Series Premiere — Mr. Sunshine, “Pilot” TV Surveillance

Posted at Cory Barker aboard February 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Filed below Episode Reviews, Mr. Sunshine · Tagged with ABC, Alice, Allison Janney, Alonzo, Andrea Anders, Ben Donovan, Cory Barker, Cougar Town, Courtney Cox, Crystal Cohen, Friends, James Lesure, Jennifer Aniston, Jorge Garcia, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Mr. Sunshine, Nate Torrance, Pilots, Reviews, Roman Cohen, Series Premieres

Of all the Friends performers, it forever seemed like Matthew Perry would be the an to buffet the poise between sheer popularity (like Jennifer Aniston) and just straight-up talent (probably like Lisa Kudrow, though she’s not my variety of taste). Aniston and probably Courtney Cox were always averaged to be more prominent, but Matthew Perry seemed like a legitimate star throughout Friends and his somewhat successful video vocation during the NBC megahit’s run suggests I’m correct. And whether it weren’t for some meager choices by Aaron Sorkin and a lack of believe on the part of NBC, Perry might have been dominating our TV screens over the past five annuals with Studio 60 and The Sunset Strip.

In short, a sitcom built around Matthew Perry seems like a pretty curse nice fancy on ABC’s portion, maybe an even better motif than giving Courtney Cox Cougar Town (this would certainly be true had Cougar Town not also carried Bill Lawrence’s name and pedigree). We’ve, or at least I, have waited a long period for the premiere of Mr. Sunshine and although this certainly isn’t a homerun of a pilot, there’s a nice sum of stuff here to really like, most notably Matthew Perry.

I said on Twitter that I’d be sticking around if I were you for my common adore for all entities Matthew Perry and that’s completely true. Of way Perry is playing something of an offshoot of Chandler Bing, but at this point,30 Rock, so many of that iconic performance fair seems inherently Perry-ian. And considering that Sunshine is co-written and executive produced by Perry and accordingly doubtless based on his own life experiences, that makes a lot of sense. Ben Donovan is an older, more jaded version of Chandler that presumably never base anybody like Monica or never even went to academy with Ross or shared an suite with Joey. It’s nearly impossible to unread Chandler from Perry or Ben,  but I don’t actually care because Perry is an enjoyable fellow to watch squirm and crack sage — even now the jokes here aren’t particularly witty or strong.

Speaking of that, in the pre-air dispute approximately the catena, I’ve seen Mr. Sunshine likened to Cougar Town as its sense of wacky, slight absurdity — and too its inherent likability but rocky starting — but I’ve also seen it likened to some of the lighter half-hour “comedies” we see on cord. After seeing the pilot incident I think it might fall elsewhere in among those 2 appraisals. I think this incident seems particularly zany because of the clowns and the elephants running approximately the hippodrome, which is someone that could surely persist but might take a when to habituated to. However, whereas entire the characters on Cougar Town were pretty wacky from the bound, only Allison Janney’s Crystal Cohen temperament feels specifically ludicrous, whereas Ben, Andrea Anders’ Alice and James Lesure’s Alonzo appear like pretty natural people. That could apparently continue, but I’m not sure about that tonal approximation at least from what I saw here.

And in terms of the cable comedies, I’m not so sure that really fits both. I think this series presents itself as more interested in “serious” alteration for its guide character — unlike Cougar Town — but Ben’s mid-life emergency isn’t going to be that heavily handled, neither does it get cracking so much of this pilot that makes me think it will suddenly become this super-compelling character learn. I don’t mean that in a negate path,Jessie stone, but I think for now the series is still detecting its footing and accordingly it’s fairly difficult to mention what it reminds me of tonally. I have determined to give whichever current comedy I watch at least five episodes to certify something to me because I have come to realize that it just takes a while to obtain revved up and really nail the tone and characterization.

I consider Mr. Sunshine in its pilot form is most naturally better than the Cougar Town pilot but I’m no sure it tin morph into what Cougar Town has, if it were not for for the hurl isn’t as strong and the ingenious forces backward the scenes are a bit extra nameless apt me. But in a season of fairly tepid-to-mediocre sitcom pilots, only Raising Hope began stronger. I know that’s no a full poll of confidence, merely I’m entirely okay with this pilot. It’s not superb, but it’s a grain of truth dreadful. It establishes the world well ample, throws in a few good bits and gags and gets out. I’m chilly with namely.

Other thoughts:

Jorge Garcia of Lost fame gets a few nice bits as a terrified conservation male and I believe he’s going to be popping up sometimes. This is awesome. The more Jorge Garcia, the better. Janney is particularly zany in her character as the drugged-up owner of the arena and although she has a few sunny moments, she’s most certainly the weakest point of the pilot. With some tuning, her character could be become more interesting and less overt, which would balance things out a bit more. I assume the son character is conceived to send that to light, but he’s also a bit of a watery carpet here as well. James Lesure is James Lesure. I have no complaints or attitudes on this matter. As I pointed out on Twitter, Andrea Anders has now played the primary love amuse to two of the 3 male Friends leads (here and in Joey). Where masterpiece thou, David Schwimmer?! With the arena setting, I assume the series could think about bringing in some high-profile visitor stars to melodrama themselves or perhaps other representative jabs at other musicians, talents, athletes, etc. That would be kind of interesting, albeit diverting. If the ratings falter, I wouldn’t be wonder to have ABC pull out a guest star or two like that.