Surviving Jack

SurvivingJack is bringing back many of my childhood/teen memories....that is a good thing! If my children were still home,we would be watching together and laughing hysterically. Love,love,love Jack's character. Such great ideas for parenting! The setup Jack planned to teach the boys the consequence of taking something not belonging to them was perfect. I actually look forward to watching each week and find myself laughing out loud, my cat even looks at me like I'm crazy. I look forward to the next episode very curiously as to what life lessons are in store for the television family. So far rating in my opinion is perfect for preteen and older to view. KUDOS to writers, staff, and actors.

Disclaimer up front: I find myself in similar circumstances (wife going back to school, multiple kids with HS freshman son, taking greater responsibilities at home) and remember the 90s (my late 20s) fondly. And I have been known to parent in ways similar to the titular Jack.

This show should be a huge hit. It captures 90s life fairly accurately without going to far and becoming cartoonish (hello 70s Show, talking to you). Yes, there are structural similarities. If the show had centered on Red and Eric, those cursory reviews would have a point. But it is that difference that begins the conversation.

This is a coming of age comedy. But as the son comes of age, dad has to reveal more about himself in order to form the connection with his kids (primarily the son) necessary to be the one that is "taking over the parenting" as mom goes back to school. Son Frankie has the requisite friends (if you don't recognize Mikey among your kid's friends, guess what-your kid is it) that are well cast and deliver well in support. The sister and mom are perfect. But the stories center on dad and son and they shine. This is a comedy played straight and without a laugh track, and is so much the funnier for it.

4 episodes into the run and I have a new favorite sitcom. I can't stop telling people about this show. I see that it only has a run of 8 episodes and find myself intensely nervous about its future. This show makes me laugh out loud. Consistently and often. My son actually fell off the couch laughing as Jack dropped the kids at school in episode 1. Watch this show. You will soon set the series record on your DVR so you can watch it over and over.

I just got through watching the Pilot episode and I must say WAY better than I thought it was going to be. I loved it. I liked it. I want some more of it. Totally got cheesy right there, but oh well. It was funny and totally not played out like most shows now-a-days. A good comedy show that has the camera angles you like, the dialogue you can laugh at and the entire feel of the show is just way better than what you thought it was going to be. I really hope this show last. I am scared this show might not last because of viewers but I promise that if you at least give this show one episode you won't regret it in the least bit, it's that show that reminds you of the older days of your youth while at the same time keeping a good comedy feel of modern age.

The first thing that drew me to this show, was the fact that Christopher Meloni stars. I've always been a fan of Law & Order SVU, and after seeing him do Man of Steel, I was wondering where I'd see him next. I saw the commercial for Surviving Jack. At first, I was disappointed that he had moved on to do a sit-com. I was definitely skeptical coming in.

However, I then found out that this series would be set in the early 90's. That got my attention even more, being someone who grew up in those times. I still was expecting a low quality show doomed for cancellation, because the advertisements looked like it was a show that had been done many times over.

I was pleasantly shocked at how great the pilot was. The acting is good, the storyline is funny, and there are enough references from the 90's that will bring joy to anyone looking for some nostalgia. There's a certain book in the pilot which might really bring home how well the crew conveys the 90's setting. The music is also perfect! All in all, I loved the pilot, and will keep watching. This will most certainly be MY replacement for the recently finished How I Met Your Mother.

If you're looking for a relaxing show to relieve stress, and bring a smile to your face, and maybe even some strong nostalgia, then this is the show for you.

NOTE: This review is based solely on the pilot episode.

The basic formula for the show seems to be that you take the wistful 'looking backwards at my youth' narrator from 60's nostalgia show The Wonder Years and the family that was at the center of That 70's Show, and then set them down in the 1990's with a Top 20 period soundtrack. Then you cast Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU and Oz) as Red Forman and force him to step up his parenting of his son (the narrator) and daughter while his wife goes to law school.

Surviving Jack is based on the book, I Suck at Girls, by Justin Halpern, so the titular Jack wasn't actually inspired by the character Kurtwood Smith (currently starring in Resurrection) played on That 70's Show. Of course, that wouldn't have been a bad thing, given that he was one of the best things about the show and was woefully underutilized in the early seasons. No, the character of Jack Dunlevy is based on the real life Samuel Halpern, M.D., who is Justin Halpern's father.

This is the second time that the relationship between Justin Halpern and his father has been adapted for the small screen. $#*! My Dad Says cast William Shatner (Star Trek and Boston Legal) as the father, and depicted the time when the adult Halpern was forced to move back into his father's home. Surviving Jack focuses on Halpern's high school years.

As Frankie Dunlevy, the Topher Grace role, Connor Buckley is appealing, but as with $#*! My Dad Says, it's really the father's show. Meloni's turn as Jack is closer to Smith's deadpan than Shatner's over the top hamminess, and that bodes well for the series. The writing is crisp and pretty funny. The supporting roles are all played adequately, with Rachael Harris doing an excellent job as the mother. It looks good so far, and I'm planning to watch again next week.