90 replies to this topic

[toddthomas]

I didn't see a thread elsewhere for this one.
Any title I would suggest would be "Mohr Jay than every before" or something involving how a Paula Marshall show won't last long enough to come up with a thread title.


That said...I laughed out loud more than once, which didn't happen at all during the lead-in show. Mohr's slightly bitter divorced dad had some good lines and I felt he played it well. The engagment to the therapist thing...I can think of ways I'd like to see that go (ie, she's rebounding and it's not so slapsticky as it appears) but it earned a repeat look.

[Bulldog]

Not exactly groundbreaking, but funny enough that I'll watch again.

Good companion to Old Christine.

[CJohnson]

Read some of the reviews for this, and man critics are really harsh to traditional sitcoms these days. I liked it. Had the same feeling of those sitcoms that are not necessarily must see, but is an enjoyable way to waste 30 minutes. Thought the cast was strong and had good chemistry. Hope it does well enough to stick around, I'll certainly keep checking it out.

[ILNative]

I liked it too. Quite a bit. Jay Mohr has a charming smarminess to him and his interactions with the kids was very realistic.

But Paula Marshall needs a cheeseburger tout suite. From Seinfeld to this show, it's like she lost a whole person!

[colt13]

Very enjoyable. Jay and Paula tease each other but it doesnt come off as full blown hate.

[braggtastic]

I gave it a try, but don't think I'll be DVRing it in the future. I liked Jay Mohr in Action, but this was too sitcomy for my tastes.

I know Mohr divorced a while ago, but I don't think he had kids. I used to hear him on a local radio show all the time when he & his wife were so lovey dovey with each other. I'd love to know what happened there. James King will always be the chain smoking 17 year old model who had a huge spread in the NY Times magazine about 12 years ago. I think she's had three careers since then.

I thought Mohr & Marshall's son was 11 or so, not 14.

[legaleagle44]

I know Mohr divorced a while ago, but I don't think he had kids.

Actually, he has a son from that marriage (who I think is now about three or four years old.) Back when he was first doing Last Comic Standing, he used to joke about the agony and the ecstasy of being a new father on his show-related online blog.

Edited by legaleagle44, Sep 25, 2008 @ 1:46 PM.

[rudystx01]

I completely enjoyed this show....I will continue to watch. It was both funny and smart.

[braggtastic]

he has a son from that marriage (who I think is now about three or four years old.)

Thanks, I guess I was hearing him and the Mrs about 8 years ago or so.

[sarapea08]

I have never watched Jay in anything so I am coming with a clean slate to this show. I like all the characters so far. My favorite moment was when he was going to trick the ex into permission to date his new lady friend and she tricked him and brought out the ring from the marriage counselor. She nailed that scene.

Edited by sarapea08, Sep 25, 2008 @ 8:16 PM.

[TV Anonymous]

I know that this is just a comedy and therefore must not be taken seriously. Having said that, I have this burning question. For a marriage counselor to have a relationship with one of his patients, isn't it a major major conflict of interest as well as breach of ethics? Not to mention blurbing out facts conversed in confidence?

Just asking.

[Featherhat]

I know that this is just a comedy and therefore must not be taken seriously. Having said that, I have this burning question. For a marriage counselor to have a relationship with one of his patients, isn't it a major major conflict of interest as well as breach of ethics? Not to mention blurbing out facts conversed in confidence?

Just asking.

Definitely, especially just 3 months after the divorce. Of course she's going to find him amazing and sensitive because he listens calmly whilst she bitches about Gary. Next year she might not like him so much. I wonder if we're supposed to ignore it brcause it's comedy or it will come up?

Certainly nothing new or particularly but I didn't find it that bad either. I definitely enjoyed it more than "The War at Home" (and many many others) which was the same thing without the divorce. Might not stick around that long though, considering the ratings.

[nalonem]

I love Jay. The show is pretty good. Wasn't there an older\darker haired child playing his daughter last week?

[Phishbulb]

Wasn't there an older\darker haired child playing his daughter last week?

I was just going to post the same thing. I barely paid attention to the first episode of this show, and this jumped out at me immediately. They didn't even try to find a girl who looked somewhat the same.
It's not weird to recast a role like that, but usually they go back and reshoot the pilot so that the change isn't so glaringly obvious.

Edited by Phishbulb, Oct 1, 2008 @ 9:56 PM.

[vampdeath]

So did they get rid of the fact that the girl's character was in love with Al Gore etc? Because she seemed pretty normal this episode.

Edited by vampdeath, Oct 2, 2008 @ 2:54 AM.

[reggiejax]

Try as I might I can't really get into this show. I like Jay Mohr, Paula Marshall, Jaime King and Ed Begley Jr. But this show just isn't clicking for me. I can't pinpoint what is wrong specifically, but it just doesn't work for me.

[jbreckenridge]

I think the problem is the kids. They ungeeked the girl somewhat although still a cellist, but now she hasn't had enough screen time to show us who she is. And Son of Girlfriend is still a cipher.

But the one kid we have gotten to know is like watching According to Jim in larval form - dumpy boy complains about his hot girlfriend. And he's either not a good actor or being directed badly - his line readings don't punch the right words.


PS: Did Ed Begley ever act? Lately all I've seen him in, he seems to be playing Ed Begley. (Jay Mohr is almost playing Jay Mohr in this, but he's like the domesticated version instead of feral Jay.)

[macrone]

Ok, so it's not just me going crazy, then. I thought the daughter last week was played by April from Gilmore Girls

The actress who played April (Vanessa Marano) is actually the older sister of the actress (Laura Marano) in this show's pilot. You might recognize Laura from last season's Back to You, on which she played Patricia Heaton's daughter.

Anyway, I actually thought the pilot was stronger than the second episode, despite the extra helping of Paula Marshall in the new one. (Love Paula Marshall.)

Edited by macrone, Oct 2, 2008 @ 8:24 PM.

[becky32205]

I thought this episode was one of the funniest shows I have seen in quite a while of any show. I laughed out loud a number of times. I don't remember being a Jay Mohr fan in the past but his timing in this show is great. I look forward to seeing the show in the weeks to come to see if the writers can continue to make me laugh!

[toddthomas]

There were some jokes that were telegraphed from miles away, yet I still laughed. I don't know if it is delivery or just good actors or what, but it reminds me of "Out of Practice." Both were shows that were formulaic yet delivered a few huge laughs (from our couch, at least) each ep.

[CJohnson]

I didn't think it was as good as the pilot, but it was still pleasant.

Kind of odd that they didn't re-shoot the scenes with the first daughter in the pilot. I heard Larry Miller originally played the part Ed Begley plays and they re-shot that stuff.

Oh, and Jay Mohr with his shirt off... no Jay, no. lol.

[My Wurst Fierce]

It's a bit meh to be honest. Is that Kim from America's Next Top Model C5 playing the son?

Edited by My Wurst Fierce, Oct 11, 2008 @ 8:17 AM.

[SnarkySheep]

Honestly, I only tuned in in the first place 'cause I love Jay Mohr, and there's definitely enough of his cracks and humor to keep me entertained...

That said, overall, I find this to be pretty stereotypical sitcom...it's funny enough, but so far, I don't really see anything much distinguishing it from dozens of other shows. (That'll be important, come chopping-block time....)

On a side note, did anyone else see Gary and his kids eating on those Frisbees and think it looked like fun? LOL

[toddthomas]

I like it well enough, but "careless man gets screwed in divorce settlement" really, really, really grates. It's right up there with fart jokes in the "things CBS thinks are really funny" that I just can't find amusing.

[macrone]

It's right up there with fart jokes in the "things CBS thinks are really funny" that I just can't find amusing.

Seriously. But at least they seem to be adding a few more dimensions to Paula Marshall's character. It was looking at first like she might wind up as Judith redux (Marin Hinkle's increasingly shrewish, blood-sucking, and two-dimensional character on Two and a Half Men.)

[AquaWings]

While on vacation in L.A., my boyfriend and I went to see the Tuesday taping of Gary Unmarried. The damn taping lasted forever, as James Burrows had to keep shooting scenes over and over. Jay Mohr was really funny and kept directing jokes to the audience during breaks. Paula cursed a lot when she flubbed her lines and hit me in the forehead with a piece of candy. Apparently since the show is so new, they have trouble finding enough people to be in the live studio audience, so they apparently pay crazy, homeless junkies to fill in. These people were seriously scary. I think we were two of about twelve people who weren't being paid to be there. The episode they were filming was actually pretty good, so I'll have to be sure to remember to write again when it airs to tell you all what some of the alternate lines were. I think going to the taping was enough to get me invested in the show.

[AVorlon]

It took me awhile to figure out what it was about this show that I didn’t like, but then I went into the bathroom during one episode, and I could still hear them yelling at each other from the other room. I guess I just don’t find two people screaming at each other for 20 minutes to be all that amusing.

[Toy Purple Belt]

I'm trying to figure out if this show has potential. I think it might, but it doesn't seem motivated to rise far enough above cliche. Every episode has leaned into dialogue designed to get laughs rather than drawing a humorous portrait of real(ish) characters. There's a bit more creativity in some of the writing here than in many other sitcoms, but too much seems taken from stock. Not to say that I don't appreciate the slight improvements to the formula:
This moronic man-child is able to come up with occasionally clever insults.
This ex-wife admits that she liked his flawed personality at one time [drunken confession] and that she treasures the truly good times they shared [including the pool table]. Plus I've had a crush on Paula Marshall since Cupid ten years ago.

Will it go the full season, possibly two?

Edit: I think my point was that the show seems punchline-driven rather than plot/character-driven where punchlines are the reward. Some of these punchlines feel cheap and undeserved.

Edited by Toy Purple Belt, Oct 23, 2008 @ 11:09 PM.