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« Twenty Good Years
October 11, 2006: Johnny Likes the Ladies
So, I have to admit right off the bat that I'm not sure why I chose to write about Twenty Good Years. I'm really not familiar with Jeffrey Tambor's work and I never really liked John Lithgow. However, Golden Girls was a really funny show. So I like old people in sitcoms. Maybe I'm just hoping for a male version of Bea Arthur. Whatever the reason, I've been looking forward to this premiere for quite a while. Now that it's happened, I will reserve judgment until the second episode.
You have to hope that a show comes out firing right out of the box, which isn't always that easy to do when you need the entire show to set up the premise for the rest of the series. The Class did it well and so did Studio 60 this year — aw heck — I think I've just disproved my own theory. But what I'm trying to say is that this didn't come out guns-a-blazin'. The debut seemed to be almost straight setup with hopes that mayhem will ensue down the road. Either way, the show is about two retirement-age men who decide to live life like they don’t have many more good years left, yet inevitably true emotions get in the way. In the first episode they've established John Mason (Lithgow) as the funny one who's teetering on the brink of madness and causes the hijinks, and Jeffrey Pyne (Tambor) as the serious guy who overthinks everything he does. Going forward it seems as if we'll see various crazy adventures as the two friends explore everything they think they missed in life up to this point. Like I said, I'll reserve judgment on the show until at least another episode but you guys can feel free to influence my call with your comments.
Side note: Isn't it weird how so many new characters have the same name as the actor in real life? These two guys do it, Matthew Perry plays a Matt in Studio 60, Tracy Morgan plays a Tracy in 30 Rock. There are probably many others but since I only watch sports and Cribs, I don't know any more. Another side note; Lithgow's last big sitcom was 3rd Rock and this is airing right after 30 Rock. Neat-o. As you can tell, I'm easily amused.
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Oct 11, 2006 10:02 PM
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I liked this show. I laughed out loud a few times. John in a Speedo - always good for a laugh. Jeffrey's line about the Pirate Ship was funny. I didn't like the laugh track at the beginning when they were playing racquetball. If the laughs aren't from a studio audience - don't bother. Otherwise, I think this can work.
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Oct 12, 2006 6:36 AM
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I liked it more than I thought it would.
I liked the line about we are living on the edge now we are bound to get slapped my women often or something like that.
They did seem to be setting things up, but its a pilot and was expected.
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Oct 12, 2006 8:48 AM
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I really hate to say this, but, David if you really disliked it so much that you can't find one positive word to say about it then I think she should have some one else write the recaps.
I don't expect a writer to like everything in the show, but out of three paragraphs written only three sentences were actually about the show itself and what happened.
Sorry, I am not trying to be harsh.
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Oct 12, 2006 8:52 AM
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heavenlee...where did I say I disliked it?
I said I would reserve judgement until the second episode. I didn't dislike it at all. It didn't have me rolling on the floor but I laughed a few times.
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Oct 12, 2006 9:22 AM
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I admire both actors, and since I was still on the same channel from 30 Rock, thought I would give it a chance.
Within moments, the incredibly loud and annoying laugh track turned me off, and the channel was turned.
I hate laugh tracks in general, but this was ridiculous. I won't be back.
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Oct 12, 2006 10:05 AM
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Its true you never used the word disliked, but you didn't have to for that message to come through.
The first paragraph was about your reservations of the actors and that I understand because Lithgow is so over the top and other guy so subdued.
The second paragraph talks about the show by the middle of it and the third paragraph was a self admitted side note.
So the show itself is basically only given five sentences which differs greatly from every other commentary I've read before so that coupled with the two times that you mentioned that you'd reserve judgement until the next one made me think that you didn't like it very much which is certainly your opinion, but I thought they changed the format of the TV commentary so the TV guide professionals got to write about something they liked.
Wow,that was a run on sentence! Oops.
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Oct 12, 2006 12:25 PM
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Here's a show that truly deserves to die a quick and painless death. The laugh track is obnoxious (sorry, I'm an intelligent human being; I don't need to be told when something is funny); and I truly expected better than crotch-shots from Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow. If I wanted to see that, I'd watch America's Funniest Home Videos. Someone, anyone, please put this piece of dreck out of our misery!
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Oct 12, 2006 12:53 PM
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Hi David! Have ya missed me?
I only planned on watching 30 rock last night and I almost turned this off after that stupid opening. that was not at all funny. But after that, the show got better. And I had no idea that the lady from the miss congeniality movies was in this!
I definitely could have gone without seeing those guys without their clothes. eeeewwww. that was worse than crazy Z, but not as bad as that movie with jack nicholson and diane lane.
I don't know if I'll be watching this and 30 rock over bones though. I love that show too much. But if it makes me laugh before bones comes back, then I might tape it.
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Oct 12, 2006 2:28 PM
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First I watched 30 Rock, so I stayed to watch this and give it a chance because I love Lithgow. I giggled when Jeffrey said, "We both grew up in the same neighborhood - how come you have an English accent?" I wasn't totally annoyed by the show, but i probably won't dvr it when Bones comes back on. 
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Oct 12, 2006 2:51 PM
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My first thought after watching this show was how I was going to express my condolences to whoever had to cover this show in the Watercooler (and no, I don't care WHAT TV Guide wants to call it now. Watercooler forever.) Imagine my dismay when I find out it's the Steed. Bad choice, bro.
I watched the whole thing, but only because I was already taping everything else I wanted to watch between 8 & 9. They lost me at the laugh track. Finally, leah_bh and I actually agree on something. This show is the Zayra of NBC's fall schedule.
Will I watch it again? At least once; miracles can happen and it could actually become funny. Then again, maybe it will just be for the Z-monster factor... so bad, you can't not watch.
(For those of you who are wondering what the heck Leah and I are talking about, David Steed covered "Rockstar: Supernova" over the summer. BTW, that's the new official name of the band as a result of the lawsuit: Rockstar Supernova. Don't know if that was reported here, so there you are.)
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Oct 12, 2006 3:20 PM
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Leah - watcheseverything - welcome. Nice to see familiar faces (names I suppose).
No one assigned this to me. I actually chose it myself and I think it has some promise. It's no Rock Star though!  I want to see what happens when they start doing some crazy things. I think it will get funnier and I actually thought Lithgow was okay. Actually, I expected him and Jeffrey to be so quirky that it would be over the top cheese and I didn't get that at all.
As I was thinking about it more, my fiancee said something last night that may be the one reason I didn't really laugh at this - every single joke was in the promos/commericals for the last two months. There was really nothing that I didn't already know was coming (and I did not get a screener either).
I'm sure I won't see any commericals for it before the show next week so maybe the jokes will hit me differently. But I will say it again...I didn't dislike it. I didn't flip for it either but it was good enough to keep watching for me.
And NO - I don't need any more old men in Speedos.
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Oct 12, 2006 3:34 PM
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I guess it's a good thing I usually am doing something else while I watch tv, (eating, sitting at my computer, reading, all of the above-if I learned anything in college, it's how to effectively multitask) that I never pay much attention to the commercials.\
I'm so glad too, because I have missed all those stupid commercials everyone is complaining about during veronica mars.
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Oct 12, 2006 4:11 PM
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After watching 30 Rock, I caught the first half of this show. Sadly, it didn't interest me enough to see it through. I tuned out around the time Jeffrey Tambor was breaking up with his girlfriend when she thought he was going to propose - way too predictable. Is it awful to hope that this show doesn't make it because Jeffrey Tambor will be needed for the Arrested Development resurrection? Don't answer that.
(BTW - I hear rumors that the RockStar:Supernova tour has cut Magni and the House Band from the tour and that Juke Kartel, Toby Rand's band will now be the opener? Where does that leave Dilana and Storm? - Have you heard this David? I bought my tickets to see Lukas mainly but am still disappointed if this is true)
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Oct 12, 2006 6:23 PM
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