We will be the first to admit we were more than skeptical about The Paul Reiser Show fitting in on the Thursday night line-up, especially after Community, which is aimed at and embraced by a young enough demo that the nostalgia factor about having “The Mad About You guy” back on their television may be lost. But funny is funny, and we must point out that the premiere** is pretty funny!
**We must note here that the premiere episode of The Paul Reiser Show is not actually the pilot, so since this episode was actually filmed later and just bumped up in scheduling, it doesn’t force introductions but rather allows the audience to just be a fly on the wall and observe the relationships. This alone, in great part, lends itself to our higher rating.
The Paul Reiser Show features the nineties sitcom star returning to the genre at a time when it has been revitalized thanks to single-camera shooting and more of a reality, or even documentary, feel. When the series finale of Mad About You aired, that style was just becoming more popular, and that episode capitalized on it by having Paul and Jamie’s adult daughter address the camera as she delivered a narration to sum up the familial dynamic. Well, it is years later now, but The Paul Reiser Show pays homage to that by showing Reiser himself address the camera at the start of every episode, in what is not really a stand-up monologue but still a likeable and comedic diatribe on the topic for that week. By kicking off the episode in such a way, the audience feels like they are really being let in on Reiser’s life; it is as if everything we are about to watch unfold he has put together as a clip reel from fragments of his own family and friends and keeps the show a bit more grounded.
It would be impossible to watch The Paul Reiser Show and not see shades of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s self-reflexive offering on HBO that follows his wacky own misunderstandings. Both shows take a man of a certain age who had been living off residuals from a past monster hit and re-launch their senses of humor by poking fun at themselves and their Hollywood lifestyles. A network comedy with a cable sensibility is something to be celebrated these days.
But it's most certainly not a copy-cat. Since Reiser has young kids, much of the content comes from fatherhood, such as debating whether or not you're a good parent if you do your kid's homework for them simply because all the other parents are doing it, and you want him to be able to measure up. It's not as edgy, and it's not as Improv-y, as Curb, but instead it has much more heart.
To cheekily mention this unavoidable comparison, though, Larry David even guest stars in the premiere episode as a rival for Reiser, who is testing to host a new game show. But as The Paul Reiser Show points out: Reiser is much more likeable (and thankfully much less neurotic) than David. Sure, he will screw up in many similar ways, and sitcom events will often be his bumbles and misfires, but he is always well-intentioned and does everything with being the best family man he can in mind.
And while the premiere is heavily centered on Reiser himself, all signs indicate the supporting players in his life, from his wife to his “friends,” will get their own story lines as episodes go on. We’ll eventually even get to meet his son to form a more well rounded ensemble instead of a simple star vehicle.
The Paul Reiser Show premieres on NBC on April 14th at 8:30pm.
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