Not exactly a surprise that they think Modern Family is better, but, I found it interesting they beat it up a bit for being comedic comfort food and then ask, "What's wrong with a little comedic comfort food?"
'Hank'Kelsey Grammer occupies center stage in every scene of the "Hank" premiere, which at least tells you the producers (and Grammer is among them) know what their primary asset is. Essentially "Green Acres" updated with a corporate-tycoon-gets-humbling-comeuppance twist that's less timely than it sounds, this multicamera half-hour does little more than provide reasonably pleasant company, while looking and sounding as if it could have been developed when "Cheers" begin its run.
[...]
ABC has unabashedly gone for star power in assembling its new comedy block, and probably felt it had taken its one creative gamble with the far better "Modern Family." After that, what's wrong with a little comedic comfort food?
Translation – First ABC show cancelled this season.
They’re lucky that the Beautiful Life got cancelled this week, otherwise your translation would have been first show cancelled this season – which would have been a disaster for ABC given how strong Grammer vehicles have been until recently.
I’m in no doubt ABC will cull Hank, the only question is how long it takes before it drags down the rest of their comedy block. Although The Middle may waver, Cougar Town and Modern Family are really very good. Guess we’ll see if Hank survives long enough to show the episodes where Carter’s daughter from Eureka debuts (think that’s episode 3 or 4).
Well TV reviews are nothing. TV critics have hated these shows when they premiered:
-The Office
-America’s Got Talent
-Cougar Town
-The Vampire Diaries
-Flash Forward
Yet each of these shows did well in their premiere.
Critics hated Cougar Town and FlashForward? Where? I know a few might have been split on CT (I thought it was hilarious) but I haven’t seen much (or any) hate towards FlashForward. It’s more of a “the next Lost” vibe that everyone talks about. I’d hardly put it anywhere near the reviews for Hank.
Wait, critics hated FlashForward? I thought it got great reviews. And, if I recall correctly, The Office didn’t do all that well when it premiered, but it grew…or did you mean this year’s premiere?
Hank is not going to do good so I am thinking Cancelled and then The Middle I am afarid is not going to do good only cause it has no lead-in which Sucks I want that show to go somewhere!!
The underlying conceit here (by both Variety and folks they write for) is the fallacy that some television shows *aren’t* just for paychecks. C’mon.
And, critics seemed to love Cougar Town, too. RG probably just read one review that was outside the norm.
I think Cougar Town premiere was great,but Modern Family very dissapointing.I hope Hank would be better.I don´t give to much credit to The Middle seems a little stupid.
@Julia, According to Metacritic, Cougar Town was not reviewed well. It got a 49 overall, which put it on par with Accidentally On Purpose and Eastwick, but it did beat Mercy and Beautiful Life… FlashForward got a 73, which wasn’t the top score, but still high.
Ah, okay, Holly. I was just going by the reviews posted here which all seemed to love it. Personally, I agree with the Metacritic score.
Next wednesday i will watch at 8:00 pm Old Christine and than The Middle at 9pm.
My Prediction:
Hank 5M e 1.5 (18-49)
The Middle: 6 e 2.0 (18-49)
Next wednesday i will watch at 8:00 pm Old Christine and than The Middle at 8:30pm.
My Prediction:
Hank 5M e 1.5 (18-49)
The Middle: 6 e 2.0 (18-49)
im glad Melissa Mccarthy dropped out of Hank it is so gonna bomb
Sorry, there was a variety of critical opinions about Cougar Town, ranging from the Post liking it because it is “dirty,” to others not so happy about it. The Washington Post is not the oply newspaper with a ” critic” or two. Fact is, from the few I read, Flashforward had more thumbs up from TV ” critics.” More to the point, my sample of the network press agents and J-school dropouts who make up the bulk of TV critics is (thankfully)limited, and my guess is that, with the possible exception of our hosts and their interns, so is everyone else’s who posts here. Hate the show or love it on your own – don’t appeal to either crtics or ABC flunkeys who claim to speak for ” all the critics.” As for Hank, if its as bad as peiople say, I will just try to remeber Grammer’s work on Cheers and Frasier, when he gave me lots of laughs. ( Also maybe his daughter, now on Greeks, will get better roles and a maintain a decent career once that show gets cancelled.)
I hit a bad key and had to start over; so I missed the Metacritic reference. I’ll have to look that one up. thanks.
R.G. – I thought previews for Cougar Town and Flashforward were pretty good. And usually when reviews for comedies are bad, and the comedy is on ABC, the series doesnt last. And actually The Office was almost cancelled in its first season due to low ratings. Yep Th Office went from NBC’s lowest rated series to one of the only shows holding NBC up. Its funny how things work.
Anyway previews for Hank and The Middle really confirm 1 thing. FOX should have never cancelled Back to You. (This statement ends up being ironic because one of the stars from that series Ty Burrell, is starring in a really good comedy that night Modern Family)
Victor Hugo – I agree with your numbers on average, but the premieres of the two may be higher, because premieres usually are. Anyway it may work out because people who watch Hank at 8 may watch Gary Unmarried at 8:30 and people who like Old Christine may like The Middle. I’ll probably flip back and forth between ABC and CBS between 8-9 or I could just watch the ABC premieres online. My prediction,
Hank will flop at 8, (come in fourth to SYTYCD, Old Christine, and Mercy).
The Middle may do better against Gary Unmarried but viewers will still be low.
Modern Family and Cougar Town should do OK but definitely not as well as last week (The Dancing lead in helped A LOT)
Eastwick will likely drop again.
Hank (6-7 million premiere) (5 million average)
The Middle (7-8 million premiere) (6-7 million average)
Modern Family (7-8 million average)
Cougar Town (7-8 million average)
Eastwick (5-7 million average)
By November its highly likely Hank will be replaced by Holiday specials (The Middle could be replaced too). I expect Eastwcik to run until December, but not to last past then.
I think that the main problem with Hank is that it is the only laugh-track sitcom in its comedy block, and the fact that I don’t think Kelsey Grammer is as popular as he used to be; I really feel like people have grown tired of him.
If someone is looking for comedy on Wednesday night in the 8 o’clock hour, I think they would watch Old Christine at 8:00 and then The Middle at 8:30. Old Christine is a well established and hysterical comedy, where as Hank has been massacred by reviews. Gary Unmarried is pretty bland as well, so I think a lot of the female viewers from Old Christine might flip the channel to the other female driven comedy, The Middle.