, recently, it has become a small pleasure, rather than a chore, to watch.

That's not to say that there isn't still work to do for this to be a good show. It has plenty of weak spots. The point is, there is a certain charm present, and it has been steadily getting more enjoyable with each new episode, so it's on the right path.

This week's installment, the first of 2013, is called "First Word." The gang is hanging out, as usual, and Sheila (Erinn Hayes) joins them because she is sure that Ernie will soon be saying his first word. Nick (Zach Cregger), of course, is not happy at Sheila's inclusion, but Chris (Jesse Bradford) attempts to prove, through a series of flashbacks, that Nick is the one responsible for Sheila's presence in the first place.

Then Ernie does finally speak, with a word that doesn't quite make sense, but definitely earns a laugh.

Guys With Kids has greatly benefited from giving Sheila more screen time lately. Hayes is terrific, and while I originally lamented her being on such a lackluster show, as her talents are better than this material, she is proving to have a fantastic chemistry with Cregger. Every series needs some conflict, and the two of them going at each other provide many of the best moments of the series. Sure, there will eventually have to be some sort of movement in their relationship. But for now, their snippiness is really working for me.

I also like the flashbacks. They are a bit silly, with most of the characters appearing quite different from their current selves, which is not a common trend in realistic growth, though it has practically become a sitcom cliche. At the same time, the flow is decent enough to keep viewers into the story. The writing doesn't go so far outside the established realm that events aren't plausible, nor do they leave any glaring plot holes that are not explained away over the course of the half hour. As such, the better-than-expected results satisfy.

My favorite couple, aside from Nick and Sheila, is Marny (Tempestt Bledsoe) and Gary (Anthony Anderson). The affection between them feels authentic, even when not having any time to themselves, and I like their attitude on parenting. At first, they seemed neglectful, but after further examination, including in seeing how Gary becomes a stay-at-home-dad in "First Word," they suddenly seem very invested in their children. They are also the most established couple, so they are more in sync with one another than the other pairings.

Overall, I could see Guys With Kids becoming a less-funny, but still entertaining, version of Friends (with kids), should it continue to improve. Perhaps the pleasant surprises come because expectations began so low. But I'll continue to watch for now, and if they stay on track, I could actually find words to praise the show down the line, something I did not expect to say at the start of the season.

Guys With Kids also stars Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published on TheTVKing

Guys With Kids a throwback

NBC's new sitcom Guys With Kids does not belong on modern network television. It would have fit right in with the lineup twenty years ago. It would also work on a cable channel like TBS, which has similar series. But it isn't anywhere near fresh or edgy enough for most viewers nowadays, and it probably won't last very long in its current position, surrounded by higher quality fare.

Guys With Kids follows three men who have a varied number of offspring. Chris (Jesse Bradford, Bring It On, Outlaw) has one infant,  whom he battles to raise the way he wants with his ex-wife, Sheila (Erinn Hayes, Childrens Hospital, Worst Week). Nick (Zach Cregger, The Whitest Kids U'Know, Miss March) has two of his own, and still manages to keep a little magic alive with his wife, Emily (Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Entourage, The Sopranos). Gary (Anthony Anderson, Law & Order, Barbershop) is a stay-at-home dad with four wild ones, which leaves both him and his wife, Marny (Tempestt Bledsoe, The Cosby Show), exhausted.

Somehow, despite the differing responsibility levels and places they are in their lives, the three guys find time to hang out and have a beer on a regular basis, with kids in tow. Is this a common practice among dads these days? They are able to carve time out of their schedules to drink during daylight hours as long as they bring their children with them?

Not that they're paying much attention to the kids, who are little more than set dressing. Many scenes in the "Pilot" feature young boys running around, out of control. The parents completely ignore them, not exactly the picture of responsibility. The youngsters are not the focus of the plot, though, this belongs to the guys. Which makes it feel like Guys With Kids wants to be a very different comedy, but saddled with watching over children, decided to stick with their original plan, just dragging the kids along.

Luckily, the relationships are a bit better. Anderson and Bledsoe have wonderful chemistry, and Cregger and Sigler work just fine, too. It's hard to see what might have been with Chris and Sheila, but since they're divorced, I guess that works. Sort of.

Hayes is the best part of the show. Surrounded by performers who fit perfectly in a second-tier sitcom such as this (though they could also likely rise to better material), she deserves so much better. It's almost as if she's a bit beaten down, like her character, Sheila. Hayes has already shown what she can do in Childrens Hospital and Worst Week, and it's time for her to have a starring vehicle of her own. Asking her to bring that honed craft into such a small role feels like such a waste.

Guys With Kids may make it if people want mindless entertainment, and don't mind the complete ignorance of what a parent does. But for those who look for something a bit more in their shows, it falls way short.

Guys With Kids airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing