I wish that John Oliver was a regular on the show, but sadly he is not. I thought it was pretty good tho.
I thought it was a great premiere. Definitely one of the funniest sitcom pilots I’ve seen in a looong time. Loved the line about meningitis.
Admit it, you’re just trying to get into the Word of the Day thread.
Also, I thought the pilot was awful.
I must be weird. I don’t understand how anybody could NOT like this particular show. When the TV Zombies idiots sounded off against it I figured it was just them being extra-liberal asshats who didn’t like the fact that the show made fun of community college, where “the vast majority of Americans get their secondary education” (their words), in part because that’s the objection they led with. This was easily the best comedy pilot that I’ve seen in a long time. I usually have a hard time laughing at shows where there’s no laugh track, but this one got me going. I actually don’t much like Joel McHale as an actor, but his character was hilarious - he’s like the Chuck Norris of bullshitting, and that is awesome. The supporting cast was interesting, though I think they may have started a little far down the line, as I came in three minutes late and I was sure that I had missed everybody’s introductions (I later caught the time that I missed and it turns out that I didn’t - you’re just supposed to accept that these are people). Moreover, Chevy Chase was actually funny for the first time in…well, I mean, I just feel good for the guy to have gotten back on the horse. And there was an Asperger’s joke, which is exceptional. While I’ll miss Oliver if he’s not going to be a regular, this is easily the best comedy pilot I’ve seen in the past couple of years.
Of course, this is NBC, so if the critics don’t collectively ejaculate praise all over it in a furious storm that results in no fewer than thirty seven Emmy nominations, I kind of wonder if it won’t get canceled to death in the face. USA didn’t do a lot of straight comedies during the reign of the guy who is now in charge of deciding what stays at NBC, so it’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out.
I liked the pilot a lot, which is remarkable for a comedy pilot. So I have high hopes for this series. But the lagging point for me is this point. His character is the Chuck Norris of bullshitting, but that role has been over played ever since Ferris Bueller set the gold standard over 20 years ago.
But Im hopeful that they make his character more than that.
Oooh, that’s where he’s from! I’m just going to assume he was starving and it was that job or prostitute himself, because there is no other excuse for working in those ads. But I didn’t mind him in the show. I’m willing to give the show a shot.
I dug it.
That chick looked like Elisabeth Shue.
I’m with you there. He was pretty much the only thing I didn’t like about the show - which actually worked out well when he got outshitted.
But then the ending seemed the weaker for wrapping up so sweetly when the rest of it was pretty bitter.
Just the same I think it has some potential. I’m grateful for the lack of laugh track. I’m much more comfortable tolerating slightly weaker material when it isn’t accompanied with constant, fabricated peer pressure.
Seems like an increasing number of sitcoms are forgoing laughtracks. I am grateful.
I enjoyed it as well. I laughed out loud a couple times and that’s more than I can say for any sitcom since Arrested Development was canceled. It was a very strong first episode. It seems like there is a lot of potential in the cast of characters. I just hope they can keep up the pace of the dialogue.
I just watched it and I thought it was pretty damn funny for a show about characters I don’t know - this might be the first time a sitcom pilot made me laugh out loud, even. Lots of great quotes in there, if the show can keep this pace up while improving the characters and writing, it’ll be a fun show to follow. Certainly better than watching more Heroes.
The pilot’s directors also directed a lot of Arrested Development episodes.
I gave this show another chance tonight, and my original assessment stands.
The chick falling off the desk was funny, though.
For me, the show is really uneven, and it comes across to me like an awkward one-act play at times. Chevy Chase is awesome in it though, so that’s why it keeps me watching. I hope the rest of it catches up to him.
One of the supporting characters is also Trudy Campbell from Mad Men.
The second episode fell flat to me except for the end play.
I’m loving it. The guest appearances (teachers) have been pretty good thus far, so it’s hard to tell where the actual cast can go. Wayne Jarvis is great though.
I really think Abed is an awesome character. To me, he’s the real star of the show. To me, this episode telegraphed the end a little too clearly, but I still enjoyed it. I was laughing (inappropriately?) the entire first time through Abed’s documentary (ie when it was being filmed).
So far, to me, the show overall is weaker than the sum of its parts. There are some fantastic one-liners, but then there’s not a great core to wrap them around. The episodic cycling of classes hasn’t really helped that. I’m enjoying it though, and I’ll continue watching it until it disappoints on the one-liners front.
You really need a few more "to me"s in that one, champ.
There were some great lines the whole way through. Still not to the level of some of the others on NBC, but it certainly has potential. I laughed in several places. Just about every scene with Mr. Sieze the Day was funny, but then that dude is a pro and fitted seemlessly into everything I have seen him in. (Dog Show and the other four of those, and he eeven was the sole good thing about Kath and Kim, which is one that deserved to die.) As the rest of the cast gels, I think it is only going to get better.
Uneven, I would agree with, but certainly worth continuing.
I wanted to make it clear I wasn’t judging other people’s opinions.
It’s getting better as it goes along, and the third episode may have just been 30 Rock-good.
Also, if you look closely, you can spot Badger from Breaking Bad at the end of tonight’s episode; apparently, he also appeared briefly in previous episodes.