Dinner with the Parents

Looks like yet another failed attempt by us Americans to remake a British comedy. And this is like the third or fourth attempt at remaking Friday Night Dinner for American audiences. I didn't laugh once during the first episode. Cringed and rolled my eyes the whole time. People should just watch Friday Night Dinner instead. Damn shame Paul Ritter died and there won't be any more episodes.

This show just not funny. It was a chore to get through the first episode. The characters are more like caricatures, there is no real humor, and there is nothing promising better times to come in future episode. Harder than hard pass.

Was destined to fail due to casting.

The actor playing "David" is completely wrong for the part. He looks like a peer to the parents, not their child. He also is not a great comedic actor. The ENTIRE point is that the boys give each other "trouble" not that one of them is a punching bag for the other. They've turned a sibling rivalry into basically just bullying by one brother.

Michaela Watkins - Decent actor but... Same as she ever is.. unfunny and overly nervous. Her demeanor is just off for this. She comes across as someone overly worried, and riddles with anxiety about EVERYTHING around her.

Dan Bakkedahl - great in some rolls but far too "goofy" to be the dad in this - at least that's how he's playing it. Dad isn't supposed to be "goofy". He's just supposed to be odd. There IS a difference. Dad here comes across as "stupid", the "dolt", the "moron". Not the well-meaning, but accident prone, nature of the original character.

Carol Kane - great skills, but the character, with the accent is just wrong. Is Ladka around? It's her Taxi character 40 years later. Sure audiences may not know Taxi, but that's the character.

.. overall this is VERY "try hard". So much clear effort to try and get to something funny. It feels exceptionally forced and unnatural. I mean the use of "sissy" is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

This is a very typical US remake.. they complete ignore the "tone" of the original and just rewrite the scripts with a US twist without paying attention to the overall atmosphere.

The original Friday Night Diner was so much, much, much better.. and the AU (or is it NZ?) remake.. Roast Night.. is also better. This show is the worst of the international bunch.

The Langer family gather every Friday for dinner. Jane (Michaela Watkins) and Harvey (Dan Bakkedahl) are the hosts and parents to constantly fighting brothers, David (Henry Hall) and Gregg (Daniel Thrasher). Jane suffers under her domineering mother (Carol Kane). Donnie (Jon Glaser) is their intrusive neighbor.

I love the three older actors in the family. The two brothers are a different story. Their characters are annoying. At the end of the day, they are missing the love in their relationship. Most of all, Gregg is way too annoying. He is a selfish jerk who doesn't love his family. In time, he could develop that part of the character, but the show is canceled after only one season. I don't blame Amazon. These actors deserve better.

As a fan of the REAL Friday Night Dinner, I had to give this one a try.

Unfortunately, I lasted a little more than 10 minutes, though I could immediately tell, actually from the first scene when one of the sons arrives, that the acting is sub par, it is not funny or even amusing. The neighbor was way off, even his dog was not as funny as Wilson. Unfortunately, a few of the original show members passed away, including the father. The great Paul Ritter (who was sick for a long time) and both Grammas, so that was the end of the show.

So, if you want true comedy, look for Friday Night Dinner wherever it's available and laugh your heart out.

I think the only other reviewer here was truly generous giving the show 2 stars.

Unbelievable. Why? If you've watched the British show, Friday Night Dinner, don't even give this show a try. It's horrible by comparison. In the US, we do NOT have the mentality for humor like the Brits do. The Brit wit & open field of comedy is superb. With our US micro-management of what can be said & what can't, the show takes out the best of why Friday Night Dinner works. The scripting is a poor 2nd, 3rd, or 4th sanitized American version. No insult to the US performers, they are not as funny, quirky, cohesive like the original cast. The FND characters of Jackie, Martin, Adam, Johnny, Grandma, neighbor Jim and even Wilson the dog surpass the US counterparts. (You can't do justice to the character of Mr. Morris on American television.) Dinner With The Parents starts & you can't wait for it to end. Just like Call Me Kat's attempt at the British show, Miranda, the script & actors canNOT do justice to its British predecessor. (Ghosts is the only one that seems to work) British television is just more fun & funny than many of our US comedy shows. Try watching Friday Night Dinner on the streaming service, instead of wasting time on Dinner With The Parents.