08:45:07 am on
Sunday 08 Dec 2024

Fall 2013 TV-3
Matt Seinberg

Now that the third and fourth weeks of the new TV season has passed, I decided to clench my teeth and watch some of the shows that I missed, by accident or design.

Let’s talk about the rebooted “Ironside,” starring Blair Underwood. Robert Ironside is a detective shot by his partner while chasing a thief down a dark alley. Ironside and his partner now have their own demons to live with. Although Raymond Burr played the character as more intellectual, Underwood plays him as a real bad ass who doesn’t mind beating suspects to get the information he needs, as evidenced by the opening scene in the pilot episode.

Any fan of the original show will be disappointed. There was no reason to take the name from the original show because this show is so far off the mark. This one is a big Fail.

I got to watch “Welcome To The Family,” starring Mike O’Malley (“Glee”), Ricardo Chavira (“Desperate Housewives”), Mary McCormack, Justina Machado, Joseph Haro, Ella Rae Peck and Fabrizio Guido. If you can imagine a mother and daughter becoming pregnant at the same time, and those same parents not even knowing the daughter has a boyfriend, this show is for you.

It’s certainly a blending of different personalities. “Welcome” is much as the 2012 show “Rob,” starring Rob Schneider, as a landscape architect schnook who marries into a large Mexican-American family. That show didn’t last very long. I don’t think “Welcome to the Family” will either. This one gets a Fail.

“Sean Saves the World” is a stupid title. Why not call it “Sean Is Saved by His Daughter” or “Sean Hates His Mother?” Although I was never a big “Will and Grace” fan, my wife was; sometimes I watched it. Sean Hayes, as Jack McFarland, was a funny character. Sean the Internet office geek is not. The one saving grace (sic) for this show is getting to see the very hot Megan Hilty show her cleavage. Can Sean give Megan a good show? This one gets a Fail.

Let’s revisit some reviews from week one. “The Michael J. Fox” show has gotten better and the family dynamic is finally coming together. I’ll take this from a Fail to a Pass.

“The Goldbergs” have finally stopped yelling at each other, and are trying to get along. Maybe Adam Goldberg read my first review and decided to tone it down a little. Not all real life families scream at each other all the time. I’ll take this from a Fail to Borderline. If they let George Segal get more involved, this could be a Pass.

“Super Fun Night” might just get fun. The funniest person on there is the boss, Richard Royce, played by Kevin Bishop. He’s the object of attention of both Kimmie Boubier, portrayed by Rebel Wilson, and her office nemesis Kendall Quinn portrayed by Kate Jenkinson. Richard likes the attention of Kendall, but doesn’t seem to like her, as a person, even though she’s hot. He seems to enjoy Kimmie’s company more, even if she is not hot. They might just get to Pass, up from Borderline.

You could put Robin Williams on a stage by himself and he’d be funny. Wait, he did that in 1979 for HBO in his first special, “Reality, What a Concept,” while riding high in “Mork and Mindy.” You give him a subject and he’ll make it funny, just like his late mentor, Jonathon Winters. “The Crazy Ones” is still a Pass.

Now let’s see what shows the networks will cancel. I wonder what will replace them. Then I get to do even more reviews. Yeah.

Matt Seinberg lives on Long Island, a few minutes east of New York City. He looks at everything around him and notices much. Somewhat less cynical than dyed in the wool New Yorkers, Seinberg believes those who don't see what he does like reading about what he sees and what it means to him. Seinberg columns revel in the silly little things of life and laughter as well as much well-directed anger at inept, foolish public officials. Mostly, Seinberg writes for those who laugh easily at their own foibles as well as those of others.

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