Andy Richter Controls the Universe

Back in '02, my old man and I decided to watch the show, see how it was- we absolutely LOVED it. So far, I have yet to be let down by a single episode. The characters are great, the writing is phenomenal- it's rich, fresh, and incredibly witty. Seriously, what more COULD I ask? I say, Fox, dump that god-awful Arrested Development, and PUT ANDY RICHTER BACK ON! If the series ever goes to DVD, I guarantee I will be one of the first to purchase it. Most current shows, in the past 5 years, have not really impressed me in the least bit- but THIS SHOW HAS IT ALL! Again, I really hope Fox will consider bringing it back for several more seasons. It's not often these days for a prime time sitcom to be much of a hit unless it is an animated show, but this is probably one of those few remaining live gems out there.

This is an excellent new show. It has a much different formula than other shows. It goes from the point of view by a man named Andy Richter. It shows what happened, what could've happened, and what thankfully didn't happen. It is a very creative formula and a very funny one. I have never laughed so hard in a long time while watching this. The characters are very cool and the storylines of the episodes are very creative.

Overall the show is a very pleasant new show and I hope that it doesn't get the axe. Rating ***1/2 out of ****.

I've been a huge Conan O'Brien fan for years, and I'm glad to see his former sidekick succeed. He has a couple of movies out and a TV show--I just hope it lasts more than one season. It shouldn't get cancelled, because it is a very funny show, but networks tend to cancel the few good sitcoms on air and keep the bad or mediocre ones. It's nice to see that a couple of sitcoms aren't depending on a laugh-track to manipulate its viewers. This is one of them and, unlike "Watching Ellie," it works. The fantasy sequences are often funny, and the show doesn't try too hard. Andy Richter proves he can be as good a leading man as a sidekick. And that actress who plays Wendy is stunningly beautiful! God, I knew exactly how Andy felt when he was lusting after her. This show is definitely worth checking out. The only problem is it's on the same time as "Spin City." I guess I'm going to have to tape one of the shows.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

As I am an avid Conan O'Brian fan, I am also an avid Andy Richter fan. You can find my review for Late Night with Conan O'Brian on IMDb, written the night of Andy's final episode, where I admit that I teared up. That's pathetic, I know, but Conan and Andy (and the rest of the Late Night crew, Max, Joel, Robot on the Toilet, et al.) are like dear friends to me. I feel that I could walk up to any one of them and they'd be perfectly cordial.

When I heard about Andy Richter Controls the Universe, sometime in April or May of 2001, I couldn't wait. And then, a month or so ago, promos started to run on Fox (and during whatever other air time they could afford) constantly. It began to get annoying and, what was worse, the promos were not very funny. I was scared. Andy Richter needs (and, moreover, deserves) a hit show.

Fortunately, the show was funny, at least the first episode was. It's about a Chicagoan who writes manuals in a large office building. Office comedies aren't exactly original - heck, half the shows of the 1990s and this new decade seem to take place in offices. But Andy's coworkers are funny and interesting people, so no worries there. The premise of the show is a bit more ambitious: Andy's imagination runs wild and he is constantly reimagining his life. We see these reworkings and other fantasies, and they are quite funny. Still, there have been similar sit-coms in the past. I think there has been at least one that is dangerously close in its premise, but the closest I can think of offhand is the brilliant (and underrated) HBO sitcom Dream On. Where did that show go?

What makes this show (this episode, anyway) worthwhile is thy God, Andy Richter. Sure, I'm biased, but Andy's just hilarious. And charming. There's a nice tinge of pathos around him, which gives the show more weight than it otherwise would have. Another thing to be thankful for is that there are no laughtracks. I suppose we should thank Malcolm in the Middle especially for that. The creators of that show had to fight Fox in order to be rid of the manipulative recordings, and it paid off (though that show is already, in only, what, it's fourth year, past its prime). Let's hope that Andy Richter Controls My Universe stays as funny in subsequent episodes, and perhaps even get better.

I think it is great to see a talent like Andy Richter with his own show. I laughed my ass off through the entire first episode and I hope it stays on the air for awhile. The show is about a guy whose daydreams as we see how his day goes, whether it be hearing Etta James' "At Last" playing while he see the receptionist he has a crush on or thinking about wearing a suit of puppies. The best thing is that is done in a cinematic format, as opposed to the sitcom format which has gotten old. It is like Ally Mcbeal, but actually good and funny. I give it 4 stars out of 5.