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Hercules Would Veto NBC’s New White House Sitcom 1600 PENN!!
A schticky, mostly unfunny new NBC sitcom scripted by three people with limited comedy-writing experience -- actor Josh Gad (“21,” “Back To You”), director Jason Winer (last year’s Russell Brand “Arthur” remake) and former White House speechwriter Jon Lovett -- “1600 Penn” follows an incumbent U.S. president, his kids and his new trophy wife.
It stars Bill Pullman (who played the president in “Independence Day” as well), Jenna Elfman (“Damages”) as the high-strung first lady, Martha MacIsaac (“Greek”) as the pregnant teen first daughter, and Gad as the underachieving twentysomething first son.
NBC may have greenlit it to series to make “Up All Night,” which resembles “1600” a bit in tone, seem funnier.
NBC’s “The West Wing,” back when it was winning the best drama Emmy four years in a row, was a much, much funnier show about the White House. “Veep” is a lot funnier too.
NBC offers a preview tonight, but it takes over the “Parks and Recreation” slot on Thursdays beginning next month.
... the three episodes I've seen rely a little too much on familiar sitcom tropes while hoping the setting will make them seem fresh. …
... the big idea is to stock the White House with characters familiar from a thousand years of situation comedy. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... may not be as sophisticated as the hysterical HBO series "Veep," but it's still pretty funny when all the cylinders are firing. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... whether you find idiot man-boy humor hilarious or dull will determine your first impression of the show. Personally, I’m not a fan. …
... Skip’s idiocy — he has spent seven years in college — appears to be the show’s big draw, which is more like a big gnaw. …
... practically screams for prime-time impeachment. …
... a sweet, silly comedy that represents NBC's attempt to shift toward sitcoms with broader popular appeal.…
... It would be easy to watch Gad for 30 minutes straight, but it’s a testament to what 1600 Penn could become that the cast rises up to the material that the writers mine for them, much like Modern Family did, as the episodes roll out. …
... doesn't generate nearly enough highlights to merit a filibuster-proof yea vote, much less a ticker-tape parade. …
9:30 p.m. Monday. NBC.
Readers Talkback
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Dec. 17, 2012, 5:42 p.m. CST
Sorry but in what universe would Jenna Elfman qualify as a "trophy wife"?
by TheSeeker7
or, did they change the definition of trophy wife while I was asleep?
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Dec. 17, 2012, 5:47 p.m. CST
NBC 2012: Ordering nothing but sitcom crap, just gave Whitney 3 additional episodes...
by SifoDyasJr
...and leaves its absolute best sitcom and cult fave, Community, sitting the bench until a shortened 13 episode midseason launch. I don't understand you NBC! I don't understand you at all!!!
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ELfman was cute enough in her day but that day was 10 years ago.
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She hasn't had a show that went more than one season since Dharma & Greg.
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Dec. 17, 2012, 6:46 p.m. CST
Have you ever looked at the other Presidential wives??
by Robert Meeker
Compared to them, Jenna Elfman is like Megan Fox.
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Dec. 17, 2012, 6:49 p.m. CST
I'm morbidly curious whether Bill Pullman can headline a show, but that aside...
by Bill C.
I'm kind of expecting this show to fade into Bolivian soon enough, though at least it's not another reality show.
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That sounds really entertaining. Maybe it starts one episode with just one line of dialogue in Bolivian. Slowly, over the course of a whole season, it becomes full on Bolivian. By the final episode everyone speaks Bolivian and they live there and it's a show about...whatever they do in Bolivia. I would watch that season of TV.
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He IS the master of spinning overused sitcom cliche into gold. Also, there is an easy way they can increase the ratings of this show: have Aliens invade the Earth and just play INDEPENDENCE DAY! They can CG the 1600 PENN characters into the movie.
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Dec. 17, 2012, 8:57 p.m. CST
Jenna Elfman was never on my radar until her cleavage appeared in "Can't Hardly Wait."
by tylerzero
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Apparently you all are simply happy to sit idly by while aliens poison our vaccines!
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but since they're paying some dumbshit to fuck up a no-brainer sitcom, they can go to hell.
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Before I fell asleep.
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I don't care if George W. Bush is no longer in the White House, I would much rather see That's My Bush resurrected than watch 1600 Penn.
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To warrant using that instead of Superbad to let people know who MacIsaac is?
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Dec. 18, 2012, 9:19 a.m. CST
A That's My Bush that just took for granted he'd never left the office would be brilliant.
by spacehog
It's just 2012 and GWB is still President, they don't make a thing out of it. I'd watch this every day.
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Dec. 18, 2012, 10:42 a.m. CST
It`s not about comedy, it`s about sale-ability. And bland sells.
by higgledyhiggles
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It is known
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All the episode was missing was a search for Lincoln's gold. Maybe that's episode 2.
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Is the president smart hip pot smoking liberal dad or is he stupid gun loving racist conservative? That's the two versions tv portrays. Luvs me sum Bill Pullman though. Sad that Pullmans character is based off his id4 role. Id have liked a sitcom based off his role in " the serpent and the rainbow" much better
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re: ".. It would be easy to watch Gad for 30 minutes straight, but it’s a testament to what 1600 Penn could become that the cast rises up to the material that the writers mine for them, much like Modern Family did, as the episodes roll out.
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Or not. Networks are not afraid to pull bad shows and stick another reality crapfest in their place.
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but I don't believe for one second that the son is a real person. If the show were exactly the same, but the son was played by a cartoon gorilla, it wouldn't make it any less realistic. Granted, his character is a sitcom staple, but as the "whacky neighbour", not the main character.
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Dec. 18, 2012, 12:32 p.m. CST
That Josh Gad guy has a very punchable face. I mean, just look at it. Makes you want to grab something heavy and just go to town, doesn't it?
by kidicarus
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If this is not worked in somehow, you may as well cancel the show before it was scheduled to be cancelled anyway.
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It looks like the son is based off Chris Farley's character from Tommy Boy? I kept expecting to hear HOLY SHNEIKE! as the flaming chair flew through the window. Awful.
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Dec. 18, 2012, 7:03 p.m. CST
horaceskinner, we 'racists' just raised you one black senator...
by Immortal_Fish
...and he's from the south. Where are your black senators? Oh, and he was appointed by one of our two governors that are of of Indian descent. Do you have any of those? No? We have a black supreme court justice. Where's yours? You gave us the first half-black president. We wanted one too in the form of Herman Cain. He even had what your side calls 'slave blood'!
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I think his point was that the 'R's are always portrayed in that way, not that he thinks they are that way. But to continue your point, your side also gave us the first AND second black Secretaries of State.
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