The Mysteries of Laura

I will add the disclaimer that I have always loved Debra Messing. She has a comedic energy that for me, is reminiscent of Lucille Ball and Debbie Reynolds. Cop shows are usually dark and melodramatic, so I find the slightly comedic tone of "Mysteries of Laura" to be refreshing.

The series is certainly not meant to be realistic, which seems to be something critics take issue with. It's also not a screwball comedy like "Brooklyn Nine Nine." Mysteries is somewhere in between a comedy and a serious cop drama. In that way it reminds me of certain comic books.

Debra Messing brings her charming, quirky attitude to this show and I don't think anyone could pull this character off like her. I love Laura and the idea of a "super mom" trying to save the day and keep her family together. It's a great metaphor for single moms trying to provide for their family and have the career they love. With a little ass kicking on the side.

Finally watched the pilot (episode two tonight); really impressed. Just the right mix of light comedy and mystery, without one genre encroaching on the other. Debra Messing is, as always, like comfort food to watch. Really hope this lasts, even as a mystery level enjoyed the storyline of the pilot. Just wanna take a strap or something to her kids' backsides on the show, though; what hellions! Anyway, LOVED IT ... which, of course, means it will most likely be canceled after a few episodes.

Messing plays a homicide cop in the throes of both trying to divorce her cheating husband and find a pre-K school that will take her two extremely ... ummm ... rambunctious sons. All while trying to solve the murder of a rich tech guru who was about to release a new smartphone that would revolutionize the market.

Not sure where all the hate is coming from for the show, pilots usually struggle with an identity or to gain footing and this one didn't. Hope the series can build on that and get even better.

First of all, this show is a comedy. Some reviewers don't seem to realize that.

Those who criticized the performance of the kids in the pilot have a point. They were over the top. But that is a very small part of the show; in the second episode, the kids barely show up.

But Debra Messing is very enjoyable in this show. Imagine Kate Beckett without Castle. It's the same type of light comedy mixed with real crime mysteries. Even when Laura is mixing it up with suspects, she is adorkable and fun to watch.

She wants to get her soon-to-be ex out of her life, but they work together, so she must endure his personality on a daily basis. This seems somewhat trite, but they pull it off. Her other coworkers are quirky, so the tone remains light. I enjoy it.

Update 10/31/14: Now that we have seen a few episodes of this new show, it is consistent in its humor, while presenting actual crime solutions. But this is not "Elementary", so don't expect much more than light fare. Robert Klein just appeared as Laura's father--a great casting coup!

I love this show and it is such a great show you don't have to worry about your kids walking in on. It has its serious moments and great comedy. She always gets the criminal, but in her own snazzy way. We need more shows like this one! There's too many drama filled, cuss word filled shows out there that kids should not watch and this is one my son can play in the room while its on and we can just relax. Hope they don't cancel it! All the characters are unique and perfect in the show. <3 By far one of my favorite new series out on TV today. <3 Mysteries of Laura is fantastic! And they have to keep it around. 10 stars! I live how she is always herself, and no matter what she can figure out who committed the crime. She has this way of attention to detail that just shows how smart she is. Some may think this is too silly a show but I think that is what makes it so great! Shows don't have to serious all the time, and this show's comedy is perfect. Not stupid funny but actually lol funny. I laugh so much that my husband started watching with me and now he likes it. We introduced my sister in law to it and she is a die hard sci fi fan and even she loves it now!

My initial review was on the pilot and I said this has the makings of a decent show. It has a great cast, great location, limitless crime stories to take from real life and fictionalize.

I still stand by my "pilot episode" review in which I said it was irritating. I don't care if a cop has kids and a soon to be ex husband, that's fine. But the kids were so cartoony and cliché it was just painful to watch.

The characters in the police part are great, but NBC needs to either cut the kids part in the show to a bare minimum, or stop with the ridiculous behavior that they are trying to pretend people's kids get up to. I mean, everyone's kids are naughty at times, but these kids were so OTT I wanted to turn it off.

Well, since the initial pilot episode this show has improved weekly, to become a pretty strong police procedural type show. Debra Messing is a good actress and the rest of the cast has grown on me since the pretty poor first episode.

Maybe NBC has some people watch the first few episodes and give feedback as it seems the kids are featured much less, and that is how it should be - they are too young to be of any great use in the plots of a detective show anyway.

I'm going to see how this show goes for the rest of the season run - I have upped my rating to 7.

My only real peeve is PLEASE stop her from wearing the baseball cap backwards - I don't know when that became passé but for someone her age, it was a LONG LONG LONG time ago!

7 out of 10 - probably the most improved show from a pilot - doesn't usually work this way, usually they go more downhill!