How to Be a Gentleman

Another one bites the dust. CBS has canceled How to Be a Gentleman after just two episodes. The show was quickly moved from Thursdays to Saturdays, but now production has shut down altogether. I can't say I'm surprised about this one: the Kevin Dillon/David Hornsby vehicle just seemed stale from the get go. This is CBS's first casualty of the season, after giving the green light to Two Broke Girls. Were you into How to Be a Gentleman?

Photo courtesy of CBS

Tonight, CBS brings us a new odd couple in How to Be a Gentleman, a comedy that pairs an exceedingly polite, buttoned-up guy named Andrew (David Hornsby) with macho trainer Bert (Kevin Dillon). When the former classmates reconnect for the first time since high school, they agree to form a friendship that can help Andrew loosen up and Bert tidy up.

• Where it works: I was happy to see Flight of the Conchords's Rhys Darby bringing some of the humor as Andrew's brother-in-law, and Dillon has one singing bit that works.
• Where it doesn't: Most of the characters are irritating and the jokes fall flat. The premise feels like it's been done before, and I had a hard time getting by Hornsby as the leading man.
• You might like this show if: You're a die-hard Johnny Drama fan.
• When it's on: Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Watch a preview of How to Be a Gentleman when you read more

CBS's Fall schedule has plenty of returning sitcoms, but the network managed to squeeze in a couple more. In addition to 2 Broke Girls, there's How to Be a Gentleman, which stars David Hornsby and Kevin Dillon as a pair of high school rivals who become friends as adults. It's an Odd Couple-esque story, with Dillon's rough-around-the-edges Bert getting Hornsby's buttoned-up Andrew to loosen up and vice-versa.

• Hornsby, who also writes the show, said that he got the idea when his mother gave him a copy of How to Be a Gentleman for Christmas one year. He said, "My mom is very manners related. I identified with it [the book] growing up, as someone who grew up from manners."
• Hornsby also assured fans of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia that the gang's neighborhood crack addict isn't gone for good, saying "This will help keep me off the street" but "Cricket will be back always."
• Kevin Dillon has had a big Summer, picking up work on How to Be a Gentleman shortly after wrapping the final season of Entourage. He said he never thought he'd do a sitcom, but fell in love with the script. He added, "It's fun to play the wild man, the crazy guy, and the guy who's just unpredictable. Bert seems a little bit that way to me. He seems like he's going be pretty unpredictable, kinda like Johnny Drama a little bit."
• Mary Lynn Rajskub plays Andrew's sister on the show, but she's not going to lose her reputation as Chloe on 24 that easily. That said, the transition from drama to comedy might not be that difficult. She said, "I love Chloe on 24 and it was an amazing part of my life, but I was ready to lighten it up, do a little comedy. People have said that I was a little bit funny on 24, in some way. So with people laughing at me on a drama, I thought why not do a comedy and have people laughing at me on purpose?"
• Rajskub also kept mum about the impending 24 movie, joking "It's either going to be me or Rachel Weisz playing Chloe. I've heard nothing, I've seen nothing."
• Rhys Darby, perhaps best known for playing Murray on Flight of the Conchords, has a supporting role on the show as Andrew's brother-in-law. Though his new character is a bit dim, Darby promises that he's not another version of Murray. He said, "It's probably a bit early to say that this particularly character would be as naive as Murray. I think he has a sharp sense of humor, albeit a bit goofy. He's an earnest, honest guy. This character is more like me than Murray, definitely."

CBS is getting in on the upfronts action with its own announcements of new Fall shows. They've picked up a couple of pilots so far with some very exciting casting to boot, like Thor's Kat Dennings and one of my favorite Lost alums. Check out the details on their upcoming respective series.

COMEDY

• Two Broke Girls: Two girls in their early twenties (Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs) struggle to get by in New York City and fulfill their dreams.
• How to Be a Gentleman: Focuses on an odd-couple pair of male best friends; one is uptight while the other is a little more brusque. David Hornsby and Kevin Dillon star.,

DRAMA

• Person of Interest: In this J.J. Abrams-produced drama, Jim Caviezel plays a former CIA agent who's presumed dead and starts working with a billionaire (Michael Emerson) to prevent crime in NYC.
• The 2-2: Robert De Niro is producing this drama about six rookie cops in NYC. The ensemble cast includes Leelee Sobieski and Adam Goldberg.
• Unforgettable: Poppy Montgomery stars in this series about an NYPD detective with the ability to remember everything.
• A Gifted Man: Patrick Wilson stars as a hotshot surgeon who changes his outlook on life after his ex-wife dies and begins giving him advice. Julie Benz also stars.