The Return of Jezebel James

I've always loved Parker Posey, but this show makes me understand those who find her annoying. She's really, really irritating in this. Maybe she's just hoping to get this travesty canceled--she deserves so much better. I disagree with previous commentators, though--I think the laugh-track greatly adds to the humor. Without a laugh-track telling me someone said something funny, I wouldn't have even realized this was supposed to be a comedy.

This show reminds me of the worst 80's sitcoms. It's so contrived and poorly written and the characters are paper thin. I think the show has such a fast pace to keep viewers from realizing that no one is saying anything funny, insightful, or dramatic.

I really hope Sherman-Palladino pulls it together before JJ gets canceled (or she gets dragged off into the night by a torch-wielding mob that blames her for destroying Posey's career), but she can't have much time left. This show is terrible.

And just so you know, I loved Gilmore Girls.

Having read sometime ago that Sherman was on a new project and being a big fan of Gilmore Girls, one can imagine how much I was anticipating The Return of Jezebel James...I'm not an experienced TV critic, I know nothing of camera angles and all that. What I do know is that the show just...sucked! I can't seem to figure out whether the script is rubbish or just the acting. Parker Posey where I'm concerned was downright ridiculous in Boston Legal and certainly hasn't found her tempo here...Everyone involved exudes awkwardness on an embarrassing level. It's evident that they're trying too hard to make this super-hip-tongue-in-cheek....not buying it. Definitely not Gilmore Girls unfortunately...not by a long shot

I will admit that I cannot get past a laugh track, but I was willing to try for Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose. Ambrose was great on Six Feet Under and of course Posey is lovely in all her work. This show is horrible. The few funny scenes are marred by the laugh track but if the writing held up I would be watching still. Parker's character says "Coco" (referring to her sister) as if the name "coco" is as silly to her as it is to the rest of the world. It's as if she knows it's a joke. Lauren Ambrose is left to play the stereotypical early 20s underachiever who doesn't speak to her folks and can't keep a job. This is a sad waste of two great talents and I hope it is canceled soon.

I'm a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and a huge part of my fanship (fandom? I'm not sure how to verbinate "being a fan of") is the dialogue: quicked-witted and intensely smart, it appealed to me on a fairly deep level. More than that, there was a real sense of character to back up not only Lorelai and Rory that made them more than just cardboard cut-out clichés. There was heart as much as there was humor so naturally I expected to find the same things in Amy Sherman-Palladino's newest show. But as anyone can attest, you can give the likes of Shakespeare to an ill-equipped actor and it will come off as clumsy. Whether or not it's the fault of Amy having phoned in a script that seems like it was culled from dropped scripts of GG, the show just doesn't work. Fact of the matter is that Parker Posey is a horrible stand-in for Lauren Graham's comedic talents and Posey seems to be overacting the material in front of her when the brilliance of AS-P's writing is that the jokes work best when the only laughing is from the viewer and not the "live studio audience". The laugh track *kills* the humor in the show.

What's more is that the dynamic between Sarah (Posey) and her on-screen younger sister Coco feels like it was transplanted haphazardly from Gilmore Girls, with Coco acting the role of Rory. It's infuriating because it feels like AS-P got lazy and went for the cheap laugh. I rate this show poorly because I feel that Amy Sherman-Palladino had the chance to follow up the six years of Gilmore Girls she was present for with another hit and that instead she delivered a thinly veiled insult to television audiences en masse.

This show makes me cry. Amy Sherman Palladino did an incredibly great job on Gilmore Girls, i thought it was the end of the world when the new writers took over. But then she started this show.

OK bad thing Parker Posey... wow she is a really bad actress. What's with the one where she breaks down crying? is she SUPPOSED to be dumb, b/c in Gilmore girls Lauren Graham didn't come across like that at all... and lets face it,Posey's the new Graham. She's not quick enough, and she needs to do an overall better job. It's gonna be hard to replace Lauren Grahams acting.

those laugh tracks HAVE GOT TO GO!! the show is already bad enough with Posey's acting... whenever there's a little chance for funny, the laugh tracks kill any chance.

However Lauren Ambrose is doing an excellent job! She's the person keeping the show alive, even if they are still barely living.

Good Things: Well, the script is great and has great potential. Hope is not lost. Just make adjustments!!!!!! Everythings great except for the poor acting and the laugh tracks

advice:

the first thing id do is GET RID OF THOSE FING LAUGH TRACKS!!!!!

then Parker Posey really needs to read this b/c its just horrible. YOU NEED to be quicker, smarter, and funnier. think witty, not stupid.