The Crazy Ones

I rarely notice anything on the old-guard networks, so I was completely unaware that this series even existed. After the unfortunate passing of Robin Williams I learned about The Crazy Ones and watched it.

Robin Williams had a set of characters. These were him. Just like my grandfather, he could call up an appropriate character and bring it into perspective. I'm absolutely certain that every day on the set of The Crazy Ones involved a lot of laughing, a lot of fun, and a LOT of material that couldn't possibly be used on network television. What we got was a mediocre but entertaining show.

Robin Williams as the 63 year old elder agency head is perfect because of these things, they are not faults. He's older, more mature, more experienced, definitely more jaded. The younger ones are learning at his knee, as it should be.

As a requiem for Robin Williams' career, this series is a tragic and amazingly funny summary. They're all there. There's a bit of Mork, a bit of Mrs. Doubtfire, some Adrian Cronauer, you'll recognize the Genie, and the Indian Chief, and more. Yes, Robin's career was stale and he was essentially doing the same shtick as he was doing in the 70s. But it was good. He was fast. He was an amazingly funny man, filled with heart and care. We loved him for it. Maybe the younger generation will never get Robin, but anyone over 30 should have.

If I had left behind the body of work that Robin Williams did, and that included this little unpolished gem, I'm certain I could have left this planet fulfilled. We will miss him.

I decided to watch this show only because of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robin Williams and didn't have any expectations. But I am very happy with what I got.

The Pilot was over before it started which can mean only one thing-I didn't get bored.It was constantly funny,but not laughing out loud funny,it was subtle and constant.

Robin is his usual self,I think there is a lot of improvising on his behalf and I like it.

Sarah is very natural in her role and I can see her as updated version of Ally McBeal. She has a comedic bone in herself but didn't get much chance in The Pilot to prove herself in that area(although there was a great moment where she is watching some McDonalds executive fall for her colleague's charm and she makes a face,it was so funny). But in every dialogue with Robin there is so much chemistry. Especially where there is only two of them in the scene. It's like they know each other their whole life,just like father and daughter. (Not very usual to see these days on TV)

The rest of the cast will hopefully get to shine in next episodes but I will mention James Wolk's character which is very likable.

I really hope they keep up the good work and get people to know them better.

The pilot was really fast paced, the 20 minutes felt like 5 but I already love all the characters. Definitely Ally Mc Beal 2.0. A bunch of Crazy people with a lot of heart. Can't hardly wait to know them a little bit more and to explore their universe. All the actors have great chemistry together especially Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. James Wolk was a nice revelation and on top of that Kelly Clarkson was hilarious. Yep, this is great TV. The show has so much potential, I hope the writers will meet my expectations. The next episodes should focus a little bit more on the father / daughter relationship. This is where, IMO, The Crazy Ones could stand out of the crowd and became a nice "dramedy".

I'm a die-hard Robin Williams fan (he's a comedic genius) and now a new fan of this show. I thought it was funny, witty and fast-paced. I wanted it to be an hour long, not 30 minutes! The relationship between Williams and Gellar as father and daughter works; he's nutty and she's not, but they both can change. Even the assistant ("Smell my shampoo") is hilarious. If the next few episodes are as good as the pilot, I'm sold. There were so many quick throw-away lines that we watched it again, and laughed even more. If/when they cast Pam Dawber as SMG's mother, it's perfection! Good supporting cast too, and more star cameos would be great. "The Crazy Ones," a comedy spin-off of "Mad Men," get it? Much less dark and bitter, more milk chocolate than bittersweet. Thanks, David E. Kelly! Loved it!

Robin Williams is finally back to doing what he's always done best -- off-the-cuff riffing on whatever subject you put in front of him. He's brilliant. While America's sense of humor has changed a bit since Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams' ability to turn his incredible sense of humor into a source of drama (it's obvious that his characters' silliness is a response to his own desperation) shows that as an actor, he's gone from silly to serious and come back out the other side with a remarkable ability to showcase the two simultaneously and sensitively.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is perfectly cast in her role, as a foil for Williams. Her ability to (act like she can) see the serious and important sides of absurd and silly situations -- honed to a keen point in Buffy -- is exactly what Williams' character needs to have the truth of his tragicomic situation highlighted.

Also, this is the first show that I've ever seen where the unabashedly promiscuous person (Zach/James Wolk) is a guy -- and it's AWESOME! The way that everyone treats him (the line was something like "Zach, lose a layer. If it goes badly, two.") is perfect. ("To be safe, I'm going to need some meat. Zach! Vaya con queso, amigo!") I realize that Zach is theoretically supposed to be the main character of the show, and honestly, he's *almost* able to hold his own next to Williams and Gellar. Give him a few episodes, and he'll shine. He's pretty and obviously a great actor, and I can't wait to see him blossom.

This show isn't going to appeal to everyone -- it's paced like Scandal, has the emotional volatility of the Newsroom, and the pop culture references of Franklin & Bash. ("Lopez wants to be paid in diamonds, Aidelle is British...and Pink threatened me.") The problem is that it's billed as a zany comedy/Mad Men with Robin Williams, but the truth is that it's actually a very dramatic story hidden beneath zaniness, and a lot of people are going to have a problem with that.