Four Kings

Although the laughs were somewhat scarce, and the scripts a little under-developed, the chemistry within the cast was undeniable. I have to admit, that while this was not a "Seinfeld" or "The Office", for the first season of a new comedy, this was a showpiece that NBC hadn't had for a long time. This show actually showed promise. Unlike "The War at Home", which for some reason is still running, this was a tasteful, relatively smart comedy. For whatever reason, the only TV success Seth Green has had, is "Family Guy", which miraculously made its return only a short while ago. Everyone was cast well in their parts, and they were all believable as friends. Frankly, this show had some potential, and I can't recommend you watch it, because there's absolutely no point. However, I wish this show had stuck around a little longer, because it deserved to.

This has been a good year for sitcoms. After a good decade without a new good one, this year has seen three very watchable half hour programs that debuted this year. But then again, with all the great sitcoms this year, there still was the absolutely horrible The War at Home. But one of the better new ones, My Name Is Earl along with The Office, was moved to Thursday this week as NBC tries to resurrect its once unbeatable Must See TV lineup which hasn't been Must See since Friends started to suck, and for those keeping track at home, that would be circa the mid-nineties.

To round out the new all comedy lineup is Will & Grace which I didn't even realized was still on and is followed by the new Four Kings. The show follows four friends who are now living in an apartment left to one of them by his dead grandmother, who just so happened to coined them the Four Kings. The show stars the werewolf from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and three dudes whose IMDb pages look as impressive as mine, well that's if I had one. For some reason my appearance on Letterman back in 1994 or the numerous times I was on public access don't warrant my very own page. But anyways.

Last night started off in earnest with a decent theme song in the Counting Crow's Hangin' Around. Then it was all downhill from there. There were very few jokes that actually made me laugh, but that could be due to the episode focused around the grandmother's death and proceeding funeral and I'm not the biggest fan of dead grandma jokes. But that's just me. Plus everything in the show was even easier to telegraph than Reunion. When the show is advertised as four dudes living together, you knew that the grandson would pick to live his buddies over his girlfriend, or as one of the guys put it "Bro's over ho's." I think that was the first time someone used that phrase since Friends started to suck. Had she actually moved in with the Four Kings that may have made for an interesting show. Seriously, these networks really need to hire me as a consultant.

The only bright spot of the whole episode is when Oz went to break up with his girlfriend, even though I wasn't really sure why all the guys had to break up with their girlfriends, or personal trainer in one of their cases, don't ask, it wasn't funny. But Oz's confrontation with the twin daughters was hilarious. Sadly, since he broke up with their mother that will most likely be the last we see of them.

The pilot episode was only mediocre, but I am not disappointed that I stuck it out. The writers are doing a pretty good job of developing the characters, and it's starting to pay off. The episode's following the pilot are pretty funny, and I expect it will keep getting better. Seth Green always plays his part well. The support cast is developing as well. In particular, Green's boss and the CEO have added a lot to the show. The writers have done a good job of weaving all the characters in with the two bosses. I would like to see the setting developed a little more. I know that sounds picky, but shows like Will and Grace, Friends, etc. are supported by their set. So far, the apartment hasn't really been developed all that well. It's still early, though. Keep an eye on this show. It has potential to be great.

If you enjoy the comedy on Will & Grace, you will probably enjoy this show. I do. The comedy is of course a little more 'masculine', as the main characters are four twenty-something straight men. Seth Green is quite funny as Barry, the jerk of the four. Todd Grinell as Jason is just as, if not more, funny, and where on Earth has Shane McRae been hiding? Sure, Bobby's character isn't that hard to pull off, but at the time of this writing, we're only four episodes in, and I find myself fond of the character. Again, the comedy is similar to Will & Grace, and if you don't find that funny, there's only a slim chance you'll find this funny.

I realize that if NBC pulls "Four Kings" after a short run, it won't be one of a few. But I have to disagree with the harsh review. I just saw "Elephant in the Room" and I thought that the jokes were pretty unremarkable, but the acting and the plot really stood out. Bonus points to the creators for making an interesting opening title--its artistic but not too long. The actors have chemistry, which pulls them through some of the more mundane dialog.

Some shows (espcially sitcoms) can make you feel like you've just wasted 30 min watching nothing. For "Four Kings," you know you've just wasted 30 min, and you're proud of it.