Sullivan & Son

I've read a lot of reviews online that don't particularly like the show. It's been labeled as a generic, recycled version of "Cheers." I say...so what? Cheers was a good show. There's so much crap on TV these days, so it's nice to have a show that hearkens back to the old days. You might not fall out of your seat laughing at the jokes on this show, but they'll give you a good chuckle. The plot may be somewhat predictable, but it's still pretty entertaining.

It's like my mom said a few weeks ago...you don't watch Dumb and Dumber to be intellectually stimulated, you don't go see Magic Mike for some life-changing revelation, and you don't watch Sullivan & Son and expect to be amazed. You watch all those to be entertained. And they are entertaining.

At any rate, this show is a CRAP TON better than "Men at Work," TBS's other original sitcom.

I grew up on Cheers and Sullivan and Son seems like a failed attempt at that. The only focal point is centered on what's going on in the bar, the character that's always there until closing, the dim-witted character, the guy that knows everything, etc). It has all the makings of Cheers without any of the pizazz and well-thought out characterization.This show would be fine if it was a carbon-copy because Cheers is an iconic show and having a modern version would be great, but there's something severely lacking in this rendition. It's either the fact that we have to be reminded of Steve Byrne's biracial identity (literally each episode, the mother or father will say, "oh but you're half"), the flat punchline, the obnoxious laugh track, or the bad line delivery/bad timing that make this show mediocre at best. Bad timing especially is the show's weakest link.

With other shows you get to know the characters and so when they're suddenly forced into a new situation, it's hilarious because it's so alien. In this show however, they skim the surface of every character and then force them into a situation as if we've known them for years (for example, Owen, the not-so bright character does these amazing things when the bar closes down, but it happens all in one episode. It'd be more witty and satisfying for the audience to see him in each episode come in in different attire. Like, one day he's dressed in a suit and says, "I work for the bank now." or another day he's a post-man, another he's working at the homeless shelter, etc. While I appreciate a show that has an interracial setting (the first of its kind, I think), the script seems rehashed and flat.

This is an alright enough series. This series could have been a lot better and stronger if the crew had added some extra effort and strength. The storyline of this series may have been simple and straightforward but it was fine enough and still watchable. The cast selection could have been a lot better and stronger. They did not exactly fully commit nor connect to the storyline nor to their respective characters. The chemistry that was displayed between the cast members was weak which did not work for this series. There were some parts throughout this series that did not make sense. This is an alright series that could have been better.

I was in Austin and saw an advance screening of the pilot. And it's hysterically funny, and it's nice, it's a family run bar, so it has real emotions and laughs. Found myself rooting for all the characters, laughing, and even teared up a little in the end. Great show.

Steve Byrne as the lead, is charming, and one of the better stand-up actors I have seen, when he says, "I want a good life," you believe him and it's moving, rare for a sitcom these days. It has Dan Lauria, the father from Wonder Years, who is great in this, he's the dad you'd want, if he ran a bar. The mother, Jodi Long, is priceless as the Korean mother. Her and the sister Susan get some of the best laughs.

Valerie Azlynn is so cute, sweet, and tough, nice strong woman combination, and she's hysterical. The jokes are funny, and it's daring comedy with the barfly Christine Ebersole as the former groupie, and Brian Doyle-Murray as the old white racist.

All of the friends and patrons of the bar are great too, can't wait to see more.

Dan Lauria stars in a sitcom about a bar owner, Mr. Sullivan, who sells the bar to his son, Steven Sullivan, who has given up a lucrative law career in New York City. He goes home to Pittsburgh to see his family and realizes what he's missing. The cast is first rate with a stern Korean mother in a scene stealing role. Other characters include regular barflies played by Christine Ebersole (Carol Walsh) and Brian Doyle Murray who always worth watching. The show has some bumps and needs improvement in some areas but they're really worth watching. I love a good sitcom even with it's faults. You'll laugh, be offended, but you'll enjoy it if you give it a chance to succeed.