So, I know there's a good number of Tony Kornheiser fans around here, so I was wondering if anyone caught the season premier of "Listen Up" on CBS last night?
The show is "loosely based on the columns of Tony Kornheiser", but Jason Alexander keeps turning the main character into Tony Costanza. (Sample line: "Michael VICK is the most OVERRATED quaterback EVER!!") Malcolm Jamal-Warner plays his best friend/co-host "Bernie" on the show, and I gotta say, if Warner is to Wilbon as Alexander is to Kornheiser, then Wilbon got the better end of that deal.
The family unit is your standard "teenage daughter who hates her father", "non-descript son", and "wise cracking wife" characters. I'd almost be intrigued by the daughter-father conflict thing if I hadn't seen it done better elsewhere.
Outside of the not-so-subtle psuedo-PTI show that the two do, the show is your paint-by-the-numbers sitcom. It's too early to say whether or not it's worth a damn, but if CBS is hoping for this show to be a solid lead in to "Raymond", then they could be in for a disappointment.
"It's the four pillars of the male heterosexual psyche. We like naked women, stockings, lesbians, and Sean Connery best as James Bond because that is what being a [man] is." -Jack Davenport, Coupling
I generally don't watch network tv, aside from sports, and that piece of dreck helped remind me why I don't watch network. It wasn't quite bad enough to drag the Hot Pokers scale out, but it sure wasn't good. I predict an early and painful demise for the show.
Tim
People who say they don't "play politics" merely play politics badly. -- David Drake
I watched. I laughed. And I have low expectations for the rest of the show's season. Definitely won't go out of my way to watch it. Instead, I'm getting the feeling that this is one of those shows which has a semi-promising pilot...and then follows up with crap. Time will tell...
Originally posted by bash91I generally don't watch network tv, aside from sports, and that piece of dreck helped remind me why I don't watch network. It wasn't quite bad enough to drag the Hot Pokers scale out, but it sure wasn't good. I predict an early and painful demise for the show.
Tim
I'm with Tim on this one. I didn't make it to the first commercial break before I switched it to the football pregame on ESPN. I sat through all of Still Standing, which I do like, but Alexander was dreadful. He's still George Costanza. I don't think I'll watch it again, despite loving Mr. Tony.
I was watching one of those list shows on VH1 over the summer & they talked about how all of Jerry's co-stars on Seinfeld have failed in each new series they were in. One person commented that each of them tried to revive their old Seinfeld characters in their new shows.
I havent watched this show yet (I'm usually not a big fan of sit-coms), but Jason Alexandar trying to resurect George Costanza doesnt suprise me.
I missed it. I tuned in to the wrong network (ABC) just because I was thinking that's where it belonged. Not sayig I watched whatever the heck was on ABC, since I realized it wasn't Tony, but I didn't search out the right network, either...
I did, however, read all about it on odessastep's blog (cheap plug II).
I think the show is hurt, on a certain level, by it not being on ABC.
IF it were, it probably could use all the corporate synergy that one show could hold. I'm not saying that they would be filming on the actual PTI set or anything, but the opportunity for guest stars and what not would be there. And ESPN would promo it to death, like it were the Bob Knight movie or Junction Boys or the World Series of Poker.
And Jason Alexander probably would have been on 5 good minutes Monday night too.
The show's writing would still suck no matter which network it's on. As expected, the second episode was grossly unfunny. I wasn't even watching - I just had it on in the background and it was so bad I couldn't stand to even listen to it.
You'd think they'd have learned by now after the failure of that show based on Dave Barry's writings. Was it called Dave Barry? Well, whatever the case, Listen Up! will be cancelled soon enough to let Yes, Dear take back its rightful spot.
Dave Barry's show was called "Dave's World" and it was harmless fun. I'm a sucker for Harry Anderson, though.
But the fact that people are calling for the return of Yes, Dear (a horrible, horrible show) leads me to believe that Listen Up! must be baaaaad. I'll have to check it out next week.
It's on at the same time as "North Shore" and as bad as that show is, it does have some hot babes and now it even has Shannen Doherty. Check your brain at the door and turn down the sound - an enjoyable pain free way to kill 60 minutes until kickoff.
Folk singers are always liberal pansies, but not me.....I sing for my fellow conservatives...care to hear "Shoot the Hippie out of the Redwood Tree" ?
I miss the days when Boston Public was on at 8 on Monday nights it was a great stupid over the top drama that was the perfect time killer before RAW or MNF. And Listen Up well my Dad is about the biggest Tony K and Seinfeld fan and the look on his face when he told me the show stunk was classic he really wanted it to be good.
Originally posted by BWTI miss the days when Boston Public was on at 8 on Monday nights it was a great stupid over the top drama that was the perfect time killer before RAW or MNF.
I'll agree there. I don't know why FOX sent it to Fridays- the last thing any kid wants to think about on Friday nights is school.
You wanted the best, you got... Out of Context Quote of the Week.
"I don't think you can use straight and always pounding ass in the same sentence." (Dahak)
Originally posted by Roy.But the fact that people are calling for the return of Yes, Dear (a horrible, horrible show) leads me to believe that Listen Up! must be baaaaad. I'll have to check it out next week.
Yes, Dear's success? The White Chicks Principle. Unless YOU'VE got a better suggestion...
DEAN's Nuggets of Wisdom:
"I don't want him to die. I just want him to NEED my PEE." (as seen here)
Originally posted by Roy.But the fact that people are calling for the return of Yes, Dear (a horrible, horrible show) leads me to believe that Listen Up! must be baaaaad. I'll have to check it out next week.
The best thing about Yes, Dear is that Jean Louisa Kelly (Kim Warner) just happens to be one hot chick. So in my opinion for the one reason alone that show can stay on the air for as long as it wants.
I was watching a commercial this evening when a commercial came on for this. Thought I'd share. In San Diego its available on Cox & Time Warner. I assume that it is available in other areas too I don't even have a dog to test this on....