The Crazy Ones

I'm a die-hard Robin Williams fan (he's a comedic genius) and now a new fan of this show. I thought it was funny, witty and fast-paced. I wanted it to be an hour long, not 30 minutes! The relationship between Williams and Gellar as father and daughter works; he's nutty and she's not, but they both can change. Even the assistant ("Smell my shampoo") is hilarious. If the next few episodes are as good as the pilot, I'm sold. There were so many quick throw-away lines that we watched it again, and laughed even more. If/when they cast Pam Dawber as SMG's mother, it's perfection! Good supporting cast too, and more star cameos would be great. "The Crazy Ones," a comedy spin-off of "Mad Men," get it? Much less dark and bitter, more milk chocolate than bittersweet. Thanks, David E. Kelly! Loved it!

Simon Roberts (Robin Williams) is the wild inventive advertising icon and he's working with his organized proper daughter Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar). They are still working on their father-daughter relationship. Also working in the firm are the ladies man Zach (James Wolk), the nerdy Andrew (Hamish Linklater), and the flaky assistant Lauren (Amanda Setton).

It's the return of Robin Williams to TV and this role is tailor made for him. He's quite good in this where they allow him that free flowing humor that is his bread and butter. SMG does a good job as his slightly uptight daughter. The supporting cast is all there. However Robin's schtick does wear a little thin as the season went on. They added Brad Garrett late in the season to spice things up. I'm not sure it achieved anything. It got canceled after one full season. I wish the network would give Williams a little more leeway especially since he seems to have the support early on.

I rarely notice anything on the old-guard networks, so I was completely unaware that this series even existed. After the unfortunate passing of Robin Williams I learned about The Crazy Ones and watched it.

Robin Williams had a set of characters. These were him. Just like my grandfather, he could call up an appropriate character and bring it into perspective. I'm absolutely certain that every day on the set of The Crazy Ones involved a lot of laughing, a lot of fun, and a LOT of material that couldn't possibly be used on network television. What we got was a mediocre but entertaining show.

Robin Williams as the 63 year old elder agency head is perfect because of these things, they are not faults. He's older, more mature, more experienced, definitely more jaded. The younger ones are learning at his knee, as it should be.

As a requiem for Robin Williams' career, this series is a tragic and amazingly funny summary. They're all there. There's a bit of Mork, a bit of Mrs. Doubtfire, some Adrian Cronauer, you'll recognize the Genie, and the Indian Chief, and more. Yes, Robin's career was stale and he was essentially doing the same shtick as he was doing in the 70s. But it was good. He was fast. He was an amazingly funny man, filled with heart and care. We loved him for it. Maybe the younger generation will never get Robin, but anyone over 30 should have.

If I had left behind the body of work that Robin Williams did, and that included this little unpolished gem, I'm certain I could have left this planet fulfilled. We will miss him.

I don't quite understand where the low rating comes from. I thought this show delivered very good comedy. There is some cheesy humour, but there are also great metaphors and references to films. I found a lot of the dialogue to be smart and well written. Robin Williams carries most of the comedic value, as can be expected. It often seems a lot in his scenes is spontaneous, which works out great. Sarah Michelle Gellar does not deliver many laughs on her own, and her acting seems a bit stiff, but then again this demeanor fits her character. The other cast fit well, although it's difficult to get used to Hamish Linklater in a role so different than in Newsroom. Overall, definitely one of the better comedy shows on TV.

The pilot was really fast paced, the 20 minutes felt like 5 but I already love all the characters. Definitely Ally Mc Beal 2.0. A bunch of Crazy people with a lot of heart. Can't hardly wait to know them a little bit more and to explore their universe. All the actors have great chemistry together especially Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. James Wolk was a nice revelation and on top of that Kelly Clarkson was hilarious. Yep, this is great TV. The show has so much potential, I hope the writers will meet my expectations. The next episodes should focus a little bit more on the father / daughter relationship. This is where, IMO, The Crazy Ones could stand out of the crowd and became a nice "dramedy".