The Crazy Ones

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.

Simon Roberts (Robin Williams) is the wild inventive advertising icon and he's working with his organized proper daughter Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar). They are still working on their father-daughter relationship. Also working in the firm are the ladies man Zach (James Wolk), the nerdy Andrew (Hamish Linklater), and the flaky assistant Lauren (Amanda Setton).

It's the return of Robin Williams to TV and this role is tailor made for him. He's quite good in this where they allow him that free flowing humor that is his bread and butter. SMG does a good job as his slightly uptight daughter. The supporting cast is all there. However Robin's schtick does wear a little thin as the season went on. They added Brad Garrett late in the season to spice things up. I'm not sure it achieved anything. It got canceled after one full season. I wish the network would give Williams a little more leeway especially since he seems to have the support early on.

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!

I don't quite understand where the low rating comes from. I thought this show delivered very good comedy. There is some cheesy humour, but there are also great metaphors and references to films. I found a lot of the dialogue to be smart and well written. Robin Williams carries most of the comedic value, as can be expected. It often seems a lot in his scenes is spontaneous, which works out great. Sarah Michelle Gellar does not deliver many laughs on her own, and her acting seems a bit stiff, but then again this demeanor fits her character. The other cast fit well, although it's difficult to get used to Hamish Linklater in a role so different than in Newsroom. Overall, definitely one of the better comedy shows on TV.

I watched the pilot and had a good time! I thought the writing and acting were way above what we usually get in network television shows. I usually only watch cable weekly series because the writing is smarter and has more depth than the networks. But I thought this show had pretty decent writing. Although, I am almost certain they're letting Robin have a lot of improvisational play room! So far I'm mostly liking everyone in it. I'm only having a slight problem with Amanda Setton's character, the pretty dark-haired assistant. Her repeated "fake" laughs at almost everything Robin's character says could get annoying. As far as the two leads, I think both Robin and Sarah are well-matched. They both seem comfortable and natural in their parts individually and with each other. Robin's always been very quick with his delivery, but Sarah's a smart actress and is keeping up with him fine. (BTW, I didn't see her one-season-only flop last year. But I loved her in BTVS and in all of her movies I've seen.) Besides the comic timing needed in this, it also looks like they'll be dealing with some honest real-life-like touching moments. Sarah has always been brilliant at that and Robin's acting in that department can also be very heartfelt.

I think the show's off to a pretty good start and has a decent shot at some longevity, especially with David E. Kelley as its creator and exec producer. He's had tons of success in the past with shows like Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public and Boston Legal. Not a bad resume! So I wish this one luck and will definitely be tuning in to see where it goes. BTW, I loved Kelly Clarkson's bitchy side in this episode. LOL! I hope they have other known celebrities making cameos in future episodes! It could keep the story lines fresh from week to week, kind of like what they're doing on Web Therapy. (OMG, I just compared a network show to a well-written cable series! Well, maybe it does have a pretty damn good chance!) I gave this pilot a rating of 8/10 stars.