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Time for a third-episode verdict on Fox’s The Good Guys, in which Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford play a pair of ill-matched cops in dead-end jobs, who somehow always manage to end up doing something ‘explosive’.
Not much’s changed since the first two episodes except that the third episode has aired and it was quite dull. While the first two episodes were lifted by the presence of a charismatic and fun guest character, the third episode relied on the two central characters for humour. And there ain’t much in them, beyond the obvious – Bradley Whitford is old, inappropriate, ignores the rules and can’t deal with computers; Colin Hanks is uptight and pining after his ex-girlfriend. Not much to work with, is there?
While there’s a certain fun to be had in seeing how the generic property crime of the week (this week, vending machine vandalism) escalates into machine-gun fights, car crashes, etc, the Hanks/ex- relationship does have an appeal, and the time-jumping narrative device is clever, there’s not enough to be found in the other aspects of the show to sustain interest.
So despite the talent of Bradley Whitford and his fabulous moustache, I’m quitting after three episodes. If it gets better, let me know.
Carusometer rating: 4
Rob’s prediction: Won’t make it to a second season, might even be cancelled sooner
In the US: Thursdays, 8.30/7.30c, NBC
If you were a historical character, who would you be? Rasputin? Gandhi? Beethoven?
If NBC were a historical character, it would be Robert the Bruce, because no matter what happens, it will just try, try, try again.
Friends has gone. Friends is dead. NBC misses it terribly. It tried to do Friends again with Coupling and failed horribly. Now, it’s giving it yet another go with 100 Questions, in which five friends all try to help each other through life’s uncertainties and love – and we get to see them as the main character, Englishwoman Charlotte Payne, goes to a dating agency and answers 100 questions about herself.
But the signs haven’t been promising. The show was retitled 100 Questions from the slightly quirkier 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne. After the pilot, two of the friends were recast (one of them now being played by Smith Cho, who is being given a retry after appearing on another NBC re-try, Knight Rider). The whole thing was reshot. The episode count was dropped from 13 episodes to six and the show was moved to a Summer slot. The star of the show has moved back to England and got married. And if you were expecting NBC to actually tell you the show was on, well, oops – what a mistake to make. I didn’t notice until last Thursday, just before the third episode.
Despite these signs, it’s not half bad. And that half is Sophie Winkleman – Big Suze from Channel 4’s Peep Show. Here, have a shiny NBC trailer that features the original cast: you’ll still get the drift, even if it’s actually not as good as the updated version.
Doctor Who
Film
British TV
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Doctor Who
Film
British TV
US TV
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