Pilot

Wow, I'm so excited! The pilot aired tonight and it was fantastic. Since I'd only seen the previews very recently, I wasn't sure of the plot and didn't have much time to build any anticipation over the content. But seeing that Eddie Izzard was playing the lead, I knew that I HAD to check it out. So glad I did, and thankful that considering the lack of pre-show advertising, I didn't miss it altogether.

I don't think it would be a spoiler to say that the premise is based on a gypsy family (travelers) that decide to make an effort to "go straight" and live the "american dream" by seizing an opportunity that presents itself without warning. Like Six Feet Under, the show's content is comprised of many genre's (drama, comedy, adventure, sarcasm, etc). It has exquisite casting with great chemistry, and enough quirkiness to keep you guessing.

If you've been missing the quality and uniqueness of entertainment that SFU provided, you should not be disappointed in this new series.

CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS I must respectfully disagree with previous posters. I thought this debut was astonishing. It's a fish-out=of-water story with a difference, a pitch-black comedy with excellent writing and acting, and a deliciously bizarre premise. No, the Malloys/Riches aren't a typical or inherently sympathetic bunch; neither are the the Bundys, or the Sopranos, or many of the characters on Rescue Me or The Shield. It doesn't matter if they're not likable (although I think they are); it matters that they are interesting. And the fact that the parents are married, love each other and love their kids is good enough for me. I am going to be very interested to see how they manage to pull off the ultimate con: pretending to be -- maybe even becoming -- exactly the type of people that they have spent their lives ripping off.

I was looking forward to this as a fan of both Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, but was disappointed.

I guess there just isn't enough foundational decency coming through in the lead characters to compel me to care about them, especially in the context of the gore, violence, near-explicit sex and general dark, edgy tone of the pilot.

I'm hoping it gets better. After all, the word 'redemption' is in Izzard's speech at the reunion.

This show needs at least the promise of a little redemption in order to (what else?) redeem it.