Married to the Kellys

Being from New York and then getting culture shocked when I moved to the Midwest this show hit home. The sister's distaste for the city slicker husband makes for lots of fun antagonism. The "do good" son-in-law constantly doing chores, running errands, and generally making Mr. NYC look bad creates many opportunities for embarrassment.The Mom is frequently baffled by the behaviors of her daughter's new husband. When he makes mistakes or gets her riled up her methods of punishment are pretty funny. The episode with family game night is especially funny and I recommend it. If this ever gets to Netfix my family is sure to watch and enjoy again.

by Dane Youssef

In my first IMDb review of the less-than successful "Married With Kellys," (which has been removed from IMDb. They now won't let you post on the same subject twice. Bastards).

I complained about the show's lack of edge and humor. But the show's weakest link was the character of Tom (Breckin Myer). The show was weak... mostly because it's lead was weak. The Tom character was bullied, humiliated, castrated, kicked aside... by his whole inbred, hick and hayseed family... even his own wife. ESPECIALLY HIS OWN WIFE!

Despite Tom's valiant attempts to win over the family, they despised Tom for being from the Big Apple and for being a big-shot novelist (instead of a dirty blue-collar working man like the rest of the family).

My closing line in my first review was: "Guys, either re-model and renovate or tear the damn thing down."

Thankfully, my prayers were answered and they chose to do the latter. IMDb readers, I am pleased to report that "Married to the Kellys" is finally on track. I guess they just needed some time to find their voice. Did the creators get my message... or maybe I wasn't the only one protesting.

I have to admit, I thought this show was head for the sh*tter. But thankfully, ABC must have gotten my request and finally did some renovation on "Kellys."

Or (more likely) maybe I wasn't the only one who felt this way. The cheerfully castrating yokel wife and her proud hayseed family... torturing her city-boy husband every step of the way. And he seemed to be sadomasochistic ally enduring it. I kept waiting for his pair to drop... and push back.

Well, it finally, finally happened. Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, ABC.

It's a miracle!

Perhaps the shows producers read my review. Or perhaps (much more likely) maybe I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

Meyer's character is now more sharp-tongued and edgy... and it was such a relief and high to hear him fling crap back at his henpecking wife and her self-glorifying sister Mary, at Mary's award ceremony, at the family Oscar party. When Chris stand up to Mary and starts defying her. And when Tom finally calls Mary on her delusion and silliness. And no one is talking about that stupid "doghouse" board again. Or at least taking it very seriously.

(For those of you wondering--and who haven't seen the show-- the "doghouse" is a bulletin board in the family kitchen. You see, whenever someone does something "bad," a card with that person's name written on it--goes in the "doghouse"--signifying that person is in trouble hence, "in the doghouse)."

The show is finally watchable! Hell, more than that... funny! If only the ill-fated "Good Morning, Miami" had been smart and courageous enough to break it's formula and work with it, instead of just following it slavishly, "GMM" might've had a longer run.

But "GMM" crashed and burn as big and as bad as the Hindenberg. As for "MTTK," let's all hope and pray that viewers start watching. Because now it is a show to watch.

The NBC sitcom "Good Morning, Miami" bit the dust. It was a mediocre show... about a mediocre show. Canceled due to some of the worst reviews in recent memory (from both the critics and the audiences alike). It had potential, but never really quite lived up to it. Or even came close. The show was too busy playing it safe and pumping out steady streams of one-liners... rather than having a strong comedic foundation.

It was too set-up and too safe. It was gone pretty quick. If only "GMM" realized that anarchy is a key element in comedy. If only "GMM" hadn't played it so damn safe. Too bad. Feuerstein finally could have had a successful regular recurring character. The show never had much of a chance.

Hey, I'll say it again: "Married With Kellys" is finally on track!

SPECIAL NOTE: Creators of TV, hear my plea! I implore you, don't make the same mistake they did! Take risks! Make waves! Say something! Do something! No one ever had fun... playing it safe. Except for Damon Wayans and his stuff sucks!!!

"MARRIED TO THE KELLYS"... Let's hope it stays strong and doesn't lose it's bearings. Check your internet under ABC.com for time and schedule.

It's finally worth the effort.

--Ready To Marry The Kellys, Dane Youssef

This show actually required people to have a sense of humor. It really played well to those of us who can see the humor in some of the simplest of life's situations. It was not all about sex so I'm sure those who can think of nothing else in their life probably didn't like it. It had a cleanness to it, with its Kansas setting. "Married to the Kellys certainly appeals to those of us with a "dry" sense of humor as well. I thought the transplanting of a New Yorker to a much simpler life made a lot of sense for a sitcom and still do. Is it reality? Certainly not, but that's why I watch TV sitcoms. If I want reality, I turn on the news. As for me, if this were to come out on DVD, I would be the first in line!

This isn't ever going to be deemed as a classic sitcom. The show never was even released on DVD, which is saying something.

I've only seen episodes online, with rather varying picture quality, but this seems to be a perfectly fine, run of the mill sitcom, like so many others that were made at the time.

It's got a nice enough premise, it's well-written on the whole, and the cast seem game.

For whatever reason it just never really caught on enough to be deemed worthy of a second go around. I'm not sure that the lead was much of a sitcom leading man, so perhaps that was a factor.

Fine enough though.

This show isn't the Worldly New Yorker Moves to Hicksville show like its preseason publicity led us to think. Given the usual showbiz snobbery about the parts of the U.S. between the two coasts, the misdirection wasn't surprising. The conflict is more Self vs. Family than it is Sophisticate vs. Rube. For one thing, the show is set in Kansas City--hardly a one-horse town. Breckin Meyer is generally affable as the self-centered New Yorker who doesn't dislike his wife's family so much as he doesn't want his life to be centered around it. His major nemeses are his wife's bitter sister (Emily Rutherfurd) and mother (Nancy Lenehan, who could patent her uniquely cutting brand of astringent, passive-aggressive authority). Some of the minor characters need more development, and I don't find the character of the idiot son (so dysfunctional he seems brain-damaged) particularly funny. The various schemes Tom uses to thwart the attempts of his wife's family to indoctrinate him it its ways and the often surprising ways those schemes boomerang on him could make for an entertaining show if it lasts and can manage to work the kinks out.