BuzzSugar

"Andy Barker" Banished to Saturday Night

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:05:12 -0700

Well, so much for all my theories about NBC giving "Andy Barker, PI" time to grow. After the show got low ratings again last week, NBC has decided to air the final two episodes of its season on Saturday night, aka the Death Valley of television.

The one glimmer of good news: the once online-only episode featuring Amy Sedaris now gets to air on TV. That's my favorite of the bunch, so at least "Andy Barker" will go out on a high note.

NBC hasn't said anything about the show's ultimate fate, but this can't be a good sign. Sure, there were plenty of doomsday stories written about "The Office" in its first season, too. But NBC is already saving "30 Rock," a slightly better-rated and more-beloved Thursday comedy, so I think this might spell the end for "Andy." Catch it while you can, either Saturday at 8 p.m. or online at the NBC site.

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TV Tonight: NBC's "Super-Sized" Comedy Night

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:00:46 -0700

Not only do we finally get a new episode of "The Office" tonight, but it's also extra-long - as are new episodes of "30 Rock," "Scrubs" and "Andy Barker, PI." NBC seems to do this sort of thing once a year or so, and while it's kind of annoying to realize that all your favorite shows are starting at unusual times, I like having an extra few minutes tacked on to some of my favorite shows.

Of course, if you're only planning to tune in for a couple of the episodes, note that they're airing at the following approximate times: "The Office" at 8, "30 Rock" (guest-starring Will Arnett!) at 8:40, "Scrubs" at 9:20, and "Andy Barker, PI" at 9:50. That's all capped off by a repeat of "My Name is Earl" at about 10:25.

I emphasize the times because, as we've been told for the past few weeks, we are absolutely not supposed to miss the first couple of minutes of "The Office." You can find the recap of the Jim-Pam-Roy-Karen "love square" here. Or if you just want to see the Roy vs. Jim bit, read more

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The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 09:51:54 -0700

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, we delve deeper into "Dancing With the Stars" and that whole "American Idol" crying girl thing, and we revisit some of the week's best scenes from "Top Design" and "Andy Barker, PI." To watch this week's episode, read more

The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:09:24 -0700

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, you'll find some newcomers - including "Andy Barker, PI" and "Raines" - plus old favorites like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and other targets of ridicule.

To watch this week's episode, read more

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The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 11:01:26 -0700

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, you'll find some newcomers - including "Andy Barker, PI" and "Raines" - plus old favorites like "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and other targets of ridicule.

To watch this week's episode, read more

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Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 07:21:57 -0700

I challenge you to think of a new cast for the TV series "Bewitched" - and no Ferrells or Kidmans allowed.
Which new movie would you most like to see? Vote in my poll!
You can watch Lindsay Lohan in the new trailer for Georgia Rule, but you won't be seeing her in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.
Most of the new TV shows, like October Road, Raines, and The Riches, leave much to be desired. Andy Barker P.I., however, is awesome.
Celebrate Spring Break and South by Southwest with my Youthful Abandon Playlist.
Can you name this movie?
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to make a baby and a movie together, while Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie will just do the movie part. Probably.

What New Show Are You Most Excited to Watch Tonight?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:19:05 -0700

A whopping three new TV shows debut tonight, including "Andy Barker P.I.," Jeff Goldblum's "Raines," and "October Road" starring Laura Prepon and Bryan Greenberg. Which premiere are you most psyched to see?

TV Preview: "Andy Barker, P.I."

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:36:32 -0700

Andy Barker is, well, a pretty boring guy. He's an accountant prone to wearing putty-colored suits, and the closest he gets to cursing is muttering "oh, cheese and crackers!" But then he moves into the office of a former private investigator and inherits some of the man's clients, thrusting himself into a life of murder, mystery, and mayhem.

That's the premise of "Andy Barker, P.I.," Andy Richter's cop-drama spoof, which premieres Thursday as part of NBC's new comedy lineup. After checking out a couple of episodes, I have both good news and bad news about the show. The bad: The premiere episode isn't wonderful. The good: Other episodes are much better, giving me hope that "Andy Barker" could become a great comedy if NBC gives it time to grow.

The show is simultaneously silly and sincere, and much of the credit for that tone goes to Richter, whose bumbling Andy approaches investigative work with the childlike enthusiasm of a guy who watches "Law & Order" reruns in bed at night. But the show's supporting characters really make the show work, so read more

Tony "Buster Bluth" Hale and Marshall Manesh are great as the friends who become Andy's detective team, and I couldn't get enough of Harve Presnell as Lew Staziak, the crusty old detective whose office Andy now occupies.

But for my money, the best supporting character is Andy's secretary, played by Nicole Randall Johnson. I loved her in "Significant Others," and in "Andy Barker," she embraces the sassy clerk stereotype and twists it so even the tired jokes feel fresh. In fact, that could be said of the show as a whole: It sticks close to TV conventions, but it knows how to play with them so they're funny again. The one exception might be Andy's wife, Jenny, whose earnestness is so over-the-top, it's grating.

"Andy Barker" is only getting five episodes as a try-out - six if you include the online exclusive - and that might not be enough time for the show to catch on. But "The Office" only got six episodes in its first season, failed to build much of an audience, and came back to become one of the best shows on TV. I'm not sure if that will happen to "Andy Barker," but the show certainly has potential. Can't wait till Thursday? You can watch all the episodes online right now.

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Why "Andy Barker" Should Do Better Than "The Knights of Prosperity"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:08:57 -0700

Watching the first few episodes of "Andy Barker, P.I." the other day, I was struck by its similarities to one of this year's other new comedies: the now-departed "Knights of Prosperity."

I was a big fan of "Knights" before its cancellation, and "Andy Barker" shares its screwball tone, layered with lots of pop-culture references and jokes that arise when normal folks are thrust into glamorous, intriguing circumstances. Interestingly, both shows also came from late-night writers: David Letterman's Worldwide Pants crew handled "Knights," while Conan O'Brien co-created "Andy Barker."

At first, those similarities made me fear that "Andy Barker" would end up following the low-audience, quick-cancellation path of "Knights." But upon further reflection, I think "Andy Barker" has a much better chance at survival. To find out why, read more

For several reasons, I think "Andy Barker" really should do better than "Knights." Consider:

"Knights" was a true serial where every episode built on the last, but each "Andy Barker" plot stands alone. A new viewer could pop in at any time and catch up - which is good, because each of the "Andy Barker" episodes I saw was better than the last.

"Andy Barker" has a better-known cast. While Donal Logue has his fans, Andy Richter built up a cult following from his time on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe." The cast also includes Tony Hale, better known as Buster Bluth of the "Arrested Development" clan, another actor people are eager to see again.
"Andy Barker" is on NBC, which has made a point of developing and nurturing quirky little comedies. While "Knights" was unlike anything else on ABC and felt weird next to "According to Jim" and "George Lopez," "Andy Barker" makes perfect sense in NBC's Thursday lineup.
Also, NBC has proven willing to stick with comedies that don't get great ratings but deliver quality shows ("The Office" in its first season, for example). And NBC doesn't seem trigger-happy when a show doesn't hit right away: The early episodes of "30 Rock" were a mess, but it's developed into one of the funniest shows on TV.

So my hopes are high for "Andy Barker." Stay tuned for my full preview later today, and don't forget you can watch all the episodes online if you don't feel like waiting for Thursdays.

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NBC Shuffles Thursdays, Brings "30 Rock" Back Early

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:52:38 -0700

Get your calendars ready, because NBC has just announced some slightly confusing changes to its Thursday comedy schedule. Here are the headlines:

"30 Rock" will be back on April 5 and will air at 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 for the rest of the season.
"Scrubs" will take over the 9:30 p.m. time slot on April 19, after "Andy Barker, P.I." finishes its five-episode run.
There will be a special three-hour comedy night on April 5 with new episodes of "The Office," "30 Rock," "Scrubs," and "Andy Barker, P.I." plus a repeat of "My Name is Earl" - in that order.
The "30 Rock" finale will be April 26 at 9 p.m.
There will be back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs" on May 3.

Whew. Got all that?

I'm glad "30 Rock" will be back sooner than scheduled, but I'm not sure if it means anything that the show won't be airing during May sweeps. Remember, NBC just announced it would do the same with "Friday Night Lights," a similarly acclaimed but low-rated show. Maybe NBC has some kind of grand plan up its sleeve to drum up fans in the off-season? Here's hoping.

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