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EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS: Better Than NAME IS EARL''

FIRST! and now for something substantial by jgraham	Sep 22nd, 2005 09:14:10 AM
Looks pretty solid. Loved the previews, so I was hoping it'd work out.
I would watch but it's on in a very competitive time by Big Jim	Sep 22nd, 2005 09:16:16 AM
Guess I will have to catch it in reruns.
I also would watch, but... by timhoward11	Sep 22nd, 2005 09:28:08 AM
Alias is on at that time...I guess I can TiVO this show and watch Alias. All the other shows range from mediocre(The OC, Smallville) to god awful(Survivor, Joey). I just finished watching the fifth season of The Sopranos, and what a goddam shame it is that Drea de Matteo's talent is being wasted on a shitty laugh-track sitcom.
I wouldn't say 'better'... by PreciousRoy	Sep 22nd, 2005 09:41:56 AM
Everybody Hates Chris is in a class all by itself. It's not perfect. It has timing problems that any pilot has. But it could go somewhere really good. If it deals honestly with who Chris is and his own shortcomings (and continues to make it funny), I will really enjoy it. Malcolm In The Middle used to do a great job with that. This show is very similar... it could steal the people that abandoned MITM after too much silliness involving Hal.
Perhaps so by Terry_1978	Sep 22nd, 2005 10:22:14 AM
Chicago Sun Times over here gave it a four star rating, and after reading these, it might be the first thing on UPN I own up to watching.
is there a laugh track on this show? by mrgreentheplant	Sep 22nd, 2005 10:47:27 AM
Every non-"according to jim"-esque sitcom needs to trash the laugh track. have some confidence in your jokes, it never feels awkward even if they sometimes fail, (ie arrested development) and it makes the show seem less confined by its conventional 30-min easily-wrapped-up storylines. break some boundaries upn. plus why did they have to put this at such a competitive time? i hate all the shows its up against, but this is the highest-watched timeslot of the week* (*may not be true).
I saw this already. I laughed at a lot because the parents are a by Mr. Profit	Sep 22nd, 2005 11:50:56 AM
Chris is the oldest kid. And the things he has to do at such a young age made me a bit sad for him. Basically because I went through a similar experience growing up. I am the oldest. And the expectations set for the oldest are higher. And this forces you to grow up faster. So when I saw this I thought, man I'm not the only one. It's funny, but just a shame how many kids grow up now. I recommend the show though because it's very well made. And there is no laugh track.
Highest Time Slot Of The Week by Mr. Profit	Sep 22nd, 2005 11:56:10 AM
You may be right with basically all the networks scoring some sort of an audience at 8 on Friday. Survivor is in the 20's, Joey 10, The OC 8 or 9, Smallville 5 or 6. So add that all up. But officially the highest watched is Thursday at 9. CSI pulls in nearly 30 and ER a solid 14 or 15. So that's a lot. But people will be surprised with the honesty of this show. And it's not brash. It's a sitcom that everyone can relate to, and a family can watch together. Also, I loved Chris' comments in an interview where he was asked about Fox not wanting the show because his involvement would be minimal and he said "I dont walk away from projects, my last name isn't Chappelle". This may be the one for UPN. eventhough I already watch UPN for Veronica Mars.
Malcom in the Middle by Bob of the Shire	Sep 22nd, 2005 01:45:35 PM
Didn't exactly go bad, it just, well, didn't go anywhere. The first few seasons are great, but now it's still hitting the same notes and they really aren't funny anymore. It's not a terrible show, but it's lost its kick.
I actually still like Malcolm by Gheorghe Zamfir	Sep 22nd, 2005 02:41:19 PM
Its a bit of a different show than its first few seasons, but there's still a lot to like. And I'm pretty sure there's no show on television that puts as much work into a joke as Malcolm, and I mean work as in labor, lego city, dominoes, Hal's Dance Dance Revolution, gotta appreciate that just for the sheer effort.
UPN should repeat EHC! by K-pobuibo	Sep 22nd, 2005 03:55:05 PM
If they are going to put it at such a bad time, they really really should consider rebroadcasting it on Saturday or Sunday.
No laugh track - but a kicking soundtrack by ian216a	Sep 22nd, 2005 04:37:59 PM
Loved the pilot to this, Chris Rock's narration really made it. Not as abrasive as his stand up, but just as insightful, and luckily as funny. Really digged the soundtrack as well, very nostalgic. Didn't know the dad was an ex-football player. I thought he was excellent, really accurate with the tone of the character. Raises the bar for sportsmen-turned-actors a bit. Shits on Vinnie Jones.
Jumping the Shark by Fernwick_	Sep 22nd, 2005 04:53:15 PM
I dont now about this, when a Movie actor turns to Television doesnt this mean its an automatic jumping of the shark? Any comments? Fernwick www.theidiottestament.com
Hm, now there's 2 UPN shows for me... by brendahamLincoln	Sep 22nd, 2005 05:15:00 PM
And the other is NOT Veronica Mars. Isn't that weird? A young female American that doesn't give 2 shits about Veronica Mars. Wow. I won't say what the other show is, I am totally ashamed of it. It's not Eve, though. I don't watch any of the other Thursday shows, there's hardly any new shows I do watch as most of them infuriate me. Ooh, I really care about pretty rich people with problems. Eat my ass, OC. Hurray for Chris! I hate Chris! Everybody hates Chris!
Next Top Model? by Gheorghe Zamfir	Sep 22nd, 2005 05:47:05 PM
had to take a guess.
Meh, it was ok, it had a few flaws by iamnicksaicnsn	Sep 22nd, 2005 06:47:33 PM
Too many B-plots, which takes away from the A... Some people think that's a good thing, I don't think it allows the jokes to mature.
ew dvd by johnnysunshine	Sep 22nd, 2005 07:38:53 PM
I saw the first episode from the dvd they sent out with entertainment weekly. It's definitely got some funny moments, mostly when the parents are on screen. Still, it owes a huge debt to Malcolm in the Middle, which makes it a lot less fresh than most of the reviews would have you believe.
Best new sitcom since Arrested Development by symphy	Sep 22nd, 2005 09:40:06 PM
Perfect? No, but so what? It's the best thing UPN has ever aired, and yes I'm including the last season of Enterprise and the first of Veronica.
No really funny, just kind of dismal and sad. by I Dunno	Sep 22nd, 2005 10:21:11 PM
They're poor, there are more kids in the family than they should have had, the parents are loud and obnoxious and the kid gets picked on all the time. Great show. I'm going to stick my head in the oven now.
Leave out one word of your description , "I Dunno" and ... by Diskatopia	Sep 22nd, 2005 10:29:39 PM
what you wrote describes "Good Times"... now I wish I hadn't missed EHC tonight. It's kind of funny the antithesis of your description was a show that lasted a loooong time a few years back-- BH90210. Now THAT was a show that should make you want to put your head in an oven (be sure it's gas-- less painful).
Yeah but Good Times was funny. by I Dunno	Sep 22nd, 2005 10:37:18 PM
But to each their own. I hope it does well. I like Chris Rock and any show that helps the Goddamned laugh track go away deserves to stay on.
Overhyped by Gheorghe Zamfir	Sep 22nd, 2005 11:18:49 PM
Or maybe its just cause sitcoms are so dismal this day that people are just depserately satisfied when one comes along that doesn't suck. Anyways, I didn't hate it, its put together well enough, but I wasn't much impressed with it.
you can't just remove the laugh track to make it more 'm by punto	Sep 23rd, 2005 12:18:32 AM
the style of the script has to chenge too.. A good example is that episode of '8 simple rules[...]' when the main actor guy dies, so they have a funeral for the character. You can tell they shot a regular sitcom episode, and then they remove the laugh track, leaving a bunch of awkward pauses. I miss Action.
No more mentioning of "Action"... I may cry... especially if I s by Diskatopia	Sep 23rd, 2005 01:04:01 AM
Fox is like that crazy sexual smart psycho girl you went with in college-- you know, the one who was brilliant and funny and good at the love thang, but damn if every other week she wouldn't do the eff-ed up, most insane GD thing you could imagine, like screw a professor to get even for something "mean" you did to her (ya know, like buying her best friend a beer). All the smart, amazing yet-doomed (by bad programming slots, slot hopping, bad marketing, etc.)shows in the Fox teevee graveyard... they teased us then kicked us in the nuts.... Fox has made some of the greatest pilot pickups in the last 10 or so years-- and then often eff-ed them over in different ways....... Tank godd, de Fox, she still love the Arrested Development (so far)....
anyone else remember watching Sledgehammer by Big Jim	Sep 23rd, 2005 09:05:48 AM
and hating it because of the laugh track? One of the worst creative decisions ever made. It's one thing to use a laugh track for a show taped on a stage in front of an audience, but this was filmed on locations, obviously no audience. It would be like going to the theatre to see a comedy and the film had a laugh track. Crap, shouldn't have said that - some studio exec. might think that's a good idea.
I got to test screen this... by The Pusher	Sep 23rd, 2005 09:12:12 AM
Wasn't that great. Pretty funny, but give me Malcolm in the Middle instead.
Holy Crap: "Everybody Hates Chris" posted a 4.6/7 for UPN (and v by Mr. Profit	Sep 23rd, 2005 04:00:44 PM
Matt Leblanc is officially a has been. And NBC is officially in the ratings toilet.
"Chris" was excellent ! Joey was lame as always by Neo Zeed	Sep 23rd, 2005 06:12:35 PM
Joey's cast and writing suck donkey balls! Word to your mutha.
Or even worse Big Jim by IndyCollector	Sep 23rd, 2005 08:48:09 PM
A laugh track on an animated show, like The Flintstones.

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