Retired at 35

IF: - You are new to the world of sitcoms - You are easily amused - You are about 15 years old in mind or body - You are too tired to change the channel - You are curious what this thing is like after the non-stop flogging/hookup with Hot In Cleveland commercials - You are alone in the house and want some kind of noise so it doesn't feel so echo-y and empty - Yearn for something that isn't vampires/lawyers/reality shows

THEN, my friends, this show is for YOU!

35 year old wearies of working,'retires', moves in with comical (separated) mom and/or dad, blahblahblah. Of course mom and dad are still zesty, active (though the mom looks about 40 and the dad looks about 70), full of vim and vigor, enjoying life far more than their son, and diving head first into dating, potty talk, innuendo, and blabbing about S-E-X. Without a scrap of wit, originality, or humor. Just kind of embarrassing and dull. If you think this is the "family show" you have been yearning for, you are wrong. A carbon copy of a carbon copy of a carbon copy of ... well, any dumb 'racy' sitcom from the past 30 years... In real life, Dad would be a bitter old crank after a heart attack and Mom would be a bitter old crank with the beginnings of dementia, and sonny boy would be run ragged trying to get home health aides in so he can catch a break. No, this is some senior citizen's fantasy of what life should be. Derp!

Like its predecessor, "Hot in Cleavland" this show lacks chemistry between the actors and both sitcoms have terrible writing. Neither sitcom elicits a smile let alone a laugh. Very boring, contrived (mostly sexual connotations) jokes and stupid story lines. What happened to sitcoms like TV Land shows like "Sanford and Son", "Roseanne", "All in the Family", granted the writer's of some of these older shows may not even be alive today, but these new writers need to do something else with their time. The producers of both shows should invest some valuable money in getting better writers and perhaps these shows might have a chance. Just because they both have good casts, does not mean that either sitcom is not a dud.

The premise is a young executive son moving back in with his parents. The cast is wonderful... with the exception of one actor... the lead (Johnathan McClain) who is just God awful in comedy... it just does not work. And what a wonderful backing cast... all with talent, all who CAN act. McClain lacks the interpretation, the timing, the physical comedy cues that make a great lead actor in a great sitcom.

McClain appears about 20 years too young for the lead role of "Dave." George Segal, playing his father, looks about 40 years older than the son... too bad they did not cast Clark Gregg from "New Adventures Of Old Christine" for example in the role... a Bob Newhart kind of character actor who could carry this role off. Matthew Perry would of course be the perfect ideal lead actor in this series, but I imagine his asking price is about a million an episode as of this writing. Average sitcom writing, great acting by all except for the atrocious McClain.

I enjoy the set, setting and premise of this show. I don't care if it's unrealistic as some critics say. Please, how much TV is realistic??? For me it has an all around positive, upbeat feel, which I look for. I am not at all interested in the dark, brooding dramas. Life has plenty of that. Plus this is the kind of show that helps me escape reality every now and then. I find it soothing and cute and have literally laughed out loud on occasion. So happy and relieved to see it back on TV as I was missing it. George Segal and Jessica Walter have great chemistry and I love the entire cast. I particularly enjoy the friend's goofy simplemindedness and the cheesy and fun-loving character that Christine Ebersole plays. It's an 'escape' kind of show, and who doesn't need a little escape every now and then. Hope to see them around for a while.

Full disclosure: I only watched one episode (I couldn't take more than that). What's embarrassing is to have a cast of long-time respected actors (George Segal, Jessica Walter and George Wyner) in such a series. There were certainly some funny lines, but someone decided that EVERY line was not only funny, but hysterical, so the entire episode is filled with distractingly uproarious laughter start to finish. An example: guy at the bar on the phone wants to impress nearby woman with his name-dropping and refers to Warren Buffet as "Buff-hay." Hysterical laughter. He goes on to explain that man is the inventor of the buffet (again, "buff-hay"). Hysterical laughter. Then his friend comes over and "explains the joke," saying, "It's Warren Buffet" (correct pronunciation). Hysterical laughter! I'm sure Buffet didn't invest in this one.