Un niño grande

Like one of the other reviewers mentioned, I to have literally seen almost all of the good shows that have been released of recent times. In fact I have seem almost every good show that has been released in the last 50 years. Am I a TV addict, yep.

Having seen the movie with Hugh Grant many times it was with a bit of trepidation that I decided to watch this show, not being sure what to expect hoping it didn't disappoint. Well it didn't and being only 22 minutes long it was long enough to leave me wanting more. Unfortunately that means having to wait another week to get my fix. The lack of canned laughter was a bonus.

It may not be up there with the really good classics, but it hit the spot for me. It had enough funny points to have me laughing and enough emotional points to feel for some of the characters. The eye candy was nice as well, I am sure both sexes will be satisfied.

If you have seen the movie and really loved it you may be slightly disappointed with this, but keep an open mind and give it a chance, you might get a nice surprise.

OK dude, we're all sad your daughter died however, please lighten up. It's a t.v. show. I didn't see where they were mocking anyone with leukemia. It wasn't even a joke. The character was just using it as a way to get close to a girl. I see nothing wrong with that and I think you are overreacting. I can't begin to feel your grief but with that being said you should be able to detect what's real and what's not. I always find it interesting when people experience loss that are quick to point it out in movies, TV, and media. It's not always fair. But this is a great show and it should not be canceled. I'm sure they'll be sorry you're offended but it's not worth ruining peoples jobs. God Bless you!

Will Freeman (David Walton) is a carefree womanizer living off of the royalties of his one hit song. Weird new-age Fiona (Minnie Driver) and her odd son Marcus move in next door and turn Will's life upside down. Will forms a tight bond with Marcus despite his misgivings. Fiona is horrified at first but grows to see the good in their relationship. Will's best friend Andy (Al Madrigal) is married to bossy lawyer Laurie.

'About a Boy' is a very good movie but it means nothing for a TV adaptation. The story is reasonably set up for a TV sitcom as long as the actors are good. I like all three actors and I love their chemistry. I don't always love Al Madrigal but he's more like a side character. The kid is adorably dorky and Walton is fun. Minnie Driver is a no-brainer. I love the chemistry especially between Walton and the kid.

We enjoyed this episode and are looking forward to seeing the next episode.

Interestingly we enjoyed Dakota (Leslie Bibb) and think that her presence in the audience at the Talent Show could set up an interesting return and reconciliation as Will (David Walton) morphs into a better person. His words at the single parent group made me want to smack him. What a jerk, but that's key to the storyline so it was probably appropriate to develop the character and show his need to change.

Similarly, it will be interesting to see if Fiona (Minnie Driver) becomes less shrill and more centered. At present her character is like scraped nails on a blackboard. Annoying right? You just want to smack her too. Well, that sets up the storyline, and little Marcus is destined to be the change agent. It's a formula that works.

We haven't followed many series on NBC for a long time, and perhaps this signals a new path for them? We certainly enjoyed it and are hopeful for the success of About A Boy.

I'm a Nick Hornby fan, loved the movie, and was shocked to see it come to the US and be made into a TV series. While I thought the source material was geographically re-locatable, I wasn't convinced that the characters would still resonate. Will, especially, is such a great British misanthropic womanizer, I felt sure that that they'd drop the ball with him.

I was really happy to find that my fears were unfounded.

This version of About A Boy retains the laughs and the poignancy of the original. While Hugh Grant was on career best form in the film (and the Badly Drawn Boy music was pitch perfect), David Walton's Will is a well-realized modern man-child with a heart of gold. Minnie Driver is excellent, although she's definitely less out there than Toni Collette's version, and you do get a sense that they may start a "will they/won't they" thing with Will and Fiona, which you always knew was off the table in the novel and movie.

The "boy", Benjamin Stockham, is good, although there are a couple of moments where he seems to strike the wrong notes. But the chemistry between him and Walton is excellent, and that's by far the most important component.

Whenever Al Madrigal and Annie Mumolo show up, they strike a different tone, reminiscent of the Paul Rudd/Leslie Mann combo in Knocked Up. Definitely not a bad thing, and it keeps it from getting too predictable.

They could get a huge amount of mileage out of this show, as Marcus grows up and starts becoming a man. Definitely fertile soil and after the promising start, I'd love to see what these characters get up to.