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Back To You

#1
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9/19/07 at 10:04pm
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Any comments on the opening episode of this yet?

It reminded me a lot of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, especially over the first 20 minutes, although with too many Ted Baxters and not enough Lou Grants.

I'm also finding it hard to see Kelsey Grammer as anyone other than Frasier, but he doesn't seem to be playing this character any differently anyway. The incompetent news director character seems very similar to Kenny at KACL.

All in all an average sitcom, and I'm not sure how much life the basic premise has in it, but probably worth sticking with for a while.
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#2
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9/19/07 at 10:43pm
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Re: Back To You

I would agree.

Kelsey Grammer seems to be fairly similar no matter what he does. But that's okay.

I'll give it a shot. It is light entertainment and it might grow into something pretty good.
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#3
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9/20/07 at 1:14am
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Re: Back To You

Didn't like the daughter angle, so my enthusiasm for the show has dampened a bit, but I'll give it a few more episodes.

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#4
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9/20/07 at 6:02am
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Re: Back To You

I thought it was pretty good (though I'm not much of a sitcom guy). A couple of laugh-out-loud moments ("We have breaking news that a fire is threatening a children's hospital," "Oh, thank god!"). And his YouTube rant was a scream.

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#5
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9/20/07 at 6:26am
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Re: Back To You

I thought it was pretty good as well. It kinda reminded me of Murphy Brown since it has a similar structure. The supporting cast was pretty good and the chemistry between Grammar and Heaton works for me. It had me cracking up so that's a good sign. I hope this show will do well.
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#6
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9/20/07 at 6:57am
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Re: Back To You

It was enjoyable and has potential. And I liked the daughter sub-story; it gave the show some needed emotional depth. I'll give it a few episodes and see how it goes.
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#7
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9/20/07 at 7:46am
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Re: Back To You

I thought the first episode was average, but I figure the show will hit its stride as the season goes on, just like KG's other shows.
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#8
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9/20/07 at 9:44am
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Sun
Didn't like the daughter angle, so my enthusiasm for the show has dampened a bit, but I'll give it a few more episodes.
Same here. The "daughter" thing also annoyed me, but the rest of it was pretty good. Hopefully after a few episodes, it will hit its stride.

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#9
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9/20/07 at 12:25pm
  • Joined: March 2000
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Re: Back To You

They need to cut back on the drive-by one-liners. Clunky with overuse.

Setup, entrance stage right, one-liner, exit stage left. Rinse, repeat.
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#10
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9/20/07 at 12:38pm
  • Joined: January 2002
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Re: Back To You

Better than that hidious Till Death afterward! The daughter thing seemed like something they should have dragged out after mid-season, not the first episode, but I'll stick with it for a few more episodes.

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#11
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9/20/07 at 1:34pm
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Re: Back To You

Missed it, any repeats. Looked at the Fox site, didn't see places where they may stream it or downloads of episodes.
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#12
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9/20/07 at 2:36pm
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Re: Back To You

Well, I wasn't going to watch this, even with Fred Willard in it.
But after seeing peoples reactions to it, and seeing that Christopher Llyod
created it and wrote it, I download it.

I actually liked it more than I thought I was going to.
I agree it would have been a better idea to bring up the daughter somewhere in mid-season.
The real reason I'm going to watch this show is for Fred Willard.

I think it has promise.
Hoping it could be a NewsRadio sort of show
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#13
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9/20/07 at 2:50pm
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jordan_E
The daughter thing seemed like something they should have dragged out after mid-season, not the first episode....
That's what I thought. The "secret love child" seems too gimmicky for a show that's just starting.

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#14
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9/20/07 at 3:20pm
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Re: Back To You

It has potential. I look forward to seeing it now that the introductions are out of the way and the can get into some (potentially) good workplace comedy. We'll see, the talent is there to do.....
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#15
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9/20/07 at 5:01pm
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonny P
... Kelsey Grammer seems to be fairly similar no matter what he does. But that's okay.

So was John Wayne and it sure didn't hurt him. I too liked Grammer's performance and Fred Willard is an added bonus.

The show does need some tightening. The one liners don't need to be telegraphed as frequently and the laugh track should be toned down to fit the comedy value of the words spoken.
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#16
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9/20/07 at 6:37pm
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Re: Back To You

Is it me or did they pack a hell of a lot into 22 minutes of show? I didn't mind the daughter storyline. It was fairly obvious once he found out that she had a daughter that was the direction the show would be going. The entire editorial scene was the highlight of the pilot and the moment I went from thinking the show was amusing to "wow, this show is great." Now that I've found a new show that I would actually like to watch, I guess that means it will be canceled mid-season.
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#17
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9/20/07 at 6:41pm
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelson Au
Missed it, any repeats. Looked at the Fox site, didn't see places where they may stream it or downloads of episodes.


Free download on iTunes
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#18
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9/20/07 at 8:49pm
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Re: Back To You

Hey, thanks for the iTunes tip!

It's downloading now! I didn't see it earlier today at the iTunes Store, I think I'm going blind. Wonder why it's free, I guess to help it get notice.
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#19
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9/21/07 at 8:36am
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Re: Back To You

I really liked it and I DID like the daughter angle. Any show that combines a little heart with humor is a good show for me.
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#20
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9/21/07 at 1:16pm
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Re: Back To You

The 'daughter' angle does appear polarizing. I wouldn't want to see the offspring of "pity sex" turn an antagonistic relationship into a sexual tension that changes things between them. That's so predictable that the show could JTS on its debut.

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#21
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9/21/07 at 2:20pm
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Re: Back To You

Yeah, didn't like the daughter angle.

The Youtube rant was a riot..undecided on rest.
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#22
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9/21/07 at 3:53pm
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Re: Back To You

While the "daughter" subplot may not be the best choice, the show needed some emotional gravitas as it entered the second half. Almost every sitcom has good character development or emotional drama happening on which to build the humor. Back to You was feeling too lightweight entering its second half; there was no depth to the host of snarky characters. The daughter thing brings in a serious note to round out the show and characters.

That's why I liked it.
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#23
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9/22/07 at 12:51am
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
It was enjoyable and has potential. And I liked the daughter sub-story; it gave the show some needed emotional depth. I'll give it a few episodes and see how it goes.
I liked the daughter angle too. I worked as a supervisor at my hometown's Parks and Recreation office the last six summers making and updating resident IDs. Most of the faces blend together, but each year there were a dozen or so that stood out for whatever reason. One was the daughter of a columnist for the regional daily. She was always an incredibly articulate child, but full of energy and enthusiasm. The kid playing the daughter in this show reminded me a lot of her — more nuanced and forceful than the usual sitcom offspring.

One of the big mistakes in most of the multi-camera sitcoms launched the last several years is the lack of an emotional hook. Bland characters saying mildly amusing things doesn't work without an underlying reason to care about the characters. The final beat on the phone in the hotel room provided that for me. I'll be tuning in, and Wednesday's not an easy night for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Paynter
The 'daughter' angle does appear polarizing. I wouldn't want to see the offspring of "pity sex" turn an antagonistic relationship into a sexual tension that changes things between them. That's so predictable that the show could JTS on its debut.
One thing that the pilot was careful to do was to establish their dynamic before the kid was introduced. I think it's going to remain an antagonistic relationship for a while now, with that shared knowledge floating in the background. Having the daughter in the mix if anything heightens the antagonism because the stakes for both are so much higher. The same reason they spark sexually is the same reason they're at each other's throats. If ever there was a case for the leads not to get together until the series finale, this is it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
While the "daughter" subplot may not be the best choice, the show needed some emotional gravitas as it entered the second half. Almost every sitcom has good character development or emotional drama happening on which to build the humor. Back to You was feeling too lightweight entering its second half; there was no depth to the host of snarky characters. The daughter thing brings in a serious note to round out the show and characters.

That's why I liked it.
Well said. It forces one note characters to become more complicated.

I also loved Fred Willard as the sportscaster. He's basically playing a more insightful and subdued take on his Buck Laughlin character from Best in Show. And Buck Laughlin was my favorite thing about Best in Show.
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#24
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9/22/07 at 4:26am
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Re: Back To You

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelson Au
Missed it, any repeats. Looked at the Fox site, didn't see places where they may stream it or downloads of episodes.


I also missed it, but iTunes has it as a free download this week.

EDIT: Ooops, someone had already posted that info!

I was disappointed. I usually LOVE Patricia Heaton but found her character to be WAY too shrill and overbearing. Kelsey and Fred were great. Might check out another ep of two to see what happens, but not sure I'll stick with it.
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#25
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9/22/07 at 8:44am
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Re: Back To You

This is a pretty traditional (i.e. "old School") sitcom, IMO. If audiences cozy up to the leads in their new personas, I think it's long-term prospects are good. Certainly not ground-breaking by any means, but technically the Back To You pilot was well executed and did manage to pack in a few genuine belly laffs. In today's sitcom starved landscape, that's probably all it takes to ensure it gets to stick around for a while. Appointment TV? Certainly not, but at the end of the day, you could find worse ways to kill off a half-hour...

Gary

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#26
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9/23/07 at 5:30am
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Re: Back To You

I found the pilot to be a little "paint by the numbers", but I liked it enough to give a few more rounds. Seeing Kelsey, Patricia and Fred in one sitcom alone is worth a second viewing. I had no problems with the daughter angle myself. Obviously, it would be a crutch for many episodes in the future.
I have a feeling that the show will boil down to two adults who may or may not decide to have a personal relationship while dealing with parenthood in their own way.
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#27
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9/23/07 at 5:43am
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Re: Back To You

I found the pilot to be a little "paint by the numbers", but I liked it enough to give a few more rounds. Seeing Kelsey, Patricia and Fred in one sitcom alone is worth a second viewing. I had no problems with the daughter angle myself. Obviously, it would be a crutch for many episodes in the future.
I have a feeling that the show will boil down to two adults who may or may not decide to have a personal relationship while dealing with parenthood in their own way.
BTW- that gag about Chuck's monologue after finding out about his daughter was the same kind of joke they used on Fraiser
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#28
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9/23/07 at 6:43pm
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Re: Back To You

I didn't really care for the pilot episode....very forced "humor" ....just didn't live up to the high expectations I guess I set for it.

I think I'll give it 2 more tries and if it tanks even further, it's off the list of "must watches".

Somehow I don't think it will be as good as I had hoped.

Takin it easy....

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#29
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9/26/07 at 7:46am
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Re: Back To You

"I was disappointed. I usually LOVE Patricia Heaton but found her character to be WAY too shrill and overbearing. Kelsey and Fred were great. Might check out another ep of two to see what happens, but not sure I'll stick with it."

Actually I liked Patricia Heaton's character in this way more than ELR. I like her chemistry with K.G. Fred Willard is the only supporting cast member that works for me.

I think that for a show like this to survive, there has to be a very good supporting cast and I don't think that there is one here. I'll check out a couple more episodes, but I have my doubts on this one.

Mark

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#30
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9/26/07 at 8:27pm
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Re: Back To You

The Fish Story episode was good.
the thing I laughed at most was Marsh's cell phone ringtone "Get it off of me"

Also, Marshs' obsession with the orange trick

Did anyone else find something wrong with the sound..like it sounded in a tin can?
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