This show, like so many, wasn't perfect when it premiered. The tone they were attempting to project was rather delicate--Joe Pinoni was rather self-centered and more than a little pompous, but not a bad person. In other words, the role was perfect for the larger-than-life persona of Nathan Lane; if anyone ever was made to carry a slightly unreal, belly-laugh inducing show, he's the one. The supporting cast was fine, especially Joan Plowright (amazing they were able to sign her), but like virtually every ensemble show, they needed time to gel into a comic team. Unfortunately for this show (and the audience), the nets aren't prepared to let shows develop. The critics tend (whether they realize it or not) to make snap judgments at the beginning of the season based on the pilot, stories they hear about set discord, and comparisons to previous shows from the same people. If a show succeeds, the early negatives are forgotten. But if the show has disappointing ratings, the early negatives harden into rejection. In most cases, negative critical reaction is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. So Encore, Encore doesn't last the season, while Everybody Loves Raymond, a thoroughly unfunny and even repellent show, lives on.
