Dr. Ken - General Discussion

[formerlyfreedom]

Anticipate here!

[formerlyfreedom]

Discuss Dr. Ken Jeong here!

[Kromm]

This could be truly scary terrible. Or not. But the trailer looks... bad.

http://youtu.be/mTqGbbzxI-I

It's also in a Death slot. The Friday night slot which used to be held by Cristela Alonzo.

[Stella MD]

Every single ad I've seen for this looks terrible. Like, cringeworthy unfunny.

[henripootel]

Hard to tell from the clip but if this is the funniest thing they could cull from the episodes they've already shot ... not hopeful. 

[GreatKazu]

This could be truly scary terrible. Or not. But the trailer looks... bad.

http://youtu.be/mTqGbbzxI-I

It's also in a Death slot. The Friday night slot which used to be held by Cristela Alonzo.

Video is private.

 

Any other trailer previews? 

[Kromm]

They probably yanked it this close to the actual premiere. Or replaced it just because they worked on a new one.

 

Okay, I remember that one being several minutes long, but there are now a series of 15 and 30 second ones instead:

 

https://youtu.be/OSfdmOgl_fo

https://youtu.be/SuTgcTF4MQs

https://youtu.be/S5PJ9vtWLOA

https://youtu.be/acRi0VbnADQ

https://youtu.be/MUlwQinTE8w

https://youtu.be/YmL1EFR3r4g

https://youtu.be/mxIJiG7y01c

https://youtu.be/maM4jLg8MZg

https://youtu.be/gVmjAdYEgqs

 

A few of them are funny, but... the actual show material itself (not in most of these) still seems pretty boilerplate awful.

[arcadia63]

BBBBEEEERRRRRTTTTT !!!

[possibilities]

It was not as bad as I expected it to be? It's kind of bland, and reminds me of every other vanilla family sitcom using a basic throwback format. I think Ken has some physical comedy chops, but he seems to always play characters that are horribly written and incredibly irritating. I hope they add some depth. Otherwise, it's just too much of a formula.

[Former Nun]

I agree, possibilities.    I've been tired of the standard sitcom format for too long.  Was that a laugh track?  Incredible!  

I thought the actress playing his wife did a good job, but for some reason they didn't gel with me.

Maybe she and the actress on "Fresh Off the Boat" should change places.

I'm always happy to see Dave Foley.

The actress playing his daughter has an interesting and "not young" look.

I'm fine with having Ken be irritating--I don't know if he can work any other way.

I don't think the show will be around long. 

[Demented Daisy]

Don't think I laughed once.  But then, I only watched because my husband wanted to.  Sadly, he didn't laugh either.

 

It was a generic, formulaic sitcom.  Hubby said he'll give it a couple more episodes.  Yay.

[ae2]

I laughed through the whole thing, so there's that.

[readster]

The family and I enjoyed it but I think this will be another one season show. They fell on a lot of sitcom cliches in the episode. The jerky boss, over reacting to a child being able to drive. The son who is weird but fun (love Bert). I also liked that they decided to make them more upper middle class so they aren't rolling in money since they are both doctors but aren't worried about money or anything. I did get a kick out of the "Molly joke".  

[barbedwire]

I liked it.  The line in the beginning about him hoping his daughter doesn't pass made both hubby and I LOL!

 

The thing about her phone being left in her friend's jacket pocket and them actually tracking her friend was just done the 1/2 hour before on Last Man Standing.   That was bad timing.

 

Always good to see Alonzo Boden.  And the young son (Albert?) is so very funny.  He is great.

[Former Nun]

I did get a kick out of the "Molly joke".

 

 

I'm jaded.  I saw that joke coming a mile away.

 

I didn't watch "Trophy Wife," long, but I recognized the Ken's son from both shows.  He's a good little actor (and mime).

[Lone Wolf]

I agree, possibilities.    I've been tired of the standard sitcom format for too long.  Was that a laugh track?  Incredible!  

 

I don't think the show will be around long. 

It was, indeed.  As soon as I hear canned laughter, my heart sinks.  I can't remember the last decent comedy I watched that had a laugh track.

 

Agree re: show's longevity - this one might not even run a full season.

 

I'm jaded.  I saw that joke coming a mile away.

 

I didn't watch "Trophy Wife," long, but I recognized the Ken's son from both shows.  He's a good little actor (and mime).

Likewise on 1 1/2 of these points.  Re: first one, I don't think you're jaded - it wasn't that good of a joke (although I didn't see the arrest coming - I thought he was just going to unintentionally score).  As for the second point, I didn't think the kid was that good on TW (which I hate watched for the first season) or here. He's working in show bidness though, and I'm sitting on my sofa commenting on it, so God bless 'im.

 

I turned in out of curiosity because Community/Hangover.  Ken's not as fun to watch when he he's dialed down.  I'll probably hang in though, just because I don't think it's going to last.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Lone Wolf

[possibilities]

I make no predictions about longevity. For one thing, quality does not seem to correlate with ratings, or... to be fair, that's a matter of taste, but there are lots of shows on the air that follow this formula and in my opinion it's not the worst of the bunch. But also, those formulas are popular for a reason. The highest rated comedy on TV right now is Big Bang Theory, and it has a laugh track, too. I think it's going to be more about whether the competition is too much in the timeslot, and whether the characters will catch on. I know it's possible to have an annoying character for the lead, but I don't know if that works if there's not something else to compensate, especially in a comedy with a small cast. But I haven't seen the ratings, either, and also: pilots can be very bad predictors of how a show will develop. I will watch it a few more times, just to find out. I do like that it's not a white-dominated show. That always buys a few episodes from me, but I hope they tone down the "crazy husband with sane wife" trope drastically, because that's one of the things I find most annoying and least funny in the world.

 

Also, I just turned 50 and have been debating whether to follow protocol and get a colonoscopy, so I thought that was a timely little public service announcement they had there, with the "it's just a hemorrhoid" guy. I want to see if Jeong being a doctor in real life means they get the medicine more right than other shows, and if they slip in more public service messages in the guise of patient of the week, and if they do-- can they make it funny, or will it always be "Dr House, the Sitcom." I don't understand why a doctor being rude is funny, after having had too many real world doctors who had execrable "bedside manner."

[possibilities]

I just saw this interview with KJ, talking about the show. He mentions the cast, some of whom I didn't realize would be appearing. They certainly have attracted a lot of talented people to appear!

http://blog.angryasianman.com/2015/10/angry-reader-of-week-ken-jeong.html#more

[Ms Lark]

I'm meh on this one, although I will probably watch (OnDemand) since I'm always glad to see Asian actors get a break. This suffers in comparison with Fresh off the Boat, which is currently my favorite sitcom.

 

Maybe she and the actress on "Fresh Off the Boat" should change places.

 

Oh, hell no! We're keeping Constance Wu right where she is!

[caligirl50]

I turned it off. It was painful.  I thought/hoped it would be camp, which Mr. Ken does oh so well.  Crap.

[ClareWalks]

I tried it. Didn't like it. He lost me in the first scene, when he was loudly mocking his patient for thinking it was a hemorrhoid. Sorry, I don't see any humor in telling someone, in the most asshole-ish possible way, that they need a colonoscopy because they might have cancer.

[BW Manilowe]

The early ratings, posted on Saturday, were surprisingly good. It got a 1.4 rating/6 share & had 6.7 million viewers. It led the timeslot in both the 18-49 & 25-54 demos, *&* in total viewers, & built on its lead-in from Last Man Standing.

http://variety.com/2015/tv/ratings/new-show-ratings-dr-ken-premiere-blindspot-1201609441/

[possibilities]

This review HATES the show-- HATES:

http://www.tvovermind.com/reviews/dr-ken-season-1-episode-1-review-pilot

[Kromm]

I'm meh on this one, although I will probably watch (OnDemand) since I'm always glad to see Asian actors get a break. This suffers in comparison with Fresh off the Boat, which is currently my favorite sitcom.

 

 

Oh, hell no! We're keeping Constance Wu right where she is!

I know the real Eddie Huang hates it, but to me Fresh Off the Boat has started playing like an Asian "The Goldbergs" and that's a VERY good thing.  The show is working and Constance Wu is responsible for the lion's share of that. She's no clone of Beverley Goldberg, but she fills a very similar dominating position in how a big part of the show is built around her comedy.

The show even has similar beats to The Goldbergs in how the family might seem like a horrorshow to outsiders, but always stand up for each other when it counts.

Dr. Ken just seems like unclever least common denominator stuff in comparison. Sure The Goldbergs and Fresh Off The Boat go for low humor occasionally, but the characters aren't just constantly doling out one liners like Ken Jeong is.  The comedy is more situational and character based on those shows than rude people simply saying rude things constantly.

[Canada]

I love Ken Jeong.  But I hated this show!  So disappointing. 

[SlackerInc]

I had heard scathing reviews of this, that not only said it was really bad but that it was clearly DOA (kind of like the early comments here that predicted swift cancellation).  But then those numbers came out showing it was doing surprisingly well, and I got curious as to what's going on here, so I watched the first segment of the pilot (about five or ten minutes).  I agree with the naysayers: it's awful, unfunny, and incredibly formulaic.  But that formula hasn't even been used for a long time--is that what is keeping it afloat, that it's the last of a mostly dead breed?  I'm mystified.

[caligirl50]

Bad writing.  The writing is everything.  How does this stuff even get on the air?

[readster]

Bad writing.  The writing is everything.  How does this stuff even get on the air?

I hated the entire nurse plot, what a moron. Plus, the head of the hospital could be any more cliche at this point? I did enjoy Ken's parents though.

[Kromm]

Bad writing.  The writing is everything.  How does this stuff even get on the air?

From the little I've seen (admittedly not much) it seems like bad writing AND bad performance.

 

Ken Jeong is a sledgehammer as a comedian. That doesn't mean he can't be funny, but it means he's a horrible fit for anything other than an over the top role. A family sitcom is probably the worst fit ever.

[readster]

Wow! They really went the cliche with the boss making everyone work on the weekends so he can make more money. Plus, his wife is ready to leave him. Who saw that coming? Only Dr. Ken can fix this because you know, he's the CEO, so you can't get him into trouble with the BBB or anything.

[Beezella]

I was prepared to come on here and say I didn't laugh once, or even smile at the third episode with the Clompers nickname, and then at the very end, I did. When the mom goes to the school and confronts the kids that called her son Clompers, she says "Dave might be OK being called Clompers, but I'll tell who's not." First kid: "Is it you?" Second kid: "I feel like it's you." Something about the way he said it I guess. There's a kid making the best of a small part.

 

The first episode had a few laughs for me, the Molly drug joke, and the giant prisoner in the cell with Dr. Ken.

 

Other than that, I gave the show three tries and it's just awful. Can't stand the girl in the office with the high-pitched voice, never liked Dave Foley, can't stand the daughter. Ken is annoying and mugging and wooden. Yuck.

[BW Manilowe]

Renewed for full first season, according to multiple sources.

[Kromm]

Renewed for full first season, according to multiple sources.

Why?

 

I mean I know why. It got the ratings it needed. But THAT'S the real "why" then.  Why did it?

[AuntiePam]

I've loved Ken Jeong ever since he jumped out of the trunk of that car in The Hangover.  The canned laughter isn't as obnoxious as it is on some other shows, but the show would be better without it -- hell, every show would be better without it.  At least the actors don't pause to wait for the laughs.

 

It's on Friday, a TV wasteland, so I'll keep watching, for Jeong -- who has good timing and does some fun impressions (not imitations!), and for Bert.    But I won't be sad when it's cancelled after one season.

[readster]

The problem is Ken, is funny but the rest of the characters aren't. The boss is so set with cliches you have to wonder how he ever ended up running a health care company, let alone a hospital. The nursing and doctor staff are over acting beyond belief that its sad. The family is funny from the son to the wife and the daughter borders between teen queen or being pretty normal at 16. I don't see how this show got a full season order though but I guess they have nothing to replace it with. Its like with Last Man Standing, the ratings have gone down so much but ABC wants the 100 episode syndication and keep Tim Allen in their good graces but there really isn't much there. Fridays have become a wasteland for comedies and other shows these days. Hard to believe that twenty years ago it was when you did want to stay home and watch funny shows. 

[readster]

This was probably the most funny episode they have done but likes. Ken's wife is a piece of work, I don't like that about the character at all. Also, if the skeleton fell apart in the car, why didn't she look for the shin bone in the car?

[Jenkins]

Yeah, I BADLY want to like this show because I like Ken so much (and I also like seeing more diverse families on TV)...

 

But it really just hasn't been that funny. To be honest, the writing just isn't very good. The jokes are just predictable as hell.

 

Not giving up on it and will continue to record it (not much else on on Friday nights and I have a quad tuner DVR), but I seriously doubt it makes it to a second season.

[Kromm]

Yeah, I BADLY want to like this show because I like Ken so much (and I also like seeing more diverse families on TV)...

 

But it really just hasn't been that funny. To be honest, the writing just isn't very good. The jokes are just predictable as hell.

 

Not giving up on it and will continue to record it (not much else on on Friday nights and I have a quad tuner DVR), but I seriously doubt it makes it to a second season.

Despite being terrible, it's getting passable ratings. So it likely will.

 

It won't be the first time a super-shitty show gets a renewal over a better one (last year's "Cristela") in the same timeslot.

[Actionmage]

I was trying a second go between this and Truth Be Told ( don't judge me, please; Fridays being a cord-cutter can suck).  This made me cringe at the mom's desperation and blatant lies. I think I could enjoy the actress, but she was given such a crap situation to play out. ( Lying about her son's health to get into a book reading by the author of a book she and her son were reading- an Angela Merkel biography.)

 

Meanwhile, the tropetastic entitled teen daughter exasperatedly waited for her dad to get faced so she could "get permission" to go to another party.  According to the laugh track/ audience/combo of same, that was HI-larious!  *sigh*

 

At least Dr. Ken has a full season and a forum here, yay?

[readster]

I guess this was The Hangover 3.1. Drunk Ken is funny but wow! The bad lies to get out of things, Ken really thinking he had to teach Molly a lesson. Ken's boss now trying to save on money using one glove and half a tissue. I'm sorry, really? Really? Have a lawsuit anytime soon? The Ken family is funny, especially Ken but the health care place is horrible. You have the naive doctor, the over bearing/stupid boss, the gay nurse, the nurse who thinks she knows it all. Its horrible. Full season or not, I would be fine with Ken getting his own practice and away from the blackhole of the Wellness Center. What's really bad, all those actors are funny people, I've seen them in many shows and they are funny but their characters are so cliche and badly written, I want to mute the TV.

Edited November 7, 2015 by readster

[AuntiePam]

The show has some great one-liners  -- mostly from Dr. Ken -- but the workplace setting doesn't work.  Dave Foley's character is too over-the-top.  His co-workers could use some fleshing out, maybe give them an occasional subplot.  A comedy-drama mix might work better.  Hell, I don't know. 

 

Anyone notice that Julie's voice wasn't so high-pitched this week? 

[P3pp3rb1rd]

I think he has guts to try it and I salute him.

[Dandesun]

This show is stupid, I admit, but it actually does make me laugh. It's one of those mind sorbet shows for me. There is some wit here and there, a number of actors I quite like and... It makes me laugh.

You're all judging me, I know. Sometimes, I just need some stupid Friday night sitcom. It's like bubble gum pop music. It has a place in my life.

[Jenkins]

Nah, not judging at all (if you guys knew the shows I watch as a 40 something male, you would laugh).

 

I DO like this show. I wish the writing was a LITTLE wittier, but just like you said, bubble gum pop music (good analogy).

 

What is interesting is it has been trashed on sites like IMDB and Metacritic, yet the last time I looked, it is still posting solid ratings.

[P3pp3rb1rd]

I loved the medical diagnosis in rap that Dr. Ken delivered. Laughed til my sides hurt. He so good.

[AuntiePam]

I loved the medical diagnosis in rap that Dr. Ken delivered. Laughed til my sides hurt. He so good.

 

Was that in tonight's episode -- the basketball episode?  If so, I missed it.  Husband must have been talking.

 

I think this was the best episode of the season.  Characters are established, the plot was fun, and everyone looked like they were having a great time. 

 

I did want to ask -- who's buying the daughter's clothes?  I think I was still shopping with my daughter at that age, and those skirts wouldn't have left the store. 

[paulvdb]

The rap was not in this episode. It was in a previous episode. So you didn't miss it.

[niklj]

I really liked the Thanksgiving episode--I thought it was an interesting take on bi-cultural families.

 

"And then the white man invaded." Hilarious!

[barbedwire]

I really wanted to like this show, and I do like most of the actors (not squeaky voice girl doctor) but that basketball was over the top lame.  Ken was trying just oh so hard to be funny in that episode.  Shame.  Albert Tsai is a delight and the couple playing Ken's parents are very funny.

[AuntiePam]

This week's episode -- the Hawai'i vacation -- had the usual good work by Jeong -- his comedic timing is just perfect.  I cracked up at Ken's interaction with the kids, trying and failing to be sad that they're not going along.  I can accept that he'd forget to schedule the time off, but the rest made no sense.