“The Michael J. Fox Show” – Season 1, Episode 6: “Teammates”
When NBC announced Michael J. Fox’s return to regular series television, few people could quibble with the prospect of the beloved sitcom star overcoming Parkinson’s disease and returning to his craft. After seeing six episodes of the show that bears his name, Fox certainly has not damaged his credibility or alienated his fans, but his show is nothing more than a generic, often lazy family sitcom.
This episode underscored the show’s central problem: too many stylistic gimmicks, not enough storytelling. The treacly voiceovers and mockumentary-style interview segments only drag the show down, recalling the structure of “Modern Family” but without soul. When Mike Henry (Fox) spends the entire episode arguing with his wife Annie (Betsy Brandt, “Breaking Bad’”) about whether or not a husband or wife should be a team, a closing monologue in which Mike says, “Being a family is like being on a team,” isn’t just unnecessary, it’s detrimental. The show needs to trust its instincts, not shove them down our throats.
While the show is not a laugh riot yet, this episode demonstrated that the cast’s camaraderie and a snappy pace of the dialogue that could give way to greatness with proper calibration. Harris (the delightful Wendell Pierce) rocks a Kenny Rogers beard at the NBC 4 karaoke party, Annie relishes at the opportunity to feign a psychological disorder and Aunt Leigh’s new dog Icebreaker is spunky. Plus, the episode’s central conflict is a valid one.
-Mark Lieberman
@midnight – Season 1, Episode 1: “@nerdist you’re everywhere. How many jobs do you have?”
This tweet that was broadcast on the show “@midnight” embodies the thoughts of many Nerdist fans who tune in to see Chris Hardwick on his newest show. An affable and self-proclaimed nerd, Hardwick hosts the late night comedy game show “@midnight” on Comedy Central.
The half-hour production involves three comedians battling in a series of contests in order to win the title of “Funniest Person in the World for the 23 and a Half Hours.” Each game refers to social media or pop culture, which is consistent with Hardwick’s work on his “Nerdist” podcast and comedy-variety show “The Nerdist.” The games include “OkCupid or Serial Killer,” where contestants had to discern if a profile description they read was written by an OkCupid user or by a serial killer, and #HashtagWars, in which the contestants had to name as many films that “sound like pooping.” The two contestants with the most points compete in one final round to determine the winner.
Hardwick as a host is his typical cheery, quirky self, albeit with more swearing and sexually-charged jokes. Hardwick does not refrain from making cracks at himself, which he makes clear when he refers to a tweet that calls him “a gayer Ryan Seacrest”. His guests are equally delightful, with comedians such as Natasha Leggero, Kumail Nanjiani and Doug Benson making improvised, yet hilarious responses.
With its unique game show format and emphasis on social media and all things pop culture, “@midnight” adds to the barrage of late night comedy TV shows, and it
should be here to stay.
-Kara Avanceña
