The Drew Carey Show

Network: ABC; Genre: Sitcom; Average Content Rating: TV-14 (language and strong scatological humor); Classification: Contemporary (Star Range: 1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: Seasons 6 - 9

To keep myself from stretching back into the halls of TV history I've roped off the turn of the century/millennium as a benchmark forward to look at a particular show's season. In the 9 years that 'The Drew Carey Show' was on the air it went through 3 big phases. The first was of a standard comedian-vehicle sitcom originating back in the days when every 2-bit comedian was getting their own self titled sitcom (signified by the 'Moon over Parma' intro). However, Drew Carey was better than the rest. The 2nd phase was the show hitting its prime- in that, its longest phase, it was a free-for-all comedy barn-burner. Like a little weekly Farrelly brother movie, 'Drew Carey' was crude, bawdy humor at its finest.

The show had the guts to center around a group of characters that where, without question, losers and made no attempt to glamorize them in the usual sitcom way. Drew was the ultimate, put-upon everyman and this show epitomized the workaday world of office life better than any other on TV. The cast was exceptional - with breakout performances from Ryan Styles and Diedrich Bader, who make their Louis and Oswald the classic drunken, aimless stooges. The writing was sharp, bawdy, crude and was often bust-a-gut hysterically so. Stick with the '5 o'clock World' or original 'Cleveland Rocks' intro that accompanies these seasons and you'll see a show that was heading for 'classic' status.

However, as we pick up with season 6 and forward the show is in its 3rd phase - a flaming, chaotic tailspin that strips away everything that made it great and innovative in the first place and ultimately sending it sinking into the abyss with barely a whisper. How did this happen? I can say the turning point where I lost interest came when Drew's transvestite brother Steve married and brought into the family Drew's long-time rival Mimi. But that was nothing compared to all the insane turns the show would take for the next 3 years. Drew nearly dies and sits in a coma for several episodes? Drew accidentally gets married to two women? To his long time loves and his boss Mr. Wick (a terrific Craig Ferguson by the way) no less? Drew looses his job at Winford Lauder and gets one at an internet company. The show was always absurd, but it used to have a solid foundation that it honored.

Worst of all Drew ditches his old persona - growing his hair out, losing weight and tossing his trademark glasses. In it's final years the show doesn't seem tired as much as it does a complete about-face, doubling-back to undo everything that it has set up and spitting in the face of the fans. It's unclear if Carey is mellowing with age, trying to conform more with the acceptance of the Hollywood establishment or has simply become arrogant. Arrogant in dragging this show out past it's prime and into territory it should know would disenfranchise it's audience. And arrogant into thinking that he can sing and is a great comic improve and so revamping special shows of nothing but musical numbers and live improve. What was once the voice of the working stiffs is now just a mouthpiece to nourish Drew's ego with a talented cast going to waste in the process. What was once the anti-sitcom has now taken turns fitting of an NBC tent-post series.

It's a sad state of affairs. The only one quick enough to jump from this sinking ship was Christa Miller. Caught in the thankless role of the straight-women in the locker room atmosphere of the show, she left for NBCs 'Scrubs' leaving 'Titus' alumni Cynthia Watros to fill the void. Anybody that thought the richly developed and sophisticated 'Titus' was just a standard dumb sitcom should have a look at the talented Watros now going to waste in this plane crash.

Jerry Seinfeld taught us all that the sign of a great comedian was one who knows when it is time to pull out and leave the audience wanting more. Drew should have been taking notes.

*

Series: * * ½ / 4

This is one funny sitcom! Drew Carey and his co-stars (especially Kathy Kinney as Mimi Bobeck) each have an ingenious sense of comic timing! In addition, the show itself fairly accurately portrays the plight of the normal, everyday guy who's trying to find both love and success in today's world. Plus, the show sometimes has some highly loony episode storylines and crazy sight-gags that are normally only seen in movies! I would highly recommend this TV series to any serious comedy buff!

U know, before Drew Carey got his own show, I didn't even know who he was. This show truly captializes his talents as a comedian and actor.

"The Drew Carey Show" is by far one of the funniest sitcoms on television in recent years. It also happens to be my third favorite show. Our bespectacled hero, Drew, works in a Winfried-Louder Depaertment Store's offices, run by a dorky Scot, Nigel Wick (Criag Ferguson). His archnemisis, Mimi Bobeck-Carey (Kathy Kinney) wears tons of make-up and tacky clothes, much in the same sense that Peggy Bundy on "Married with Children" was the queen of tacky. Of course, Drew has his girlfriend, Kate (Christa Miller) and his dopey buddies, Lewis Kiniski (Ryan Stiles, who upstages Carey) and Oswald Lee Harvey (Deidrich Bader).

This show is very funny. The plotlines are always interesting, and of course, Lewis and Oswald have to accomplish some stupid feat in the 1/2 hour (ie: they used $8000 to record an album using classic songs, with them--"Tequilla" or Lewis saying "Wipeout!") Of course, everyone gets into a big mess, Mimi insults Drew, Drew plots revenge, and everything is said and done in the half hour.

I love this show, and highly recommend it to everyone who has a good sense of humor. Drew Carey's standup is excellent, and this show just adds another good credit to a very talented man!

Cleveland truly does rock! (Except I'm a Yankees fan!)

I just read a review of this show on this site calling the show "absolutely awful." Wrong! This show is, and always has been innovative and creative. Carey and his cast have done things never seen before and have pushed the envelope of mundane sitcoms. We should all be thanking the creators & producers of this show for giving us an alternative to the run-of-the-mill sitcom bilge that has been pumped out over the past few years. One day, this program will be regarded as one of the most influential television program of our time. Thanks Drew, for mixing things up a bit & providing us with pure entertainment.

I don't usually like shows starring stand-up comics. They end a great comics career and usually aren't acted that well. Drew Carey is different. Every part is played pitch perfect and it has good, plausible storylines.

The show went downhill after Kate and Oswald broke up, but that happens with all shows. The Mimi/Steve pairing was well-played and emotionally fulfilling. I'm not much of a fan of Drew/Kate and the show would have been better without it. Wick is the strongest character, albeit cartoonish. But the whole show is.

My favorite episode would be when they attempted to win an Emmy. It was the epitome of the show-goofy.