Shark Bytes
I was kind of sad to see it go: it became funnier in about the last three episodes. The first couple of episodes weren't all that great. I think, more than anything, the writer's strike sealed this show's doom, as there was a huge lack of continuity. A situation-comedy needs to be on every week, love it or hate it. But it didn't help their cause in the beginning that the writing wasn't all that funny.
I hope this show will be renewed for 2008-09, but it needs some improvement. It needs more scenes of their evening newscast and things going haywire during the newscasts. I like Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton...and I really like Fred Willard's character. The sub-plot of Chuck being Gracie's father isn't bad, but the storyline has to include Kelly and Chuck going to every extreme to keep it a secret from everyone in order for it to be intriguing.
Since the return from the writer's strike hiatus, they have replaced Gracie and where is Montana? Also, do the writer's suffer from short-term memory loss? In November, Gracie turned eleven. In the flashback episode that aired on 4/30/2008, it had Gracie being conceived on New Years 1998. That means that suddenly she's nine years old again. This kind of inaccuracy is unacceptable especially so early in a series.
I could barely tolerate ELR due to my intense disgust with Doris Roberts' character. I've had more than enough issues with overbearing mother-types.
I enjoyed Frasier, even though it lasted a couple years too long. As I live in Oregon, I really liked the Northwest in-jokes that found their way into scripts after the first couple of years.
I think "Back to You"'s producers are missing a golden opportunity in that Josh Gad in real life WENT TO COLLEGE IN PITTSBURGH at Carnegie-Mellon!!
I enjoyed Frasier, even though it lasted a couple years too long. As I live in Oregon, I really liked the Northwest in-jokes that found their way into scripts after the first couple of years.
I think "Back to You"'s producers are missing a golden opportunity in that Josh Gad in real life WENT TO COLLEGE IN PITTSBURGH at Carnegie-Mellon!!
I really loved the Retro feel to this show. tThe news room feels very Mary Tyler Moore, plus it's one ofthe few current shows left on air that has a start showing the actors with their names. Now they've gone and replaced Gracie. Why?, The original Gracie had great chemistry with her onscreen parents. Also why did Montana disapear with out a trace. That's like one of the bad things from the good old days of tv, when characters would disappear with out explanation. Aunt Clara, Chuck Cunningham, Doris Day's two boys, Tiger from the Brady Bunch....now add Montanna from Back to You. Not fair! I think she still added something to the show. Bring her and the original Gracie back please!
This was the show that was to have demonstrated the little-known acting talents of Meredith Vieira (she appeared in the 2004 remake of Stepford Wives). Unfortunately, this show came one year too late, after Vieira had been offered the plum job on the Today Show. Vieira couldn't do any worse than Patricia Heaton in the role of Kelsey Grammar's TV wife. As for Grammar, the FOX show he'll be best known for is The Simpsons--as Bart's adversary--AAAAAHHHH!--SIDESHOW BOB!
My love for Kelsey Grammer is outweighed by my hatred for Patricia Heaton, I'm afraid. She's unbearable to watch.
They did it! Classic jump the shark, same character different actor. The character "Gracie" was played last night by someone other than Laura Marano, the original Gracie. No explanation, nothing. What happened? Also, has Montana been given the boot?
As much as I like Kelsey Grammer, any TV series he did after "Frasier" was always going to compare unfavourably with what was one of the greatest television shows of all time.
One more thing, I'm sick of seeing overbearing, bossy, pushy women and battle-of-the-sexes one-upmanship on TV.
One more thing, I'm sick of seeing overbearing, bossy, pushy women and battle-of-the-sexes one-upmanship on TV.
I don't see any difference in the Heaton Character on Raymond and the Heaton character on back to you.
IMO, Heaton's character on Raymond acted like the stereotypical victim/bitch housewife and on back to you she acts like the stereotypical bitch co-worker and Rayond's character acted like the stereotypical mamas boy and hen-pecked husband on Everybody Loves Raymond.
There is no difference.
As for Dreyfus on Seinfeld, IMO, again she acted liked the stereotypical smart ass/bitch friend to Jerry and on Christine she still acts like the stereotypical smart/ass bitch.
The writers for the Back To You show are highly accomplished. Perhaps they have too many talented writers and they need a fresh perspective for that show. I always thought Heaton was a marginal actress at best. Keyword being marginal.
As for Dreyfus, she was in the right place right time for Seinfeld and if I recall correctly, Heaton was also up for that Elaine character.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the former Seinfeld characters or Everybody Loves Raymond characters have had much success on TV since those original shows aired.
I don't imagine any of those people are hurting for many. Especially when you consider how often these shows run in syndication.
I do miss Peter Boyle. He was a fantastic actor and I could see as the years went by on Raymond, that Boyle didn't look very good. I wasn't surprised when he died. He just didn't look well at the end of the series.
IMO, Heaton's character on Raymond acted like the stereotypical victim/bitch housewife and on back to you she acts like the stereotypical bitch co-worker and Rayond's character acted like the stereotypical mamas boy and hen-pecked husband on Everybody Loves Raymond.
There is no difference.
As for Dreyfus on Seinfeld, IMO, again she acted liked the stereotypical smart ass/bitch friend to Jerry and on Christine she still acts like the stereotypical smart/ass bitch.
The writers for the Back To You show are highly accomplished. Perhaps they have too many talented writers and they need a fresh perspective for that show. I always thought Heaton was a marginal actress at best. Keyword being marginal.
As for Dreyfus, she was in the right place right time for Seinfeld and if I recall correctly, Heaton was also up for that Elaine character.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the former Seinfeld characters or Everybody Loves Raymond characters have had much success on TV since those original shows aired.
I don't imagine any of those people are hurting for many. Especially when you consider how often these shows run in syndication.
I do miss Peter Boyle. He was a fantastic actor and I could see as the years went by on Raymond, that Boyle didn't look very good. I wasn't surprised when he died. He just didn't look well at the end of the series.
I have to agree about Patricia Heaton's character. Kelly is way too harsh and not even very warm toward her own daughter. There are people who talk about how horrible Debra was on Raymond, I don't agree with that, but Debra was multidimensional. She was soft, she was bitchy, emotional. But Kelly has one mode, bitchy. I would also like to see more at home stuff and resolve the issue of Chuck being the dad. That is getting old. I also wish they would get rid of the weather girl.
Yup it's a turkey, and yup, the writing's mediocre to bad. I mean the plot lines are kind of stupid.
But part of the problem is P. Heaton. She is trying waaaay too hard to erase her Debra image and substitute this tough b _ _ ch character. That's part of the disaster here. Audiences just aren't going to buy that - you have to sympathize a little with the main characters to keep an interest in any sitcom, and on this turkey it's almost impossible to do.
The writing needs to improve greatly, maybe even changing the entire concept a little, where you see them at home more than in the office/studio. It just rings boring, hollow and dumb (kind of like New Adventures of Old Christine where Julia Louis, etc. is making the same mistake as Heaton - flattening out her performance and delivery in order to erase Elaine from our minds).
In the last analysis, for me anyway, I don't care when these actors bomb in new sitcoms. It's too much like: "Wait wait, I still want to be rich and be in the public eye... wait wait wait."
When a sitcom hits (like "Raymond" or Frasier", the actors should be warned - you will probably never be involved in a project this successful - save your money, and spend wisely... this is probably a one-time thing.
But part of the problem is P. Heaton. She is trying waaaay too hard to erase her Debra image and substitute this tough b _ _ ch character. That's part of the disaster here. Audiences just aren't going to buy that - you have to sympathize a little with the main characters to keep an interest in any sitcom, and on this turkey it's almost impossible to do.
The writing needs to improve greatly, maybe even changing the entire concept a little, where you see them at home more than in the office/studio. It just rings boring, hollow and dumb (kind of like New Adventures of Old Christine where Julia Louis, etc. is making the same mistake as Heaton - flattening out her performance and delivery in order to erase Elaine from our minds).
In the last analysis, for me anyway, I don't care when these actors bomb in new sitcoms. It's too much like: "Wait wait, I still want to be rich and be in the public eye... wait wait wait."
When a sitcom hits (like "Raymond" or Frasier", the actors should be warned - you will probably never be involved in a project this successful - save your money, and spend wisely... this is probably a one-time thing.
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