Life with Bonnie

After watching the premiere episode of Bonnie Hunt's new sitcom, I have to say I enjoyed it even more than I expected to. Smart and funny like her previous sitcoms, "The Building" and "Bonnie", "Life with Bonnie" is sure to take fans on a hilarious ride. I'm thrilled that she's re-teamed with "Bonnie" co-star Mark Derwin, and I hope that they focus more on the familial relationships and the Molloy's marriage in future episodes. The strength of this show lies in a terrific cast and the courageous genius of using improv in the "show within a show" scenes. This show is a gem. It has such potential, I can't wait for the next episode!

Simply put, Bonnie Hunt is brilliant. She is at her best when she is writing as well performing. Her performances in Return to Me, The Building, The Bonnie Hunt Show and now Life Wife Bonnie are amazing

I agree with the previous poster who said that Bonnie's method is to use characters to drive her plot, not a `must see' one-liner after another. Audiences didn't get it on her last outings, and though both were critically hailed, the audience doesn't like to wait for a laugh. The scene in the second episode where little Charlie Stewart and Bonnie had their exchange about the gym shorts was brilliant. When he raised his hand and said `whatever,' I my sides nearly burst. Plus, I swear it was all improv.

Now that Bonnie is in her late 30's, it makes sense for her set herself in a family situation. Bonnie must be one of the most loyal people in show business. First, in 1993, CBS offered to renew The Building with significant cast changes. Bonnie said no, because she didn't want to `dis' her friends. And if you have followed her career, you will see that Holily Wortell, Don Lake, Tom Virtue, David Alan Grier, Mark Derwin and more are in project after project with her.

I wish Bonnie and her crew all of the success in the world - it's high time that the rest of the world recognizes her.

If you haven't seen Return to Me, please do yourself a favor and rent it tonight. I cried during the first ½ hour then laughed at the rest.

I also must say that I was no fan of David Duchovny before Return to Me, thinking that he was just a snobbish personality. Once I saw his performance in RTM, I became a fan. Anyone who can deliver that kind of performance can't be all bad!

One interesting side note is that Life With Bonnie is preceded on ABC by According to Jim - Jim Belushi played Bonnie's husband in Return to Me. And, it's followed by Less Than Perfect, which stars Sara Rue, who 12 years ago played Edda Passetti on Grand as part of the ensemble cast with featured Bonnie as a neurotic heiress.

Finally, Bonnie brought the equally brilliant Carroll O'Connor's final performance to the screen. His work in RTM made me remember what a national treasure he was.

Go get 'em Bonnie!

how in God's name can programmers retain such dreck as "Yes, Dear" and "Hope and Faith" yet cancel a creative and charming sitcom such as LWB? The mind boggles. It's been a few seasons since it's untimely demise, and, while there were flawed elements, and Bonnie may have been a little self-indulgent at times, the actors' joy at simply being on the air and working together was infectious. The cast was like an improv group and might as well have been called the "bonnie players", since quite a few of the cast had appeared together in one Hunt vehicle or another. If there has ever been a better Halloween episode conjured up for television, I challenge the reader to compare it to the episode in which the cast performs as characters from "The Wizard of Oz", a truly brilliant send up, and one that will forever be kept in my library to be replayed each Halloween. LWB, as under-rated though it was, developed a core audience that enjoyed the writing, improv and good cheer that each episode brought. It is sorely missed, and hopefully will wind up on DVD.

The intitial negative critics are now proven wrong! "Life with Bonnie" is here to stay. Rising up the ratings chart, the show has proven it's combination of subtle "stick together" message, and balls out funny improvistation from Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, and the rest of the cast is a hit with Tuesday night fans. The episodes that followed the first two showed a steady stream of starpower including Kevin Pollack, David Duchovney, building to Tom Hanks that brought wit, romance, and flat out funny shows that showcased Bonnie and her guests. This show is guaranteed a slot on next years line-up! So there! "Life with Bonnie" stays!

I caught an episode while channel surfing away from Frasier...and was impressed and intrigued that I forgot to change back!

There was a long interchange between Bonnie and costar Mark Derwin that I am sure was semi-improvised. If it wasn't then kudos to all for such wonderful performances.

I was just as impressed with the subsequent episode. Looks like I'll be running a tape on Tuesday nights.