Cool News
Hercules Goes On To Find Promise In NBC’s Latest
Matthew Perry Sitcom, GO ON!!
A new sitcom that reteams Matthew Perry with NBC and “Friends” writer Scott Silveri (“Joey,” “Perfect Couples”), “Go On” launches with an odd premise.
Perry plays a sports-talk radio personality whose wife dies. His employer (John Cho, who plays both Harold and Sulu in the movies) forces him to go to grief counseling, which he is loath to do.
Are employers really forcing their employees to attend grief counseling to keep their jobs these days?
No matter. I find Matthew Perry and “Friends” funny. Guiding comedy out of grief therapy makes for a tough path, but the “Go On” pilot has its moments – and is certainly much stronger than its promos suggest.
The “Go On” series will eventually nest in NBC’s most coveted timeslot (on Tuesdays right after reality smash “The Voice”) but feels like it would fit effortlessly (and garner much lower ratings) between “Community” and “The Office” on Thursdays.
The leader of the grief group is played by gorgeous “Playboy Club”/”SVU” vet Laura Benanti, whose character reminded me a little of both Annie and Britta from “Community.”
In tonight’s pilot there’s a solid joke referencing Megan Fox; it made me laugh aloud.
“Go On’s” wacky tacked-on conclusion, designed to prevent the pilot from ending on a serious note, was perhaps funnier on paper than on screen. I say watch the pilot anyway.
... a moderately entertaining ensemble comedy built around a star, something that works well on a schedule that also features the likes of "Parks and Recreation" and "Community." With "Go On," the network doesn't resist its generally laudable comedy legacy and doubles down on the part of its DNA that has won it critical praise and cult audiences but iffy (if not career-ending) ratings. …
... The best thing about "Go On" is, not surprisingly, Perry, who, like Sheen over at "Anger Management," knows what he does best on TV. If Chandler Bing had lost Monica, he would be Ryan King, instantly light and dark, funny and sad, a comedic version of a thousand Broken Men who have followed the gimpy footsteps and acidic mutterings of Hugh Laurie's"House." …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... "Go On" deserves to keep going. The characters on "Go On" are engaging and varied. … the show also has heart and in the right dosage to temper Perry's arch one-liners. …
... you could (and will) do a whole lot worse with this fall’s crop. … Perry and his supporting cast appear to be having great fun, which is often the hardest thing to convey in a pilot episode. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... a pretty strong pilot episode …
... isn’t really a cynical comedy or an easy slam on the usefulness of group healing. It’s better than that. …
... tonight, at least, the show is so dour, the humor gets lost. … weekly grief is a tricky subject for a sitcom, particularly when the comedy turns squishy, as it does tonight. And those problems are magnified when the grief turns nasty, as it also does tonight. We want to like Perry. We're primed to like Perry. Go On just has to make that a little easier to do.
... relies heavily on Perry's inherent appeal and droll delivery. His ease with a line has always made him the most natural sitcom stalwart among the "Friends" alumni, inasmuch as he can give even so-so writing (the pilot's courtesy of another graduate from the show, Scott Silveri) a breezy spin. …
... the pilot is largely appealing until the final minutes, which are as broad as the 405. … It’s not Parks and Recreation, but then again neither was Parks and Recreation for a long time. …
11 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.
Readers Talkback
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Back before podcasts I remember listening to the Don and Mike show to pass the time at work, I remember when that guys wife died it was some pretty heavy stuff, especially since the wife was an occasional presence on the show, between carrying the show forward and addressing the tragedy on the show, it was hard not to get drawn in, really felt for and admired the guy and the whole crew there (think I may have teared up myself on a few occasions). Neither here nor there, this premise just reminded me of that event.
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Cho played teddy in kitchen confidential, and KC was funny, ( if you managed to get ahold of the season discs) might check it out.
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...Community isn't on NBC Thursdays anymore, you should know this! bass ackwards - I grew up on Don and Mike (from WAVA to WJFK) and yeah, now that I read the full premise (from the commercials, I thought he was in anger therapy, which would make more sense, but I guess that's the wheelhouse of Charlie Sheen for the next fifteen minutes), it does remind me of that. I wonder how they'll balance the comedy with the drama, because it's kind of a heavy subject for the premise to be tied to.
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It is officially view-worthy! At least in my domicile...
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And it was HILARIOUS every time they made fun of him for having a dead wife. It can be done.
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Aug. 8, 2012, 9:26 a.m. CST
Laura Benanti was married to the lead singer of the Spin Doctors
by Toe Jam
That's a deal-breaker. She is rather good-looking, though. I will give this one a try. Seems like it could be watchable.
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Granted, it's not a reality, talent or game show but Jesus. This site used to be about cool shit.
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Aug. 8, 2012, 11:02 a.m. CST
I've always liked Perry. He's a true comedic talent and a good dramatic actor. For proof of the latter, watch The Ron Clark Story.
by The Krypton Kid
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Will it be as good as 1000 cats or the good Gelmania episodes? Probably not.
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Aug. 8, 2012, 1:42 p.m. CST
The guy can actually act, so why does he keep doing these crappy and depressingly 'safe' network sitcoms?
by Stegman84
I mean when Matt LeBlanc is on a better show than you are, it is seriously time to re-assess just what the fuck you are doing...
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Aug. 8, 2012, 3:42 p.m. CST
Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water. The other third is covered by Matthew Perry's forehead.
by Garbageman33
Or, should I say fivehead.
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Aug. 8, 2012, 3:58 p.m. CST
In a just world, Perry should have a prolific career like what Jim Carrey had at his peak.
by Sean
In a just world Jim Carrey would STILL be at him peak. The show premise doesn't grab me but Perry is ultimately the undeniable leader of the pack in talent from Friends and kept me watching till the end even past the jumping of the shark. The comment about Le Blanc being on a better show than him was spot on. A welcome surprise.
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Aug. 8, 2012, 6:22 p.m. CST
Is he playing himself in this? Actors who can only play themselves don't deserve work... That's not acting. That's just talking.
by happybunni
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Since when does Chandler sound, act and look like Wynn Duffy?
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If you can't come close to those shows, you shouldn't even try to make a comedy out of Psychology.............I'm talkin' to you two Mr. Perry and Mr. Sheen!!
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totally agree. I love when tobias goes, i know your the big marriage expert here, oh wait, i forgot, your wifes dead! also friends is awful. even the dumbasses i know who watch big bang theory know friends is horrible
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Aug. 8, 2012, 10:46 p.m. CST
happybunni - please don't talk about something you don't know about
by WWBD
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Not funny at all. In fact, quite boring.
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This is obviously Community with a more likeable lead and 100% less Harmon-crazy, which could work for it or against it. Jury's still out. Wish Cho was in it more. However, the revelation that Bernanti might be Little Miss Can't Be Wrong is a mind-blower for sure.
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Aug. 9, 2012, 2:40 p.m. CST
That is SO not the opposite of showing my my clothes!
by Nasty In The Pasty
Maybe if I weren't going COMMANDO...
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