40 replies to this topic

[Southern]

Anyone else watching this show on B.E.T?

Edited by TWoP Howard, Oct 12, 2011 @ 2:00 AM.

[PoeticJustice32]

TER looks too old to be playing MJW's wife. I know he's actually a couple years older but DAMN he looks good! And it doesn't help that I still see him as Theo and her as Joan. Its going to take me a while to put those characters to bed, and I'm not sure this show will keep me interested long enough to do that.

So the twins aren't Alex's? That's an interesting development I suppose. I wonder who they'll cast as the father, and why they wrote him to live on the other coast instead of nearby where he can interact with everyone.

[JoeSpacely]

Perhaps specifically so that he wouldn't interact with everyone. Plus, the better to get a Special Guest Star to play the role (one without that much availability, or who won't be needed as much)?

I watched this show. It's very likeable, but didn't really have a lot of humor to it. I worry that these types of shows are so concerned about being Positive (they are both doctors, of some type, after all) that they end up neglecting the laughs, because they could be viewed as stereotypical. For instance, the Anna Marie Horsford character was one of the few being actively funny, but someone might mistake that for "buffoonery".

I did like Malcolm-Jamal and Tracey in this, even though they both seemed a bit stiff. I get your point about the ill-assumed age difference (that throws me when watching "Are We There Yet?"). I'm guessing part of it is that Tracey's character is quite "uptight", while Malcolm's is a bit less rigid.

Hopefully they will be given time to get the chemistry down. I read that they basically started right up, so these first few episodes will reflect cast and writer unfamiliarity all-around.

[Jonas Quimby]

Damn! When did Malcolm-Jamal Warner get so big and beefy? And that bass voice? Mmm...

I watched the first two episodes, and I liked it. I agree, Tracee Ross seems older than Malcolm-Jamal Warner, but I think they have decent chemistry together. I had read somewhere that it was a blended family. The twins are from her first marriage, but it seems like the little girl is their child together.

I liked how the twins fight, but when they were talking about how spoiled Alexis is, they were on the same team. It happens in real families too.

I'll keep watching, if only for the episode where Malcolm-Jamal takes his shirt off.

One thing that didn't ring true was presumably Carla's been a psychologist for several years. It seems that her professional name would be either her maiden name or her first married name, not her current husband's.

[Easyspreestep]

I was very surprised that I liked this show. I was shocked at how sexy MJW is. Also the little girl is very cute.

[getawayjordan]

This show has potential. And I don't think that MJW and TER are stuffy. They actually seem to be playing the straight men to the other characters. Much like Tracee played on Girlfriends.

[Doom]

This show is getting good reviews. I don't even remember what channel b.e.t. is any more, but I'm going to have to find this.

[Renard]

This show has potential but right now is mostly flat. In an attempt to show how "normal" a black family can be, they are leaving the funny at home. And TER isn't that strong to begin with.

One major nitpick: after the discussion about the daughter's collection of iProducts, they show her using a Kindle.

The son annoys me for the moment; he seems to have a problem communicating "the truth". Not sure what "sandwich man"'s role will be. And PLEASE, let Robin Given's appearance be a one-off. I really am becoming sorry for her; she is quite literally becoming a punch-line.

[Gloworm]

I hate laugh tracks and I hate obvious. This show has both front and center.

I get that pilots and early shows have to clue the audience into the relationships and personalities. I wish this show would be more savvy about it. In the second episode, why would Alex (MJW) tell Carla (TER) that this was Alexis' first sleepover? She's her mother... I'm sure she knows. That tidbit could have been saved to share with the parent that brought her home. That would have made more sense to me.
In the first episode, the info that Alex isn't the twins father was laid out quite clunky through the twin boy's friend. Honestly, that could have been a plot point played out later on.
The Robin Givens role was painfully obvious as to where that was going. Geez.

I agree with the sentiment that they're so focused on being good and positive that they're not focused on being funny. I watched this show thinking "is there any edge" in these people? Don't make chocolate into vanilla.

[Sarah1281]

Carla's face looks really weird when she's doing that goofy smile. It's very distracting.

And I absolutely hate the son. Keenan, maybe?

I did find the Bella discussion to be amusing, though.

[Renard]

Unless she's pre-K, any ideas as to why they are homeschooling the little girl?

The "let's role-play to teach our child a lesson (and embarrass her)" was as subtle as a piledriver.

I must have missed something because I was confused by the scene/exchange between the accupuncturist and the receptionist about religion. And again-not subtle.

[Jonas Quimby]

Unless she's pre-K, any ideas as to why they are homeschooling the little girl?

Did they actually say they're homeschooling? If so, maybe it's just that they want to.

I have to admit, a big part of the reason I'm watching this show is that Malcolm-Jamal Warner is so damn fine. I haven't had a crush on a TV actor in ages.

[Renard]

Did they actually say they're homeschooling? If so, maybe it's just that they want to.

What I remember, not an exact quote:

MJW: something, something, something "do your homework."

Daughter: "Daddy, if I live here and go to school here, isn't it just 'work'?"

MJW: "Well I'm your teacher so I can call it whatever I want."

I find it strange that you would treat children differently-older kids in public? school and youngest home-schooled. Similar as having some in public and others in private. Especially since it is her bio father teaching her, it could be interpreted that he cares more for her education than he does for the education of the kids that aren't his. Plus they already addressed that there is/was an issue with everyone doing everything for the little girl and not having her learn any responsibility/self-reliance/independence. I'm not a big fan of homeschooling in general, especially at early ages when kids need to socialize with other kids their age and learn to "work and play well with others"; forgive me, my mother was a(my) kindergarten teacher so it's an ingrained bias.

[Sarah1281]

I find it strange that you would treat children differently-older kids in public? school and youngest home-schooled.

Perhaps the twins were also homeschooled when they were younger or by the time the father came into the picture they were past the age where he was comfortable homeschooling them. The little girl will probably start public school by the time she's the twins' age.

[nicepebbles]

I really like this show a lot. I think TER and MJW have great chemistry. I do have to remind myself not to think of them as Joan and Theo. They're already on my list of favorite TV couples.

IMO TER doesn't look older than him and I find the show funny. I pretty much like everyone on the show. Not a really a fan of Ms. Helen. I do cut it some slack as far as some of its shortcomings since a lot of new shows have to get their footing. I hope it gets picked up for a full season. I'm glad other people are watching.

As far as the homeschooling, it could be the twins no longer want to be homeschooled.

[Sarah1281]

The hair episode really bugged me.

I guess that I was already at a disadvantage with this episode because I'm not black so I really don't know much about any special properties the Reeds' hair would have and why straightening it or not is such a big deal.

But that said...it really doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Yes it's a good message that you shouldn't change for a guy but it's just her hair. It's not like she's taking up smoking or cutting classes or acting like she's stupid for him. And the main reason she gave for not wanting straight hair was that she didn't want to put in the effort to do it every day and with the perm apparently that is no longer an issue.

I also feel that Carla was way too hard on the boy. He started flirting with Kaci after she straightened her hair so that means that he wants her to change for him and is therefore not worth her time? Even if he hadn't been interested until her hair had changed that just means that he's attracted to straight hair and not curly hair and it doesn't make him a bad person.

And I was so pissed during the 50's thing! It was completely out of line for them to pull that crap when Kaci had a date over. And it was a complete overreaction. Changing your hairstyle because you want a guy to like you is completely different than being a subservient 50's housewife who exists to please her husband! Does Carla really think that Kaci changing her hair will logically progress into her having no will of her own? What was she trying to prove? It just felt too over-the-top for Kaci to actually learn whatever lesson Carla was actually trying to teach her.

So the episode ended it with the boy having liked Kaci all along but I'm a little concerned. The 'that's sweet' comment may or may not mean anything but why did he ask if the women shouldn't get drinks when the father said that he was going to go get them? Was he just confused because that didn't seem to follow from the 50's image he had been getting or are they trying to say that he really is horribly sexist after all (though I don't see how that comes from liking one hairstyle over another. He didn't ask Kaci to change it)? And if it's the latter then why is it a happy ending where he and Kaci are getting closer?

[johchi]

I don't think they were really saying anything was wrong with the boy. The dad overreacted to the "that's sweet" comment, but TV (and real?) dads always overreact to their daughters' boyfriends. Actually, I had a flashback to that episode of the Cosby Show when Claire and Cliff first meet Elvin. Kaci was the one with the screwed-up thinking in this episode: 1) she jumped to the wrong conclusion based on a compliment, and 2) she was going to permanently alter her appearance for a boy.

I agree that the 50's thing was a bit much. At first, I didn't even understand what they were doing. I guess they figured they could show her better than tell her.

But that said...it really doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Yes it's a good message that you shouldn't change for a guy but it's just her hair. It's not like she's taking up smoking or cutting classes or acting like she's stupid for him. And the main reason she gave for not wanting straight hair was that she didn't want to put in the effort to do it every day and with the perm apparently that is no longer an issue.

Putting a relaxer in your hair is a big deal. You're putting strong chemicals on your hair and scalp, and you have to do it repeatedly to touch up the roots. You permanently change the texture of your hair, and for some people (like myself), it results in severe damage to your hair and burns to your scalp. Yes, you always have the option of growing it out and cutting off the relaxed hair, but it's not something to be taken lightly. Also, as the mom said, it should be done by a professional. A kid putting it on herself, in the bathroom, could end badly - burned off hair, getting chemicals in her eye, etc.

Edited by johchi, Oct 25, 2011 @ 11:12 PM.

[eeaacc]

I guess that I was already at a disadvantage with this episode because I'm not black so I really don't know much about any special properties the Reeds' hair would have and why straightening it or not is such a big deal.

But that said...it really doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

Yes, you're right, you're at a disadvantage and therefore, do not understand why is it very much a big deal. Once you put a relaxer in your head (and here, I'll reiterate what johchi posted, there are many reasons why one--particularly a child--should not apply her own relaxer), it's done. All of the hair that has been processed can never be unprocessed. A person who's never cared for relaxed hair, like the daughter, will likely not know how to care for it, and do even further damage. Additionally, it can take years to grow out a relaxer. I won't get into the societal pressures about straightening and why some naturals think that straightening is insulting to Black women as a whole (mostly because I don't agree with them), but in the Black community, a natural choosing to relax is sometimes more than just "straightening it or not". It is that big of a deal. The mother gave a pretty good cursory explanation for anyone who was open to understanding it.

Edited by eeaacc, Oct 27, 2011 @ 11:45 AM.

[Sarah1281]

The mother gave a pretty good cursory explanation for anyone who was open to understanding it.

I was open to understanding it. It still didn't make sense to me. Your post and johchi's helped make that clearer but it wasn't like I wasn't trying to understand what the big deal was.

[mightymos]

I watched this the other night and I liked it. Kinda. I think I'm just nostalgic. I wish they'd just reboot old Cosby Show scripts.

I feel like I'm watching what happened after Theo got his phD and became a professor and then met and married Joan after she left LA for NY. And they're raising Nelson and Winnie and some Rudy/Olivia hybrid. The girl twin reminds me of Sandra, dressed like Denise with Vanessa's attitude. And the boy twin is Theo.

It might just be me. I'm watching just based on that alone. I miss the Cosby Show...

[JoeSpacely]

This whole conversation sounds very educational, but none of it sounds like the episode was funny. And that is my big problem with this show. I mean, it's great that they want to re-present "The Cosby Show" and present a 'positive' black family and all. But, if I'm being honest, I haven't really been able to watch the Huxtables since they left NBC.

"The Cosby Show" was definitely funnier; "Reed" comes off more like "The Parent 'Hood", to be frank. But positive window dressing is not enough for the long haul. I get that they want to avoid the complaints frequently made about shows like "House of Payne", but at least that show gets that its primary mission is to be funny (regardless of ability to execute on it, but that's another subject). "Reed" has the smoothness, but everything else plays like a tired PSA.

Yes, you're right, you're at a disadvantage and therefore, do not understand why is it very much a big deal.

But now you know! [/GI Joe]. It's good that you tuned in, as the "you wouldn't understand" logic, left at that, is why these shows are only found on BET or TVOne now to begin with.

[nicepebbles]

The mother gave a pretty good cursory explanation for anyone who was open to understanding it.

I was open to understanding it. It still didn't make sense to me. Your post and johchi's helped make that clearer but it wasn't like I wasn't trying to understand what the big deal was.

I thought what Carla said on the show is what poster's here have said.

I would agree that the 50s thing was a bit of an overreaction. I get it though in that when it comes to black hair, overreaction comes with the territory depending on who's a part of the discussion. I will say I saw him just commenting on her hair as something nice to say rather than he prefers girls with straight hair a mile away. I do think it's somewhat of a big deal if your child one day says they love something about themselves and then the next day is ready to change that thing because of commentary from the opposite sex. I think this is especially true for teenagers. From my own experience, some parents (mostly moms) doesn't even want to start down that road with their kids (usually daughters). In this instance, IMO, it was less about the kind of person the boy is but how Kaci is going to conduct herself when she's with a guy. Kaci got that, IMO, when she talked to the boy at the end.

I watched this the other night and I liked it. Kinda. I think I'm just nostalgic. I wish they'd just reboot old Cosby Show scripts.

I feel like I'm watching what happened after Theo got his phD and became a professor and then met and married Joan after she left LA for NY. And they're raising Nelson and Winnie and some Rudy/Olivia hybrid. The girl twin reminds me of Sandra, dressed like Denise with Vanessa's attitude. And the boy twin is Theo.

I don't know if I want them to reboot old Cosby scripts even with my nostalgia. Mr. Nice has said Kaci reminds him of Sandra and it's like the twins are Winnie and Nelson. I said last night that Kaci reminded me of Denice and Vanessa. I think former Cosby kids should guest star as relatives.

"The Cosby Show" was definitely funnier; "Reed" comes off more like "The Parent 'Hood", to be frank. But positive window dressing is not enough for the long haul. I get that they want to avoid the complaints frequently made about shows like "House of Payne", but at least that show gets that its primary mission is to be funny (regardless of ability to execute on it, but that's another subject). "Reed" has the smoothness, but everything else plays like a tired PSA.

I'm curious as to what you mean as far as it reminds you of The Parent Hood. I didn't find that show or House of Paynefunny. I don't get the feel of a PSA with this show. I do agree though that the writing could use some work. I mean the dance class episode was pretty terrible. It seemed like they were more concerned with showcasing TER's comic abilities that telling a story that made sense. It felt like the story had a middle and an end but no beginning as far as the 'feud' between Carla and her friend.

I will say from what I've seen of Let's Stay Together, Reed Between the Lines is way better.

[JoeSpacely]

The comparison to "The Parent 'Hood" is just that, when that show came out, it came across as nothing more than a wannabe clone of "The Cosby Show", with little to none of the writing talent or character development.

It was all surface - an upscale AA family, where both parents had good jobs, and everyone was Positive! They even brought in a "street" kid, in the final season, to spice things up as the regular kids grew up and moved on. Certainly something nice to take to the Image Awards, but nothing at all worthy of remembering.

To be fair, "Reed" is certainly better, but I get the same impression - the desire to present a functional family of color. Seeking to avoid anything that might be perceived as "negative stereotype", everything is rather dull. It feels more like a series of commercials for Target, that might run to appeal to the upscale AA viewer, than an actual program (I think Walmart actually did this during "House of Payne" or "Are We There Yet?").

The whole 50s thing reminded me of all the over-the-top bits that "Cosby" ran, to teach one of the Huxtable kids a lesson. I didn't care for this overkill aspects when Cliff and Claire did it. Now, it feels even more outdated, outside of a "That's so Raven" episode.

[nicepebbles]

The comparison to "The Parent 'Hood" is just that, when that show came out, it came across as nothing more than a wannabe clone of "The Cosby Show", with little to none of the writing talent or character development.

It was all surface - an upscale AA family, where both parents had good jobs, and everyone was Positive!

I understand. IIRC, TPH came across as stereotypical IMO. I just remember thinking it wants to be TCS but isn't because it relied on stereotypes. It's been so long that I can't remember the exact details of why I stopped watching after a few episodes.

Seeking to avoid anything that might be perceived as "negative stereotype", everything is rather dull.

I really hope this isn't the case because one shouldn't have to rely on stereotypes for something to be funny. There's no reason why a show can't be positive and funny. The best example I can think of right now is Up All Night. I use it as an example because I think the humor is similar IMO. UAN's humor is low-key, subtle, and more grounded than your average sitcom about a married couple with a kid. I find that show funny and it doesn't rely on stereotypes about men and women, moms and dads, and so on. Does anyone else watch both shows and see my point?

[eeaacc]

"Mainstream" (read: white) sitcoms don't NEED to rely on negative stereotypes in order to be funny and neither do black sitcoms.

Reed is no Cosby Show, but lest we forget, Bill Cosby is a comedian turned actor and his hand was in every part of the show. The writing was funnier, the casting was better and the timing was perfect. It was a great show. My husband and I are in our 30s and we watch occasionally watch Cosby Show reruns (and we've both seen them all when they originally aired) and literally laugh out loud. Our son, who is watching the reruns at the age we were when we watched the originals, does the same. So I don't find it to be outdated at all. In comparison, we've watched every episode of Reed except one and I don't know that we've ever laughed out loud.

I will continue watching because I am a fan of both MJW and TER and I want to support the show because I believe television needs more images like this. However, as I am watching, I am also hoping that the writing gets better and the cast becomes more comfortable and has time to mesh. It's still awkward, but that can be overcome.

I'd like to weigh in re Up All Night, but I've not yet watched it.

Edited by eeaacc, Oct 28, 2011 @ 10:07 PM.

[Gloworm]

I totally get the "PSA" feel for this show or an afterschool special touch.
For some reason (can't figure out why yet), I like the twins the most out of anyone else on the show. I hate their "tragically hip" wardrobe. But the two actors play well off each other and seem like real siblings. Despite the clunky writing.

[coxdiesel]

The biggest difference between "The Cosby Show" and all of the other various shows that have tried to clone it over the years (including this one) is that none of those shows have had a star the quality of (or even remotely as funny as) Bill Cosby attached to them. He was the one with the experience and comic timing that carried that show to the heights it reached. I think maybe the closest show to it might have been "My Wife and Kids" with Damon Wayans. And that's honestly why, as much I'd love to be wrong, I think "Reed" is doomed to fail. Neither parent is a comic actor of Cosby's magnitude. And writers seem too concerned with being "safe and positive" to really make a show that's funny and has substance. I've watched all the episodes and have yet to actually laugh. Heck, I don't know if I've even smiled in amusement.

[nicepebbles]

I don't think it's an issue of playing it safe and positive. I mean the 'who broke the vase' SL has been played out forever on TV whether the family is black, white, rich or poor. It should've been funny. It has been funny. Something is not clicking like it should. I have laughed at this show. I've also been left scratching my head as to why something didn't work. I mean Lela Rochon and Leon should've been good. That fell flat.

[Renard]

Tonight is "last chance" on my scorecard; they need a HR and a stand-up double at least, maybe 2 triples. Anything less and I'm out-sorry.

[AyeshaTheGreat]

I don't think it's an issue of playing it safe and positive. I mean the 'who broke the vase' SL has been played out forever on TV whether the family is black, white, rich or poor. It should've been funny. It has been funny. Something is not clicking like it should. I have laughed at this show. I've also been left scratching my head as to why something didn't work. I mean Lela Rochon and Leon should've been good. That fell flat.

I find the show to be falling flat on countless occasions as well. The premise and family dynamic is cool but the execution is just not there. And the "who broke the vase" SL was a whole miss to me. I hated that he accused the kids with no real proof. I understand that the boy has been shown to be a liar but have we seen that from the girls? Especially the oldest? It just didn't feel right.

However, I will continue to watch this show because it's not the first comedy I have watched that has failed to make me laugh. I think the son has the best stories and lines so I do laugh when he is on. I hope it gets funnier because I know that is necessary for others to continue watching.