Indebted - General Discussion

[Bort]

New comedy on NBC, premiering Thursday, February 6, 2020. Starring Adam Pally, Fran Drescher and Steven Weber.

Quote

Young parents Dave and Rebecca are ready to reclaim their lives after years of diapers and sleepless nights. However, things take an unexpected turn when Dave's parents show up unannounced and broke, leaving Dave with no choice but to open the door to the two people who gave him everything. But these boomerang parents aren't great with boundaries, and the question of who's parenting whom quickly becomes blurred.

 

[MarquisDeCarabas]

I realise it doesn’t actually work this way, but this? Is replacing The Good Place. Where’s the earth destroyer thingy?

[Harvey]

It was so adorable when Fran called Dave her #1.

Rebecca talking about setting a bad example for girls and then chugging the vine right after was great juxtaposition.

The parents financial irresponsibility was a good running gag through the episode.

[iMonrey]

I really want to get behind this show because it's created by Dan Levy, and I'd love to see Fran Drescher succeed in another sitcom. Also like Adam Pally, in the right vehicle (loved Happy Endings but hated him on The Mindy Project). 

So far, though, this show seems pretty paint-by-numbers. The NBC lineup gets notoriously low numbers as it is even with quality shows like Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place. I don't know how a run-of-the-mill family sitcom will fare when higher-brow shows don't get the eyeballs they deserve.

[Bort]

8 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'd love to see Fran Drescher succeed in another sitcom.

And Steven Weber. He was so funny on Wings. 
 

I did like the running joke of people picking stuff out of their garbage and bringing it back in. 

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, kariyaki said:

And Steven Weber. He was so funny on Wings. 
 

I did like the running joke of people picking stuff out of their garbage and bringing it back in. 

So funny on Wings, and so not funny here.  This was bad, just really, really bad.  I wanted to like it, but no.

[AuntiePam]

I can't deal with live-audience sitcoms, so I'm out too.  When actors are waiting for laughs, it ruins the jokes. 

Also, I've never gotten used to Fran Drescher's nasal voice.  I was hoping she'd tone it down.  And the wife here seems to be riffing on Penny from BBT. 

That's weird -- I didn't mind the live audience on BBT.  Maybe the jokes were better, or the characters were more interesting.

[Harvey]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

So funny on Wings, and so not funny here.  This was bad, just really, really bad.  I wanted to like it, but no.

Pilot episodes are rarely one of the stronger episodes of a series. Maybe check back in a month when they get into their groove.

[Bort]

Yeah, this was fine for me. I’ll stick it out for now. 

[Whimsy]

42 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Yeah, this was fine for me. I’ll stick it out for now. 

 

1 hour ago, Harvey said:

Pilot episodes are rarely one of the stronger episodes of a series. Maybe check back in a month when they get into their groove.

Agreed with both of these sentiments.  It's not great but ok.  I'm hoping they gel and get a rhythm because there's some good actors on this that we know can be funny. 

[Kip Hackman]

I love Adam Pally,  but I couldn't make it through this. 

[Bort]

55 minutes ago, Whimsy said:

Agreed with both of these sentiments.  It's not great but ok.  I'm hoping they gel and get a rhythm because there's some good actors on this that we know can be funny. 

I think this is my exact reason for being optimistic about it. The four main actors have very strong comedy pedigree, they can be funny. I've seen it. They just needs the writing to support them and we'll have an amusing little show here.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

This was bad, just really, really bad.  I wanted to like it, but no.

That was my reaction too, but I‘ve been really cranky lately, and I remember how that show The Neighbors (2012-14) had a terribly unfunny pilot and then was terrific after that, so I’ll watch it again. And I loved The Nanny. But maybe it was really all about the clothes. 

[Pj3422]

14 hours ago, kariyaki said:

I think this is my exact reason for being optimistic about it. The four main actors have very strong comedy pedigree, they can be funny. I've seen it. They just needs the writing to support them and we'll have an amusing little show here.

THIS. A thousand times this. The show has terrific actors, but the writing hasn’t reached their level. I’ll check back in a couple weeks and hope they’ve worked out the kinks.

[msrachelj]

Is this by Dan Levy of Shitt's Creek?! I hope not because this is no where near the brilliance. This sucked! I'll give it another show or two but my goodness, it was BAD>>>>>>

[Harvey]

1 minute ago, msrachelj said:

Is this by Dan Levy of Shitt's Creek?! I hope not because this is no where near the brilliance. This sucked! I'll give it another show or two but my goodness, it was BAD>>>>>>

It is not him, but a stand-up comedian Dan Levy who was a writer on the tv show "The Goldbergs".

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, Harvey said:

It is not him, but a stand-up comedian Dan Levy who was a writer on the tv show "The Goldbergs".

I actually thought that was an Adam Goldberg joke until I looked him (them) up. 

[msrachelj]

1 hour ago, Harvey said:

It is not him, but a stand-up comedian Dan Levy who was a writer on the tv show "The Goldbergs".

That makes sense!

[seacliffsal]

3 hours ago, Harvey said:

It is not him, but a stand-up comedian Dan Levy who was a writer on the tv show "The Goldbergs".

Thank you so much for posting this.  I was really sad thinking that the brilliant Daniel Levy created and wrote this.  Whew!

However, I do like most of the actors so will give it a few more episodes before determining whether or not I'll continue with this show.

[memememe76]

I like the actors so I will keep at it but the pilot was really bad. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

It is not him, but a stand-up comedian Dan Levy who was a writer on the tv show "The Goldbergs".

Oh. I thought it was the other one. 

Now I have lowered expectations.

[jmonique]

Who makes Adam Pally the straight man in a show?

[iMonrey]

Well I gave it a shot but this show just isn't very funny. Adam Pally is being wasted here and Fran Drescher is just doing her same old schtick from The Nanny. Everyone else is boring. The only time I laughed is during the dream sequence when the kid yelled after them "Dav." And didn't they have two kids in the pilot? I can't remember.

[seacliffsal]

I thought this was a bit better.  And yes, I also remember the mention of two children in the pilot.

Not sure how long I will stay with this.  I am here because of my very fond memories of The Nanny and Wings...

[Harvey]

I really liked that father - daughter storyline in this episode, and how after a while Joanna expected her dad to tag along with her on her dates. It was nice how he comforted her, the whole thing was very sweet. Dating really is hard and it can take a toll on you when you have one bad date afterr the other.

[shapeshifter]

I LOL’d at the father’s line about how he should be qualified to give his adult daughter relationship advice because he’s been sexually active for 40 years. 
 

3 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I thought this was a bit better.  And yes, I also remember the mention of two children in the pilot.

Not sure how long I will stay with this.  I am here because of my very fond memories of The Nanny and Wings...

Did you notice in the opening scene closeup on Fran Drescher she looked the same age as in The Nanny? 
Even though I can barely afford an occasional haircut, being Fran’s age myself and having seen a lot of horrible plastic surgery on celebrities in the past, I do appreciate how some of today’s plastic surgeons have elevated their work to a fine art. 

[Phishbulb]

On 2/7/2020 at 4:56 PM, AuntiePam said:

I can't deal with live-audience sitcoms, so I'm out too.  When actors are waiting for laughs, it ruins the jokes. 

Also, I've never gotten used to Fran Drescher's nasal voice.  I was hoping she'd tone it down.  And the wife here seems to be riffing on Penny from BBT. 

That's weird -- I didn't mind the live audience on BBT.  Maybe the jokes were better, or the characters were more interesting.

These kind of shows never seem to work now unless they're on CBS. Which is weird, because in the '80s and '90s NBC was king of the multi-cam sitcoms with Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, etc.

[TOWTooMuchTV]

Random thoughts...echoing what most here have said, I came for the cast but the writing was....not good. On the other hand, I remember the same thing happening with Mom and really not liking the first few episodes, and now it's one of my absolute favorites. I'll be optimistic and give it a few more episodes. I just hope they can tone down Fran Drescher's character and find a way to make her crazy but likable as we've seen before. So far she's just....crazy. And overbearing. And annoying. I liked Rebecca in the first episode but not the second, so we shall see. I like the sister and mostly Steven Weber's character. Also wondering where the little girl went and if she only existed in the pilot or we will see her again. 

[Bort]

39 minutes ago, TOWTooMuchTV said:

I came for the cast but the writing was....not good. On the other hand, I remember the same thing happening with Mom and really not liking the first few episodes, and now it's one of my absolute favorites.

I didn't like the first two seasons of Mom. It took quite awhile for that show to really find its groove. I hope this show doesn't take that long, I don't know if NBC has the patience to wait for a show to find its legs. 

[JeezumCrow]

I just couldn’t suspend disbelief about the birthdate/name thing. He never had to show his birth certificate to get his driver’s license? Or a job? Or anything??? I’m usually willing to give a lot of leeway for a good laugh, but this show didn’t even live up to the laugh. 

[Harvey]

They took the "coolcoolcoolcool" from Brooklyn 99 😮

The mental load plotline was extremely stupid. We all know the wife wasn't going to organize and clean that mess of a garage and do all the other things on the list in a day. It's just a lame plotline to make with an obvious message that has been repeated hundreds of times before.

I really want to like this show but this episode made it so hard. Please be better.

[iMonrey]

Quote

The mental load plotline was extremely stupid.

It's just a variant on the standard "husband and wife trade jobs for the day." As in, sitcoms have been doing this going all the way back to I Love Lucy.

Geez, show. Try harder. 

[msrachelj]

I'm out. This show is BAD. It insults my intelligence. The sons parents are portrayed as morons, the sister is unlikeable, the writing sucks, the acting sucks. JUST AWFUL......Please cancel it NBC.

[iMonrey]

I just remembered what really bothered me about this episode. The sister character, the one who grooms dogs for a living, had a small dog up on the grooming table and it wasn't tethered to anything. She even walked away from it at one point leaving the very real possibility the dog could jump off the table and hurt itself. Very irresponsible. 

[Whimsy]

I'm still confused about how many children they have.  I thought maybe just the son, but then the guy (I have no idea what anyone's name is- Adam Pally) said something like "that's where my children live".  Children.  Plural.  So weird. 

Also hated the mental load plotline.  At first I liked it because, as a mom, I am always the person who has to take care of the menial tasks but then it just went downhill from there. 

[mamadrama]

I think this show (or one like it) had the potential to be good, but so far it's missing out on all that potential. The whole "sit down, Boomer" stuff got real old real fast. We get it-the parents are out of touch with technology. Harping on that stereotype isn't enough to make it funny, though. There still needs to be some actual wit. 

It's too bad because I like Fran. Even with "The Nanny", though, it took a while for her to tone it down. I think she needs the right actors around her to bounce off of, or else she completely takes over and it's...not good. 

[shapeshifter]

The actors are fine. The “mind load” concept could have been good, but the script was terrible. Wikipedia gives writing credit for this turd to Rachel Specter (Dan Levy’s wife) and Audrey Wauchope (Dan Levy’s wife’s friend). 
This is an example of why nepotism has such a bad reputation. 
Dear Dan, If you absolutely must have your wife and her friend write scripts for your show, at the very least hire a couple of regular posters from Primetimer and other social media platforms to anonymously edit the scripts and punch them up. 

Edited February 22, 2020 by shapeshifter

[mamadrama]

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

The actors are fine. The “mind load” concept could have been good, but the script was terrible. Wikipedia gives writing credit for this turd to Rachel Specter (Dan Levy’s wife) and Audrey Wauchope (Dan Levy’s wife’s friend). 
This is an example of why nepotism has such a bad reputation. 
Dear Dan, If you absolutely must have your wife and her friend write scripts for your show, at the very least hire a couple of regular posters from Primetimer and other social media platforms to anonymously edit the scripts and punch them up. 

They've basically tried to write an entire comedic script and storyline around a line and idea that's only mildly funny when used in moderation on social media. 

[Bort]

On 2/21/2020 at 7:12 PM, mamadrama said:

It's too bad because I like Fran. Even with "The Nanny", though, it took a while for her to tone it down. I think she needs the right actors around her to bounce off of, or else she completely takes over and it's...not good. 

As much of a comic pedigree all the main actors have, it’s occurring to me that the show is too full of actors who played over the top characters in their past successful shows. This show has no straight man.

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, kariyaki said:

As much of a comic pedigree all the main actors have, it’s occurring to me that the show is too full of actors who played over the top characters in their past successful shows. This show has no straight man.

That is why the kid needs to step up his game before this ship sinks.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

That is why the kid needs to step up his game before this ship sinks.

Heh. 

Examples of terrible, rough-draft writing that was allowed to air:

Fran says crunchies and avocado sauce for chips and guacamole. 
Nobody says that, unless maybe an inventive 3-year-old. Hmmm, maybe Dan Levy’s wife’s friend who thinks she can write without editing has a 3-year-old, and maybe they were high and thought it was too genius to not put in the script. 

In the same bit, they go to get the 60-ish guy’s wallet out of the garbage at the fast food place.
If the writers had ever eaten at such a place (never mind worked at), they would know those garbage bins fill up and get emptied pretty quickly and would have at least had a line explaining why this one was not emptied since he was last there. 
Also, if he’s got short-term memory loss in his 60s, they should be considering early-onset Alzheimer’s, and this is going to be a darker comedy. 

I’m surprised the name actors are willing to do this dreck. 

</end_rant>

Edited February 23, 2020 by shapeshifter
Changed garbage cans to garbage bins because yes, I am in my 60s, but yes, I know I need to edit my writing.

[msrachelj]

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

That is why the kid needs to step up his game before this ship sinks.

I think it sunk.

[Harvey]

I liked this episode. It was nice when Dave talked about getting a rush when he gossips and then his son also found it delightful. That bit of sinister family resemblance was so adorable.

The reveal at the end about Joanna's girlfriend was hilarious, and the last scene with taking the brownies as well.

[SoMuchTV]

 Great example of mileage varying. I was just coming here to say, I was giving it a chance, but oh my goodness, that was horrible. Goss goss goss goss goss. Is that a word anyone ever said?  At least I haven’t had to hear it up to now. 
 

Well, at least I won’t have to worry about making time to keep up with this one. 

[seacliffsal]

I felt like the plot points were super obvious. Why is everyone giving us food?  Well, obviously because they think you're poor.  Once the newly introduced girlfriend mentioned she doesn't talk to her family and then others mentioned that the serial adulterer husband was building something next door to the yoga studio-bam!  The girlfriend is part of a cult that the man is creating.  

It also took me a while to figure out what Hot Gos even meant.  The writing is not the best and, like a previous poster mentioned, there's not a "straight person" (in the comedy sense) to stabilize the other characters.  In the Nanny, it was Mr. Sheffield, in Wings it was Tim Daly.  In the pilot it seemed like it was going to be Adam Palley or the actress that plays his wife, but they haven't served as that character since then.

[shapeshifter]

20 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

It also took me a while to figure out what Hot Gos even meant. 

21 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Goss goss goss goss goss. Is that a word anyone ever said?

So it wasn’t just me. And WTH? Gossip saved The Nanny’s daughter from being brainwashed into a sex cult??

Fran et al., this is not worth your time, and, perhaps more importantly, it’s not worth anyone’s time.

 

[TOWTooMuchTV]

Yeahhhh...I have a pretty low bar and will watch most sitcoms, especially if they have cast members I've liked on other shows, but I just can't with this one. Turned it off midway through the third episode, popped over here to see if the next one was maybe any better and got confirmation. Done with this. Too bad because I have fond memories of Wings and The Nanny. Hope the actors can find a better project in the future. 

[AncientNewbie]

I had hoped the "hot goss" episode was going to result in some comeuppance for being terrible people, but no, instead the guest star is the weird one and they just go back to being normal. At least the self-involved people on Seinfeld were funny.  

[shapeshifter]

I just watched the last episode.

For the first time I laughed twice:

Quote

[Young parents] Who carries around hundred dollar bills except a coke head?

[Wife/mother] I have one idea…

[Dad/Adam Pally] The tooth fairy?

**********

[Fran/Spoiling grandma] Sweetie! Don’t throw out your toy! Then you’ll have to use your imagination!

But then the “writers” played out the tooth fairy charade until it all went to hell, at which point they deemed the script complete. 

[JeezumCrow]

On 2/21/2020 at 7:40 PM, Whimsy said:

I'm still confused about how many children they have.  I thought maybe just the son, but then the guy (I have no idea what anyone's name is- Adam Pally) said something like "that's where my children live".  Children.  Plural.  So weird. 

Also hated the mental load plotline.  At first I liked it because, as a mom, I am always the person who has to take care of the menial tasks but then it just went downhill from there. 

In the pilot there were two (a boy and a girl) but in most of the subsequent episodes only the son was mentioned, so I figured the daughter was just the victim of post-pilot changes. But then they referenced multiple children again and I can’t understand why this family has a daughter that they don’t even acknowledge. 
 

My DVR did me a service and skipped the last episode. I can’t bring myself to sit through any more, not even for Steven Weber.