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Pilot Watch: "Carpoolers"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:30:00 PDT

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: ABC's "Carpoolers"

What's it about? Four guys share their daily triumphs and woes on their ride to work

Who's in it? Faith Ford, Jerry O'Connell, Jerry Minor, Fred Goss, TJ Miller

The good: This show is a classic example of the "Reaper" effect: I thought it was going to be awful, and so I was quite impressed when it actually made me laugh. The show is from Bruce McCulloch of "The Kids in the Hall," and the comedy pedigree is impressive, with Second City alum Minor, up-and-comer Miller, and "Significant Others" star Goss. The show has a similar feel to "The Knights of Prosperity," with over-the-top slapstick humor and a rooting-for-the-little-guy sensibility. The entire show does not take place in the car, which is a relief.

The bad: The actual carpooling segments (battling for a parking space, etc.) aren't very interesting. If I were in a prickly mood, I'd take offense at the fact that the pilot centers around Goss feeling emasculated because his wife makes more money than he does.

Will I watch? I wouldn't have expected to say this, but I'm going to give the show a try. It's incredibly goofy, and sometimes that's what I like in my comedy.

To watch a couple of video previews and see a gallery of photos,

View 17 Photos ›

TJ Miller: Comedy's Next Breakout Star?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:30:12 PDT

You've got to love a guy who spends his first appearance in his first TV role wearing little besides his tighty-whiteys - and that's exactly what comedian TJ Miller does in ABC's new show "Carpoolers." Miller plays the son of one of the carpoolers, and I think he could be one of this year's breakout comedy stars: His character, Marmaduke, steals scenes left and right in the pilot, including one where he's interviewing for a job sans pants. When I saw what Miller was wearing for the show's panel at the TCA press tour (that's him at right), I knew I had to talk to him. Here are some excerpts from our chat:

Where did you come from?
I was at Second City in Chicago, and I was doing stand-up there. ["Carpoolers" co-star] Jerry Minor was also an old Second City guy. So I was touring with Second City for about a year and a half, and then this project came to my attention through management and I liked it. I obviously love [executive producer] Bruce McCulloch because of "Kids in the Hall." That was insane. I remember the first day showing up and meeting him - like, that's one of my comic idols. His show was in my sketch comedy education. So I came to it there and got the pilot out of Chicago and then the pilot got picked up and I got another film out of Chicago and so now I'm in LA, but yeah. I hope to be the rookie of the year this year for network television.

Are you ever going to wear pants?
Yes. And that's in my contract. No, I wish I had stipulated that ... We're going to see that he is going to have an even stranger fashion sense than could even be communicated there. To let you know, he's got this amazing shorts and terry cloth Hawaiian shirt combo that is all matching. So it's just a very eccentric character, and that's going to be seen visually, verbally, everything. So yeah, eventually I will get pants, but you may see me in my underwear again.

More from Miller, including what's up with that sweatsuit and his possible JJ Abrams connection, so

read more You've got a little Royal Tenenbaums going on today. Yeah, just a little bit. Honestly, these [presentations] can be so stuffy, I was like, let's do this. And this is dressing down for me. You guys sound like this is just a fun time on this show. I mean, look how funny the people are. Jerry Minor is somebody that I used to watch at Second City, and he's one of the best improvisers around. Fred Goss is unbelievable. He's just so funny and so good off the cuff. Faith [Ford] is really funny and great - you see her work and then you see her on the show and you're like, wow, this is why she's one of the most successful television actresses ever. Allison Munn, you're going to see come even more out of the woodwork in the forthcoming episodes ... she's got a great comic timing, great comic persona. Tim [Peper], everybody. And Jerry O'Connell, of course, is Jerry O'Connell, so that's a really surreal, funny presence to be around too. He's a lot of fun, albeit a little ridiculous at times. What's the movie that you're doing? It is kind of top secret, but I will tell you that the trailer was in front of Transformers. Oh, THAT movie. It'll be good. It's gonna be a good movie. Photo copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.

What to TiVo: Saturday

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:59:23 PST

8:00 College Football: Oregon at Stanford

8:00 South Carolina Rebuplican Debate
9:00 NCIS (repeat)
10:00 48 Hours Mystery (new)

8:00 Cops (new)
8:30 Cops (new)
9:00 UFC: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
11:00 Hell's Kitchen (repeat)

8:00 College Football: Maryland vs. Notre Dame
11:30 Saturday Night Live (new, with guest Emma Stone and Coldplay)

What to TiVo: Monday

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Bachelor Pad: The Final Challenge
9:00 Bachelor Pad (new, season finale)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest Nathan Fillion)

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (repeat)
8:30 How I Met Your Mother (repeat)
9:00 Two and a Half Men (repeat)
9:30 Mike & Molly (repeat)
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (repeat)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (repeat, with guest Paul Rudd)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Lauren Graham)

8:00 Hell's Kitchen (repeat)
9:00 Hell's Kitchen (new)

8:00 America's Got Talent (repeat)
9:00 Miss Universe Pageant
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Christina Applegate)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guest Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alexander Skarsgard)

8:00 Gaga by Gaultier
9:00 CW Fall Preview Special

More TV to watch when you

10:00 Intervention (new)

8:00 The Lying Game (new)

9:00 Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (new)

11:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (new) 11:30 The Colbert Report (new)

11:00 Chelsea Lately (new, with guests Brad Wollock, Loni Love, and T.J. Miller)

11:00 The Protector (new)

9:30 Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory (new) 10:00 Ridiculousness (new) 10:30 Death Valley (new) 11:00 MTV's Cuff'd (new)

9:00 Bad Girls Club (new) 10:00 Hair Battle Spectacular (new)

11:00 Conan (new, with guest Howie Mandel)

9:00 Kate Plus 8 (new) 10:00 Extreme Couponing (new)

9:00 The Closer (new) 10:00 Rizzoli & Isles (new)

9:00 WWE Monday Night Raw (new)

8:00 Basketball Wives (new) 9:00 La La's Full Court Life (new) 9:30 The T.O. Show (new)

Our Idiot Brother: A Family Gathering You Don't Have to Dread

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:30:00 PDT

Sometimes the best comedy comes from the most relatable subjects, and Our Idiot Brother mines a rich source: family. Paul Rudd stars as the titular brother, Ned, a Bohemian free spirit who gets arrested in an unfortunate setup. When he's released months later, he finds himself jobless, dumped by his farmer girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn), and in need of a place to stay. Luckily, he has a lot of family in the area, including his three sisters: Nat (Zooey Deschanel), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), and Liz (Emily Mortimer).

Although Ned is the family member who seems to have the messiest situation, his sisters' lives are all in precarious positions too. Nat is in a committed relationship with Cindy (Rashida Jones) but prone to cheating, icy Miranda is making poor career choices and missing out on a relationship with her neighbor (Adam Scott), and Liz is oblivious to the fact that her husband (Steve Coogan) is a jerk with a wandering eye. As Ned moves from each of their places (or rather, is kicked out of each place) and into the next, he brings to light all of their problems and bears the blame. His journey is a wacky one that's sometimes awkward and frustrating, but it has as much as heart as its put-upon protagonist. To find out why I enjoyed Our Idiot Brother, just

read more. The spot-on casting of Rudd as Ned gives the film its funny backbone. The actor makes Ned not just likable, but lovable, because he's got a childlike outlook, good intentions, and a healthy does of naiveté. Unfortunately, there are times when the film takes its idiot badge too far and makes Ned unrealistically stupid. The first offense that gets him arrested is a clear case of entrapment, and it's one thing when Ned doesn't protest, but it's hard to believe that a grown man can't put some of the movie's most obvious situations together. The other frustrating aspect of the movie is how unsympathetic Ned's sisters are toward him, but it works for the story. Their lives tumble downhill in Ned's presence, so he becomes their scapegoat, but Ned is too good-natured to mount his own defense. Anyone who's been in the crossfire of sibling drama will get a familiar chuckle from the family warring with each other. In these combative scenes, the supporting cast shines, particularly Banks, whose Miranda is both chilly and clever. The smaller characters also provide some big laughs, like T.J. Miller as the overly accommodating new boyfriend of Ned's ex, or Coogan baring all in the name of comedy. The strong ensemble impresses through a realistic portrayal of how a family can overcome obstacles together (even with a black sheep in the mix). If this is what happens when you have an idiot brother, then I wouldn't mind having Ned as mine.