Dads

Speaking as a Brit, I like American TV, and I particularly like American sitcoms. I'm not just talking 'The Big Bang Theory' here... I'm talking 'Bilko', 'M*A*S*H, 'Frasier'. Many years, many hours of fun.

This is dreadful. I am bemused that a show like 'Better Off Ted' gets cancelled, and a show like this even gets 1 episode broadcast. Presumably, the networks believe there is an audience for mean-spirited and juvenile 'humour', which has just enough characterization to satisfy a committee of 'executives' who think cynicism is funny.

The Middle is old fashioned and predictable. It is also authentic, well made, beautifully acted... and funny. All of which qualities are not only absent from this show... but are even absent from the idea of this show.

I have only one good thing to say about it... All of a sudden, I have acquired the belief that I could write for television. Thank you to the people responsible for this rubbish, for thinking I can do better than people who get good money for writing poor television.

Four men, all so funny in various individual roles, yet, somehow, not at all funny when collocated in one show. I could yak for hours about the talent of Giovani Ribisi and Seth Green.

What happened? It was not simply that the script was bad. It wasn't only the lack of reality in the relationships or even the premise. It was just bad.

There is a laugh track. For some reason, the laugh track commenced at the end of every line and every piece of business from every actor. But I only laughed once. When the lovely Asian-American assistant appeared in a special outfit.

I do not understand why the show felt so contrived and stilted, as though it were a stage play. The laugh track sounded like a track, not a live performance. I hope to see all these actors in different, better productions soon. This show filled me with sadness.

I would have agreed with other reviews about how terrible this show is but I had to give it time. I LOVE Seth Green, Giovanni Ribisi, and Peter Riegert and refused to believe they could produce something so god awful.

While it isn't the best show out there, with each passing episode I can see the characters settling into themselves. I will say the Dads more so than the Sons as of now but the comedy IS getting better!

Seth Green's maid is definitely a show stealer. I'm impressed by the writers for never translating what she says in Spanish. It adds a special comedy for me since I am bilingual. I feel as of now the two strongest characters are Peter Reigert and the maid. Their relationship is hilarious!

I am also particularly impressed by Brenda Song. While most would discard her as a former Disney actress, her role in this show really speaks to her talents. Her character is a strong and smart, constantly keeping the boys in line and pretty much responsible for the continued success of the company.

Blame it on nostalgia if you must but I really want to see this show continue and develop into something greater.

This was one of the worst things I have ever seen on TV. The "inappropriateness" didn't bother me in the least. However, the acting was terrible, the humor non-existent, story bad and boring. Seth Green has done funny stuff, but it doesn't show here.

Run Away

I had read that this was offensive, I can understand that feeling. I don't get offended, so when I channel surfed into it, I thought I would watch it. Brutally bad.

Run Away

If you do nothing else this Fall, avoid this show. I would recommend a trip to the dentist (even a dentist with no TV on the ceiling).

Run Away Run Away

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I really do enjoy Seth MacFarlane. I think he's a funny dude, capable of capturing the hilarious antics of the now as he demonstrates on "Family Guy" on FOX. His Executive Produced show "Dads" starring the talents of Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi is an atrocious and unfunny take on the father-son dynamic that has been beat to death over the years of raunchy, family sitcoms.

Scribes Maggie Mull, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild have no concept of what can possibly make these characters interesting. They're almost relying on slapstick comedy to carry the audience through but forgot to put in the slapstick. It falters on every level from the introduction of Eli (Green) and Warner (Ribisi) to their Dads (Martin Mull and Peter Reigert), the only chuckle that emerged from me was a bit about "punch the Puerto Rican" and how it should be the name of a new video game that Warner was working on. And we're talking about a light chuckle.

Why is Vanessa Lachey on this show? She seems so above something like this for some reason. How did this get the green light from FOX? Well, we know exactly why but still, could they not see this was a train wreck waiting to happen? They bridge this live action show with the same humor that makes "Family Guy" so successful with dried movie references along with Mexican cleaning jokes. This works for cartoons, not real life. One note, is the eye candy that is Brenda Song, who you may remember as Andrew Garfield's psycho-girlfriend that sets fire to his room in "The Social Network" – she's fine to look at. Unfortunately, when this show inevitably gets canceled in 30 days time, she'll need to look for her next venture. I much enjoy her stint from time to time on FOX's "New Girl" as Winston's girlfriend.

The show is a disaster. Ribisi is a fine actor, that works well in comedy from time to time as we saw in MacFarlane's "Ted" but subjected to the amateur comedy that is displayed here has to make him rethink his choices in work.

Too bad for words. The first episode is available on FOX's website.

GRADE: ½ (half a star)