American Dreamer

Reporter Tom Nash (Robert Urich) moved his two kids (Chay Lentin, Johnny Galecki) to a small Wisconsin town to write more humanist columns. It is three years after his wife was killed by a terrorist car bomb while reporting in Lebanon. Joe Baines (Jeffrey Tambor) is the managing editor of The Chicago American and desperate to keep Tom writing for him. Lillian Abernathy (Carol Kane) is his wacky new hire secretary. Holly Baker (Margaret Welsh) runs the local diner hangout.

On the surface, this is a standard network sitcom with a laugh track. Underneath it, there are important differences. First, it's Robert Urich leading a family sitcom. He is not that comedic, but he could be father knows best. This is not his natural space. Second is the inciting incident. A terrorist car bomb killing your wife is not the usual starting point for a network sitcom. I can't remember a successful sitcom which starts with 9/11. It paints the show with a dark shading. That is fine, but maybe not for a network sitcom with a laugh track. Finally, the biggest difference are the scenes where Urich breaks the fourth wall in front of a darken stage like a play. It reminds me of Our Town and once again, there is this sad poignant feel to the show. My main suggestion is to take away the laugh track. This show needs to be something different.

It seems like whenever a good show finally makes it on air the TV execs kill it before it has a chance to catch on.

I hate that everything is so ratings driven at times because this was a really decent show about a man struggling with loss while raising two great kids and struggling with mid-life.

Robert Urich brought a lot of soul to this show as only he could. It is rather melancholy to think about him during this show now. He looked as strong as he did when he played football but only a few years later he would be diagnosed with cancer.

I loved the parts of the show where the set and background would fade to darkness with him there by himself, exposed and pontificating about some great insight into his life or existence. At other times, he would have conversations by himself like we all do in the isolated parts of our mind or deep thoughts.

I hate that Urich was taken away from us so soon. He was a fine actor.