Originally Posted By cstephens After reading a bit about "Back to You" and knowing that Kelsey Grammer was in the show, I had decided to give the show a try. I'm seriously hurting for comedies in my TV schedule - the funniest show I watch is "Desperate Housewives", which I really like and has its comedic moments, but it's not exactly a belly-laugh inducing sitcom. I've had a couple over the last year or two (including "Out of Practice" with Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing who were both excellent), but they haven't survived. The half-hour sitcom about life at a local news show in Pittsburgh goes very quickly, helped along by very quick dialogue and a lot of throwaway lines that you're likely to miss if you blink or laugh too long at the previous joke. Kelsey as Chuck Darling is not quite as curmudgeonly as he was in "Cheers" and "Frasier", but he's still got great comic timing and sense. Patricia Heaton isn't someone I've really watched before, but she was very good in this, and there's a definite chemistry between the two of them. The actor who played the brother in "Out of Practice" plays a field reporter and wanna-be anchor, and he's great with the one-liners. There's a segment where he makes a comment about how he has to do a remote from in front of the empty dark courthouse in the pouring rain because that somehow lends credibility to the story, and anyone who's familiar with news shows can relate to the absurdity of that way of thinking. Fred Williard plays the sports anchor, and he's a joy to watch as usual. My favorite character, though, is Montana Diaz Herrera, the weather girl who plays up her Hispanic heritage up and over the top. She pronounces everything in a normal tone, except when she gets to her last name, which is overdone with a Hispanic accent. Later in the show, she brings up Chuck's stint in "Los An-heles". The husband and I were laughing hysterically. I'm not sure how well that plays in other parts of the country, but those in the Los Angeles area will be quite familiar with local broadcasters who use the same tactic in real life. The series has a good production staff pedigree as well, with head writers who also wrote for "Frasier" and "Golden Girls" and the first episode directed by well-known and successful James Burrows. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of this show. /cs
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I'm in South Florida so the weather girl was right on. I thought the show was very funny and I'll try to catch it again. I hope it's fate is not sealed by being on FOX. My first reaction was that it was worthy of the old NBC Must-See TV time slots.
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 Oh, no! I missed it? My Tivo was supposed to record it; hopefully it's still there when I get home.
Originally Posted By berol I thought it was a little too heavy in character definition, people saying "out there" kinda stuff so you'd know "oh, this person is gonna flirt with the boss during the series" or "oh, this person hates that person". When they get more into plot, it could only get better. Start the countdown to when Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton's characters hook up.
Originally Posted By MissCandice I was leery of this show because I am not a fan of Patricia Heaton but I am glad I gave it a shot. Sometimes its nice to veg in front of the TV and chuckle and this show made me do that.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost That brings me to this thought...why are "reality" shows so popular? Don't we get enough of reality in everyday life? As if any of those circumstances are real anyway, I guess. I watch TV for a reality break. The sillier the sit-com the more inclined I am to watch it. Scrubs is an excellent example of that. The situations are impossible, the solutions are a joy to behold and the characters are not like any person anyone has ever met. That is the making of a good, "suspension of disbelief" show. Yet, it still has it's solemn moments that seem believable. All I really want is some laughs that I don't have to feel guilty about and I don't have to jump to some other cerebral level to understand. Now to return to topic..it's back to you! Tee Hee!
Originally Posted By wahooskipper There is nothing real about reality tv. You want reality? Ok, here is the plot: A couple is awakened by their 4 year old boy at 6:00am because he is ready for breakfast. A few arguments about what clothes he is going to wear later and dad kisses him goodbye and heads off to a 9 hour workday. Mom gets the baby up and takes the 4 year old to school. After numerous errands she picks the boy back up and takes him home where he cries about things, fights with his sister, messes up the house and awaits dad's return. At 6:00 dad comes home and entertains the kids while mom makes dinner. The kids eat, make more of a mess and get baths and go to bed. The day repeats. There is reality.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Been there, done that, have no intention of doing it again. But my thoughts are with you. Happy reality, all to soon it is replace by some other reality. Still good, but not the same.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree goofy -- there are some days when the oldest have long since passed as the everyday trauma's of childhood - and when you can only talk to them long distance via phone -- sometimes the old days don't seem so bad anymore.
Originally Posted By cstephens I enjoy some reality shows because I enjoy the psychological/sociological aspects of them. /cs
Originally Posted By Tinkerbell819 I got to watch it last night and I thought it was good. It even tugged at my heart strings at the end. Now, if I can only remember to watch it this week...
Originally Posted By danyoung >...why are "reality" shows so popular? Don't we get enough of reality in everyday life? As if any of those circumstances are real anyway, I guess. I watch TV for a reality break. The sillier the sit-com the more inclined I am to watch it. Scrubs is an excellent example of that.< I could not agree with this more, goofy. I HATE reality shows! (Well, I do watch the making of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, but that's different!!) I really enjoyed this show. I'm leery of the whole daughter angle - I don't think they needed it. I hope they keep to the newsroom for most of the scripts.
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 ^^^Entertainment Weekly had a problem with the daughter thing too, but said that she's not even in the second episode.
Originally Posted By cstephens I would think that the daughter wouldn't be in every episode since she and those particular relationships aren't really the focus of the show. Entertainment Weekly - ewww. /cs
Originally Posted By cstephens Another good episode. It was kind of weird to have the "previously" segment at the beginning for a comedy. They usually don't do that. Unless you count "Soap". I loved all the different bits with the goldfish getting killed. I think my favorite was the coffee in the cup. But the fish that Kelsey took out of the bowl when Patricia thought she killed it looked incredibly plastic/rubbery. And where was the disclaimer about "no goldfish were harmed in the filming of this episode"? I loved the field reporter guy with all the tasering. He was amazing at the shaking, and it was so funny to watch him trying to eat at the end. I also give major credit to the three actors actually in the tasering scene with him for being able to not even look like they were trying to suppress laughter as he was shaking and trying to talk. Nothing much with Montana this time, but I loved the pumpkin festival bit. /cs
Originally Posted By jasmine7 I finally remembered to watch it this week, and I really loved it. The goldfish plot was just hilarious, and I loved the tasering part, too. This is gonna be a must watch for me, no doubt.
Originally Posted By Tinkerbell819 I laughed a lot at the second episode, too! Good show! All I have to do is look at Fred Willard and I start laughing, but, I liked the part about his ringtone being the taser guy's crying when the llama was after him.
