Back To You (1 Viewer)

[Alan Lee UK]

Just watched episode 5 - I can't see the "Wankerman" line getting through when it's shown on British TV. I remember the outrage when Channel 4 mistakenly aired the episode of Mork and Mindy which featured the landlord called Arnold Wanker.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I don't think most Americans know the literal meaning of "wanker". From most of the British useage we hear it is probably just understood as something like "jerK" or "moron" - which, come to think of it, are also how "jerk-off" (as a noun) and the corruption 'jagoff" are understood in American English. So either the network censors didn't get the reference either or they figured that hardly anyone in the audience would, and those people would be unlikely to complain. (Saturday Night Live once got away with a penis joke, involving a candid picture of Bob Hope playing golf and the Yiddish word "putz", because the censors decided that nobody outside of New York City would understand it. )

I seem to recall reading that even in the U.K. "wanker" is being used less and less literally and that it may soon join "bugger" as a once-sexual word virtually divorced from its original meaning.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Scott_J]

Not surprisingly, FOX has picked BTY up for a full season. FOX is planning 24 episodes, rather than the fairly standard 22.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Great news!

 

[JohnS]

Gracie's Bully was a great episode.

I love Gracie(Laura Marano) plays so well on camera and such a great actress.

All the kids visiting the TV station reminds me of the episode from Newsradio, where each of the kids hung around each Newsradio character.

Loved how the girl showed up Montana doing the weather.
The chubby kid making an impression on Ryan.

and we even got Charisma Carpenter

Even though production has stopped due to the strike.
It looks like there are four episodes left to air

 

[Malcolm R]

The ratings keep falling. It's fallen behind 'Til Death the past couple of airings.

 

[JohnS]

Something's Up There

My favorite part is when the guys are in the car after the bowling game, and Ryan is arguing with Chuck about his Legend of Zelda accomplishments versus his bowling talents.

It was also funny when the raccoon scared Ryan and when Ryan jumped on the sofa after Kelly startled him when she saw the remote and he thought it was the raccoon.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I loved how the raccoon bit went from being fairly innocuous to spirally way too far out of control. I also liked how the reporter had a sense of humor about himself this time. It's a solid cast, the only two that feel replacable are the weather girl and the station manager. I wish they'd do more with the daughter though. She was such a strong character in the pilot, it's sad to see her used as a plot prop since.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Did any one catch the new episodes last week? The show's returning with newly produced episodes on April 16th, but they still had two pre-strike episodes to burn off.
I missed both of them but caught the first one, "Cradle to Grave," online. In my opinion, it was the best episode of the series so far. Kelly has to give a eulogy for an old boss she hated, so Chuck gets to babysit Gracie. The funeral scenes with Kelly are hilarious, some of the funniest stuff of the show thus far, but it's the Chuck storyline that really sells it. This is the first prolonged interaction with just Gracie and Chuck, and the writers and actors really play the high-wire act aspect of it. Gracie gets REALLY close to the truth a few times. Meanwhile, Chuck manages to show both his worst and best qualities. Chuck and Gracie have a great, natural dynamic that helps anchor that relationship considering Chuck's an egotistic deadbeat dad.

 

[Nelson Au]

I've only seen a few episodes, the pilot and I did catch one last week. I see Frasier in there in that Grammer's character is so focused on attention to himself, but not quite Frasier. It hasn't caught on for me yet, but to be fair, I want to see more.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I thought both the recent episodes were fun, and am looking forward to the show's return.


Well, in fairness to Chuck, he's egotistic, but hardly a deadbeat. Prior to his return to Pittsburgh he had no idea he had a daughter - because Kelly deliberately concealed the fact - so he could hardly be expected to pay child support. And I doubt Kelly would accept any money from him now (I'm sure he's offered.) Since Kelly still refuses to establish legal paternity - or even let Gracie know that Chuck is her biological father - he's under no obligation to pay anybody anything.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Scott-S]

I agree, Chuck is many things, but he is certainly not a deadbeat dad.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

My apologies, I misspoke. I was using the term in regards to his moral responsibilities, not the financial ones that term generally implies. He was certainly under no financial obligations for the child he never knew he had, but let's just say I would have taken a different course in his shoes under that scenario.

 

[Malcolm R]

I enjoyed the show in the fall, but couldn't get into the ep last week. I changed the channel after about 10 minutes.

 

[Alan Lee UK]

Having just watched "Cradle To Grave", it seemed to confirm my theory that what we have here is a potentially decent, if somewhat retro, newsroom comedy that's unnecessarily dragged down by the presence of late-period Frasier.

Imagine this show with Patricia Heaton as the lead, playing a divorced, single-parent news anchor, and I think you have the blueprint for a Mary Tyler Moore Show for the 90's. (And yes I do know it's 2008).

 

[JoshRas]

Umm, Gracie is different. Only 1 new scene with the new Gracie but from what I saw, doesnt seem as good. The other young actress I thought brought a lot to the role and this new one doesnt seem to have the depth of the other girl. But she only did have one scene. Not impressed though

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I agree. Very typical cutesy hollywood kid. Laura Marano and Kelsey Grammar were fantastic together. I also think having an older Gracie added to the drama of the situation, since she would actually be able to parse what had been held from her. The new girl doesn't carry any of that self-conciousness.
Apparently, the actress who played Montana was also fired.

 

[Rhoq]

I was very disappointed with the "retooling" of Back To You. Last night's return episode was was no more than "just OK".

The new "Gracie" lacks everything that made the character interesting. No "Montana" means a lot of the great sexual innuendo jokes that made previous episodes so funny will become missed opportunities.

Lastly, am I the only that feels that they are trying to expand on the "Marsh" character? I really hope he doesn't become another "Urkel".

 

[Malcolm R]

I enjoyed this show before the strike, but haven't been able to get back into it since it returned.

Of all the changes to make, I wish they'd lost/recast the station manager character. He's almost a copy of "Miles Silverberg" IMO. Been there, done that.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

According to Entertainment Weekly, Ayda Field was pushed out to make room for a new sexy character for the show. Gracie was recast because the producers wanted to "go in a different direction" (ugh):

'Back to You' undergoes casting changes | TV Biz | Hollywood Insider | EW.com