Pilot Watch 2013 – CBS

We’ve done the FOX pilots, but now, Megan, Kyle, and I are back to talk about the CBS pilots for the 2013 season. We have each rated them as Watch, Maybe, or Skip, so check out what we have to say.
 

Hostages (Premieres 9/23)

Jenny: Love Dylan McDermott a lot, but this one’s a skip for me. Too dark, too much drama. I don’t watch straight-up dramas. I get enough of that away from the TV. I think for fans of this genre, they’ll love it, but it isn’t for me. – Skip

Megan: This show is a must see for me, which is a problem for my poor, overworked DVR. There’s something about an intelligent drama that just makes my life a better place to be, and this show is exactly that. I’m also very happy that it’s a 12-episode season, because it makes the writers work that much harder to deliver a stellar season. – Watch

Kyle: I really enjoyed this pilot—Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott are great. The pilot sets up a really interesting premise—it’s a suspenseful ride with some unexpected twists. In the first hour, they give each of the characters his or her own secrets, while also establishing a much larger conspiracy arc. I’m really interested to see where the series goes. – Watch
 
Jump with us to see more of what we thought about the CBS fall pilots.
 

Mom (Premieres 9/23)

Jenny: Funnier than I thought it was going to be, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to enjoy the totally downer story lines week in and week out. I didn’t mind the jokes about drugs, etc, but the sad/hard life of the main character may turn me off. – Maybe

Megan: Again, it’s a comedy that I found much funnier when I watched the full pilot, but I’m not in love yet. I want to love it, because I really enjoy Anna Farris and Allison Janney but I just can’t. The writers are going to have to really clean up the flow of the show in order for me to really adore it. That said, the “licking the cocaine crumbs from a shag carpet” comment was still as funny in the full pilot as it was in the clip. Perhaps that’s why I like Two Broke Girls too, because of the offside humor. – Watch

Kyle: I really like this cast, especially Anna Faris—who’s playing the same type of quirky, dim-witted character I always enjoy her playing in the movies. However, I’m not a fan of all of the drug/sex humor and really dislike Allison Janney’s character. I’m not sure why CBS seems to be picking up more and more of these lowbrow comedies every year. I’ll give it a few episodes due to the cast, but I really hope it can clean up its act a bit. – Maybe
 

The Crazy Ones (Premieres 9/26)

Jenny: I really wanted to like this one. I mean, it’s Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. But his character seemed like he was…well, crazy. And not in a sweet way, but kind of an irritating way. On a good note, I really loved the side characters: James Wolk & Hamish Linklater, as well as Amanda Setton. They were my favorite parts of the show. Not whiny, not over-the-top and crazy. I dunno. I want to give it a chance, so we’ll see. – Maybe

Megan: I love this show. First of all, it has Sarah Michelle Gellar. I adore her! Next, it has Robin Williams, who is ridiculously funny. Put them together with a guest star like Kelly Clarkson in the pilot, and you have me hooked. Aside from the astoundingly good casting, I am impressed with the slight dramatic edge they have added to the comedy. It reminds me of a Drop Dead Diva vibe—comedy with some real life tossed in. Overall, you will be very sorry if you miss out on this show. – Watch

Kyle: Easily my favorite of the new CBS comedies—and finally a CBS comedy without a laugh track! The pilot had a theatrical feel to it and was a great blend of comedy and drama. It’s Robin Williams doing his usual Robin Williams stuff, so if you’re not a fan of his, then you most likely won’t enjoy this show. The rest of the cast—Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Wolk, and Hamish Linklater are also great. My only concern is that in the pilot, they have Kelly Clarkson as a guest star, and I wonder how well the show will work without pulling in other celebs—unless that is what they plan to do each week. – Watch
 

The Millers (Premieres 9/26)

Jenny: This made me laugh a lot. Unlike Kyle, I didn’t mind the fart jokes, etc. Maybe it’s because Megan & I have kids—sons specifically. So we’ve dealt with that type of thing A LOT. haha I LOVE the cast and can’t wait to see more. – Watch

Megan: Yes, there is a lot of crude humor, and I admit, I don’t care. It was hilarious. I love Will Arnett, and I freaking adore Margo Martindale as the mom. This is a hit, in my opinion, and it will probably be one of my favorites to watch with my fiance. There’s something super amusing about parents moving in with their adult children—it’s bound to end up with so many interesting situations that I can’t wait to see. – Watch

Kyle: This is another case of a fun premise, great cast, but too much toilet humor. I really enjoy Will Arnett, but his luck on comedies hasn’t been all that great lately. Margo Martindale is also great in her dramatic roles, but in this pilot, she is given a bunch of fart and masturbation jokes and gets to act drunk. According to the TCA coverage I read, it sounds like after the first episode, that is the end of the fart jokes for a while, so I’m hoping that means the show is headed in a better direction. There was some funny stuff in the pilot, but I wish they could go in a less crude direction. – Maybe
 

We Are Men (Premieres 9/30)

Jenny: I love the actors. I even like the characters. Some of the jokes were funny. But I think it has a long way to go before it sticks around. – Maybe

Megan: I’m really not sure what I think about this comedy at all. It had a few laughable moments, but overall, it was too contrived. The idea of four men learning to live and cope after breakups is a subject that could be hilarious, but I feel like the writers fell a little short on the joke level. The plot is a little slow, but perhaps after a couple of episodes, it won’t seem as bad. For now, I’m thinking I might watch one or two more, but if it doesn’t get better, I’ll be deleting it off my DVR. – Maybe

Kyle: This feels like a dated, unfunny comedy about a bunch of guy living in an apartment complex for divorced men. While I like the cast, the same can’t be said about their characters—most of these guys are unlikable players who I don’t care about at all. While this premise might work as a movie, where these guys would eventually redeem themselves and find love, that doesn’t seem to be the end goal here. I have no interest in following these guys’ nightly pickups or seeing Jerry O’Connell always in a skeevy Speedo. – Skip