The Millers

Will Arnett may have finally struck gold with this comedy. He plays Nathan Miller, newly divorced reporter, in an unspecified East Coast city. His parents are played by Emmy winners Beau Bridges and Margo Martindale who is a scene stealer. His parents have split after 43 years of marriage. His father is a klutzy mess who manages to cause messes like a child. He moves into their previous home who is being rented out to his daughter and son-in-law. Nathan gets momma at his place. She can be too much too handle at times. She is bossy and interferes in her son's life. She is also so lonely that the viewers see through the facade. The show was created by Greg Garcia who has created "Raising Hope" and "My Name is Earl" sitcoms. He really grasps family dysfunction into comedy. Hope this show lasts a long time and will with cast and crew.

Nathan Miller (Will Arnett) is a self-obsessed local TV reporter who is shocked by his parents Carol (Margo Martindale) and Tom (Beau Bridges) announcing that they're getting divorced. Now his parents split up to live separately with him, and his sister Debbie (Jayma Mays) and her husband Adam (Nelson Franklin) and her daughter Mikayla (Lulu Wilson). Nathan is best friend to his cameraman Ray (J.B. Smoove).

This started awkwardly with the parents splitting up. It's just more annoying than funny. The show is better off to start off after the split. Also for a separating couple, the family keeps hanging out together. The family does grow on me. I love Martindale and she's terrific as the bossy matriarch. The old couple's constant fighting fades more to the background. It is a little uneven. There are some likable laughs. The awkwardness starts to fade. Then the second season tries to bring in Sean Hayes to do a bad recurring role. It's one more mistake that the show doesn't need.

Occasionally, you find a show that takes a while to find its groove, like Scrubs. The Millers seems to think it has found it from the start. The talented cast seems ready and willing to dive headfirst into the roles with abandon, herein lies the big problem.

Almost everything here is so overblown that it is almost reaches farce level. Kinda like watching Scrubs, sans the whimsy, and the charm and the clever banter and smart humor and the likable characters. If the 1980 cult turd Flash Gordon was to be serialized, it would be and apt comparison to the tone of this mess.

Lets be honest, when Will Arnett is the actor showing the most restraint you either have a horrible idea or have no directorial control over the cast. Director Kevin Smith once mused that he was not strong enough to control Ben Affleck during the making if Dogma. The Millers leave you with similar feelings.

Some of the reviews here are ridiculous. This is one of the best TV programmes on telly. People cribbing the fact that they have seen the concept before when it's rare to see something unique. The writing is witty and snappy and in Arnett and Smoove it has possibly the two best comedy actors around. Ignore the IMDb score and ridiculous reviews this is an excellent programme, the jokes are clever and there are some nice tie ins with previous jokes. In one scene Nathan (Arnett) gets home to find his best mate Ray (Smoove) in his apartment with Nathans mother, Ray says he is staying in Nathans for a few night and Nathan asks what is wrong with his apartment, Ray says he had a big lady back and he wants to give the memory foam mattress a chance to forget, excellently delivered by the two mentioned actors. Watch a couple of episodes and thank me later

I thought this show was very cute. And I liked how the kids were dealing with older parents who decided to divorce and who hated each other for years. Thought it very relevant.

However, when they brought on Sean Hayes the show went downhill. He just doesn't fit inside the cast. This cast was about a family. Mom, dad, a son and a daughter. And Daughters small family. It worked so well. I have no idea where "Kip" is supposed to fit in. I called it an 8 out of 10 and that was without Sean. With Sean, a 6 out of 10. I think more just need to see it.

How can 2 broke girls with their senseless sarcasm and sexual constant quips be so big and this gem is on the sidelines?