No SURVIVOR'S REMORSE From Watching This Show

Article first published as SURVIVOR'S REMORSE Review on Seat42F.

Starz’s latest series, taking over Outlander’s timeslot this week, is SURVIVOR’S REMORSE. It is the story of hugely successful basketball superstar Cam Calloway (Jesse T. Usher, Level Up) and his cousin, best friend, and manager Reggie Vaughn (RonReaco Lee, Let’s Stay Together). They are now living the big life, but cannot forget about where they came from, a rough neighborhood in which people are still struggling. How do you balance fame and fortune with helping out those who don’t have it? Can charity be misinterpreted?

It may not surprise you to learn that SURVIVOR’S REMORSE is inspired by (but not based on) the true story of LeBron James, who serves as a producer on the show. After all, Lebron’s rise to legend is memorable, and he’s still relevant on the court today. As an Ohioan, I’ve been hearing about him for quite a long time. It may, however, be unexpected to read that a major driving force and writer on the project is Mike O’Malley (Glee, Yes, Dear), a middle-aged white guy who is more known for his on-screen work than his writing talents. That could potentially change.

Whoever is making SURVIVOR’S REMORSE, though, isn’t nearly as important as how good the show is or isn’t. Happily, SURVIVOR’S REMORSE is terrific. An urban-influenced Entourage (which is not code for the skin color of the performers, which matters, but isn’t the main point), the characters are authentic and complex, and the story shows the influence of real people and events. We see how money can change a person and those around them, and we also see how different individuals choose to deal with that.

In the first episode, someone back in the old neighborhood happens upon some embarrassing material from Cam’s childhood and tries to extort the athlete. In the tapes and writings, Cam is shown being sexist and racist. This stuff shouldn’t matter because kids do dumb things and Cam never really felt the way it seems, but it does in modern society, where content can have a very long shelf life and spread rapidly. More importantly, how this guy relates to Cam and Reggie, whom remember him fondly and do want to help him out, is skewed by his pride and jealousy, so the situation is more volatile and interesting that it could be otherwise.

Cam and Reggie are best friends, but the money comes between them from time to time, too. Reggie is in charge of it and Cam wants to spend it. Whether Cam considers buying an Aston Martin with tricked out rims or paying for an aunt’s lap band surgery, there is frequently conflict between them about these things. But their strong love for each other overrides this, and at the end of the day, they are two very good guys who want to do the right thing and be smart.

They are surrounded by a colorful group that can be quite different from them, but each are interesting for their makeup. Sister M-Chuck (Erica Ash, MADtv) wants to lay women and spend money, irresponsible and along for the good time, and the guys include her willingly. Uncle Julius (Mike Epps, The Hangover) is also part of the clique, though sees less development in the pilot. Mouthy Cassie (Tichina Arnold, Everybody Hates Chris), Cam’s mom, is proud of her baby, and enjoys the lifestyle he buys her. Reggie’s wife, Missy (Teyonah Parris, Mad Men), isn’t happy being it Atlanta, no matter what their huge house looks like or how many luxuries Reggie throws at her. They are all ripe for further story.

SURVIVOR’S REMORSE is billed as a comedy, but that’s probably mostly because of its half hour running time. It is a comedy the way other pay-cable half hours shows are, in the vein of Entourage and Californication. There are laughs, but the show doesn’t seem to set out to deliver gags and one-liners. It’s more circumstance that come across as amusing, though still realistic, in their structure. It will run only six episodes in the first season, but hopefully will soon be filming more.

SURVIVOR’S REMORSE premieres this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.

Happily Divorced is definitely happy

     Happily Divorced is TVLand's third and newest foray into original sitcom territory, inspired by its star's life. Starring Fran Drescher (The Nanny, Living With Fran) as Fran, a woman whose husband, Peter (John Michael Higgins, Raising the Bar, Kath & Kim) decides to come out of the closet after nearly two decades of marriage. In retrospect, Fran realizes Peter's sexual preference is obvious, but she has been oblivious all of these years. Due to financial constraints, they are forced to continue living together, though after a six month jump, Fran begins dating again. Her first beau is Elliott (D.W. Moffett, Switched at Birth, Friday Night Lights), a music producer who she interrogates to make sure he likes women before they go out. Their first date is a disaster after Elliott has an allergic reaction, but he shows up at her place later, and there may be potential there.

     That's a lot to cover in the pilot, and it's unfortunate there is a huge time jump. It seems there would be a lot to deal with, breaking the news to friends and family that Peter is gay. Yet, once he makes the announcement, the series gleefully skips ahead to after that's all over and Fran and Peter have settled into a new, comfortable routine. Actually, nothing really changes, except they are no longer having bad sex. Sure, this is supposed to be a light-hearted sitcom in the vein that many series on TVLand are, but rather than become rote and common, why not delve into such an interesting situation, rife with material?

     And that's not all that's frothy and surface. As Peter comes out, Fran is already in bed, but with full hair and makeup done. Fran's parents, Dori (Rita Moreno, Cane, Oz, West Side Story) and Glen (Robert Walden, Brothers, Lou Grant) are not surprised at Peter's coming out, but they encourage him to make it work. When Fran gets a divorce, none of the dark hurt or deep emotional pain is explored at all, and Fran's parents roll very easily with the punches, showering affection on both Peter and Elliott. Then, there's the gay stereotypes played up. Peter dons a little cap to attend a sing-a-long showing of The Sound of Music. He uses facial cream.

     That being said, it's a bit more polished than Hot in Cleveland, and far better than Retired at 35, the sister series on the network. Perhaps it's Higgins's expert comedy, or Moreno and Walden's deadpan delivery, or even Drescher's easy ability to pull sympathy as she rolls with her bad luck, but it's more enjoyable to watch than either of its predecessors. Which doesn't necessarily make it good. But there is something addictive that will make me watch again, even if it is just fluff.

     Delightfully, it brings the fantastic Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris, Martin) back to series television as Fran's friend, Judi. An actress as funny as Arnold should not be off of television for long. Even should this fail, it'll hold her over until she gets a new vehicle.

     Drescher has always had a distinctive voice and attitude. With Happily Divorced, she has matured into 1980's Joan Rivers. Close your eyes. There's almost no difference. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as that was when Rivers was in her prime and a comic giant. It's just odd how similar the two are, something I've never noticed until Drescher toned it down just a bit and changed her cadence.

     Happily Divorced airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET.

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