Tune In or Tune Out: The Crazy Ones (CBS)

The Crazy Ones (CBS)

Created by: David E. Kelley (The Practice, Ally McBeal, Harry's Law)

Starring: Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Wolk, Hammish Linklater, and Amanda Setton

Robin Williams made his big splash on television with Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), and after this he went on to take on film where he was nominated for four Oscars (won in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, and was nominated for 8 Golden Globes post his initial television run winning three,  Williams meet television goddess Sarah Michelle Gellar who has been an icon on All My Children as Kendall Hart, and of course as Buffy.  When these collide with a great supporting cast, you get magic.

The Crazy Ones centers around an advertising agency run by a father daughter team Simon Roberts (Williams) and Sydney Robers (Michelle Gellar).  Simon is of course off the wall crazy playing with large rock em' sock em' robots, and Sydney is the daughter who is trying to keep things together even.  The rest of the team has their quirks as well too, Zack (Wolk) is a bit of flirt/man whore, but can riff with Simon like no other.  Lauren the receptionist/assistant played by Setton did not get to shine as much, but she has a similar role to which she had in The Mindy Project, let's just hope they use her better.

The pilot of this show was both clever and heart warming, the characters have all the quirks of a traditional David E. Kelley show, like Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal.  Kelley who wrote the pilot knows how to blend humor and sentiment well.  There are moments when he can lose focus or he tries too hard with the quirk, but with the talented cast, and more contained writing he has another hit on his hands.  I will add Hammish Linklater was more window dressing, and needs to be used more.

Tune In: Kelley and the cast have some "crazy" magic

Fall 2013 TV Preview: Most Anticipated New Shows

Who is excited for the new fall television series? Me, there are a lot of good ones on the horizon this year, and of course, a few shows, which make you ask "How did you get a green light?" Of the major 4 (5 if you want to count the CW), there a mixed bag on every network.  Here are the 6 new shows that I am looking forward to the most!

1-Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

No description needed!  This is the most anticipated drama/series in general of this season.  ABC did not send out screeners of this, but smartly waited until this year's San Diego Comic Con to show more material, and after hearing people's reactions, I am pumped.  Marvel and Whedon are brilliant with how they have handled the overall creation of this world in a live action way, and I am excited to see the return of Clark Gregg as Coulsen. 

2-The Crazy Ones (CBS)

Log line: An unorthodox father-daughter team oversees a struggling ad agency.

Cast: Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Wolk, Amanda Setton, Hamish Linklater.

The previews for this show look hilarious, and teaming Robin Williams with Sarah Michelle Gellar is a genius idea.  It doesn't hurt that the rest of the ensemble James Wolk, Hamish Linklater, Amanda Setton are all great.  The riff off with Kelly Clarkson making the McDonald's song dirty is enough to get me to watch.

3-The Blacklist (NBC)

Log line: One of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives mysteriously turns himself in and offers to help the bureau find a sought-after terrorist, but only if he can work solely with a rookie FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico.

Cast: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Ryan Eggold.

While Spader was a ham on Boston Legal, he was still great, and I have only heard incredible things about this drama.  NBC has done a great job trying to break the bubble, and compete with non major network series, Hannibal is a great example.  This looks like it will be there next opportunity to create another great drama series.

4-Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

Log line: A no-nonsense new captain at a Brooklyn police precinct forces an immature but brilliant detective to grow up.

Cast: Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio.

Andy Samberg was only funny on SNL with his digital shorts (to me), but this show looks like he and the ensemble are going to knock it out of the park.  It's out there like Barney Miller, but with a more modern sensibility.  I am excited to see Braugher and Crews turn up the laughs for once.

5-The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)

Log line: A TV reporter, after years of being the poster boy for Parkinson’s disease and a stay-at-home dad driving his family bonkers, finally returns to work.

Cast: Michael J. Fox, Betsy Brandt, Wendell Pierce, Katie Finneran, Conor Romero, Juliette Goglia, Jack Gore.

I did not see a preview for this show until about a few weeks ago, but boy is Michael J. Fox, one of the most impressive television actors of all time; he is probably going to go down, as having one of the most under rated legacies, from Family Ties, to Spin City, all his guest work recently, and potentially this show; he and the show look hilarious.

6-Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC)

I am excited to see where this spin-off goes, but place it at 6 because I do not want the Once folks to go too far and stretch the lore without thinking, the way things played out with Lost.

CBS Fall 2013 Keeps Things the Same with some New Blood Infused

CBS announces their Fall 2013 with a yawn, no major shake-ups, although the line-up is already pretty solid.  Their comedies are staying in the same place, and the only shows  which are switching spots are Hawaii Five-O, which is moving to Friday at 9 (a sign of a lack of faith), and Person of Interest is moving from Thursday at 9 to Tuesday at 10 (which will help it).  The other major news is that Mike & Molly (starring Melissa McCarthy) is being held until mid-season to let another Chuck Lorre series launch.  Lorre does good business for the eye network, and Mom (which is is that spot) should be another successful show for the network.

CBS is showing great faith in its new comedies expanding Thursday nights comedy line-up to two full hours, which will be in direct competition with NBCs no longer named Must See TV.  Putting The Millers, and  The Crazy Ones in between Two and a Half Men is a brilliant move.  CBS is using their highest rated comedies to help launch two of their more promising comedy series.  Listed below is the schedule and a description of the new shows.

MONDAY
8/7c How I Met Your Mother
8:30 pm WE ARE MEN
9 pm Two Broke Girls
9:30 pm MOM
10 pm HOSTAGES/INTELLIGENCE

TUESDAY
8 pm NCIS
9  pm NCIS: LA
10 pm Person of Interest

WEDNESDAY

8 pm Survivor
9 pm Criminal Minds
10 pm CSI: Crimie Scene Investigation

THURSDAY
8 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm THE MILLERS
9 pm THE CRAZY ONES
9:30 pm Two and a Half Men
10 pm Elementary 

FRIDAY
8 pm Undercover Boss
9 pm Hawaii Five-0
10 pm Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8 pm N/A

SUNDAY

7 60 Minutes
8 pm  
The Amazing Race
9 pm The Good Wife
10 pm The Mentalist

Crazy Ones (Comedy)

EP | David E. Kelley (Harry’s Law, Ally McBeal)
DIRECTOR | Jason Winer (Modern Family)
CAST | Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy), James Wolk (Political Animals), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ringer), Hamish Linklater (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Amanda Setton (Mindy Project)
A father/daughter workplace comedy set in the world of advertising.

The Millers (Comedy)
EP | Greg Garcia (Raising Hope)
DIRECTOR | James Burrows
CAST | Will Arnett (Up All Night), Margo Martindale (The Americans), Beau Bridges (My Name Is Earl), JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Michael Rapaport (The Mob Doctor)
The multi-cam project revolves around a recently divorced man living with his parents.

Mom (Comedy)
EPs | Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky and Gemma Baker (Two and a Half Men)
DIRECTOR | Pam Fryman (How I Met Your Mother)
CAST | Anna Faris (The House Bunny), Allison Janney (The West Wing), Nate Corddry (Harry’s Law), Matt Jones (Breaking Bad), French Stewart (3rd Rock From the Sun), Spencer Daniels (The Office), Sadie Calvano (J. Edgar), Blake Garrett Rosenthal
A newly sober single mom tries to pull her life together in Napa Valley in the multi-cam sitcom.

We Are Men (Comedy)
EP | Rob Greenberg (How I Met Your Mother)
CAST | Jerry O’Connell (The Defenders), Kal Penn (House), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Chris Smith (Paranormal Activity 3)
A ditched groom moves into a short-term housing complex and makes friends with some older, divorced dudes in the single-cam sitcom.

Hostages (Drama)
EPs | Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI), Rick Eid (CSI, Dark Blue)
CAST | Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story), Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Tate Donovan (Deception), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards), Rhys Coiro (Entourage), Billy Brown (The Following), James Naughton (Gossip Girl), Mateus Ward, Quinn Shephard
Based upon the Israeli format, the project centers on a family caught in the middle of a grand political conspiracy and a righteous FBI agent at the center of said conspiracy whose role will come as a surprise.

Intelligence (Drama)
EPs | Michael Seitzman, David Semel (No Ordinary Family), Tripp Vinson, Rene Echevarria (Terra Nova)
DIRECTOR | David Semel (No Ordinary Family)
CAST | Josh Holloway (Lost), Marg Helgenberger (CSI), Meghan Ory (Once Upon a Time), Michael Rady (Emily Owens, M.D.), James Martinez (Breaking Bad), John Billingsley (True Blood)
Centered at US Cyber Command, and focuses on a unit that has been created around one agent with a very special gift, a microchip that has been implanted in his brain that allows him to access the entire electromagnetic spectrum.