S01.E01: Pilot

[Bort]

Drew, a recently divorced father, discovers he needs a kidney and finds his donor in the last person he ever would’ve imagined.

Airdate: 5 November 2020

[zoey1996]

No  comments yet?  I'll watch a few episodes before passing judgment.  Seems pleasant enough.  Happy to see Sara Rue as the ex.  I liked the medical bus ride scenes. Gina seems to care about her passengers.

[joanne3482]

I'm not a hardcore theater person so I didn't know Annaleigh Ashford is a decent theater performer. Her voice kind of grated on my nerves, but I think I like where she's headed. 

I love Sarah Rue so I was really happy to see her here even though it will likely be just a periodic recurring role. 

Not sure how I feel about the guy. Also, although I've been tested to be a bone marrow donor for my sister, is that how it works? "Start asking people you know if they can donate a body part to you?" I presume some of the folks he talked to were family? I find it hard to believe they'd say no to even being tested. Although with his "Republican kidney" crack, maybe they don't like him because he looks down on them. I don't know about him yet. 

[Pj3422]

Love the casting, and it seems pleasant enough. I’ll stick around for a bit. It was a nice surprise to see Bernie Kopell (The Love Boat, just about every show in the 60s & 70s) as one of the transport passengers. 

[helpmerhonda]

Those opening credits creeped me the eff out.

[Johannah]

2 hours ago, helpmerhonda said:

Those opening credits creeped me the eff out.

Me, too!  I'll be fast forwarding through them in the future.

What are the chances she was a match?  Found that hard to believe, the one person that agreed to test was a match, but it's a sitcom, so, whatever.

I thought the best scenes were in the assisted living bus.  "I like big butts...now the cardiac patients...". She's a wacko, but you can tell she cares for them, and not in a sickly sweet way.  This will make me give the show some more tries.  Actually, I liked the wacko.  Lol.

 

 

[MaryMitch]

I watched this because it was on after another show I watch, and I didn't have high hopes, but it was growing on me. Those old people on the bus were adorable!

I loved the actresses - Annaleigh Ashford (Gina), her friend, and Sara Rue (who looked great!). Drew might grow on me but his personality is overshadowed by Gina.

I, too, am squicked out by the opening credits.

[eel21788]

On 11/6/2020 at 6:13 PM, Johann said:

What are the chances she was a match?  Found that hard to believe, the one person that agreed to test was a match, but it's a sitcom, so, whatever.

1 in 100,000 for a perfect match. However, for kidney transplants compatible blood type is more important than a perfect HLA match. 

[eel21788]

On 11/6/2020 at 6:13 PM, Johann said:

I thought the best scenes were in the assisted living bus. 

When I was working in nursing homes my junior and senior years of high school, I wondered why no one had ever written a sitcom about a nursing home. The patients and staff are usually hilarious just as was depicted on the show. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it took Chuck Lorre to go there.

[MaryMitch]

14 hours ago, eel21788 said:

When I was working in nursing homes my junior and senior years of high school, I wondered why no one had ever written a sitcom about a nursing home. The patients and staff are usually hilarious just as was depicted on the show. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it took Chuck Lorre to go there.

A couple years ago there was one, called "The Cool Kids". It had a great cast - David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Leslie Jordan, and Vicki Lawrence. I thought it was pretty good, but it only lasted a year.

As far as the odds of Gina being a match, I don't know what they are, but I read somewhere that this show is based on a true story.

[brokenwing29]

7 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

A couple years ago there was one, called "The Cool Kids". It had a great cast - David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Leslie Jordan, and Vicki Lawrence. I thought it was pretty good, but it only lasted a year.

As far as the odds of Gina being a match, I don't know what they are, but I read somewhere that this show is based on a true story.

I think it did mention somewhere in the credits that it was based on a true story. I do wonder how closely the show is to the truth. Anyone have info about the real people who inspired this? 

I did semi-enjoy the show, but agree the opening credits were unnecessarily graphic for the tone of the show. I don't see how it can last very long, but Gina's character does leave room for a ton of development.

[Bulldog]

On 11/6/2020 at 4:57 PM, Pj3422 said:

It was a nice surprise to see Bernie Kopell (The Love Boat, just about every show in the 60s & 70s) as one of the transport passengers. 

Wasn't one of them also Jamie Farr, from MASH?

[Pj3422]

12 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Wasn't one of them also Jamie Farr, from MASH?

Wow! I’ll have to take another look. I know he was a semi-regular on “The Cool Kids” last year. 

[Bulldog]

9 minutes ago, Pj3422 said:

Wow! I’ll have to take another look. I know he was a semi-regular on “The Cool Kids” last year. 

I might be mistaken, but I thought the senior featured at the very end was him.  I didn't check the credits.  I read somewhere that Linda Lavin (Alice) was supposed to be one of Gina's passengers and that she was quite the scene stealer (I don't know if the role would be regular or recurring and I presume she'll be in future episodes).  I think it would be kind of cool if they used the bus as a reason to have former sitcom stars from the 70s and 80s do guest roles. 

[Starchild]

Norman Lear should be a passenger!

[zoey1996]

Yes, Linda Lavin was in the second episode!
I have misgivings over how Gina moving in will be handled with his daughter.  Enjoyed meeting the dialysis “gang” though.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I decided to give this show a try because I love so many of the cast members and their former shows. Annaleigh Ashford is so much better than the part she's been given so far. I really hope they give this Broadway girl an excuse to sing on the show. I don't care how weak the premise is - just let her sing! Kether Donahue always cracked me up on You're the Worst. I thought that Thomas Middleditch was typecast as a stammering insecure nerd, but then I remembered when he guest starred on You're the Worst and was a totally cool hipster.

It was fine for a pilot but I'm hoping it gets better because I want this cast to stay employed!

[DanaK]

Bernie Kopell is supposed to be one of the assisted living residents as well but Wikipedia does not list Jamie Farr as being in the cast.

I'm not sure about this one. I'll have to see how the next few episodes go. It seems like a better-than-deserved cast for a possibly so-so show

[SoMuchTV]

On 11/6/2020 at 5:37 PM, helpmerhonda said:

Those opening credits creeped me the eff out.

There should probably be an all-episode thread for this, but so far they’re giving me a kind of Monty Python vibe.