Man With A Plan - General Discussion

[Primetimer]

Well, there's no way it could be as bad as Joey, could it? Oh, man...oh God...what if it is? Somebody check in on Matt LeBlanc.

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[stanleyk]

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

[hks]

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

I also want to know! Episodes was SO good, and Matt's role was fantastic. Self-aware and self-deprecating, and all those good things. But what I really want to know - is Episodes over? Did they conclude things? Did I watch that conclusion?

[pbutler111]

How can Leblanc do something as spectacular as Showtime's "Episodes" and still not be able to pick a successful vehicle for himself Stateside? I can't understand it. P.S. Matt -- get back to "Episodes"!

[pbutler111]

  2 hours ago, stanleyk said:

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

I also want to know! Episodes was SO good, and Matt's role was fantastic. Self-aware and self-deprecating, and all those good things. But what I really want to know - is Episodes over? Did they conclude things? Did I watch that conclusion?

"Episodes" ended on a cliffhanger. I believe the new season is supposed to start in early 2017.

[pbutler111]

Yes, "Episodes" will be back in 2017 for a final (damn!) season. http://www.sho.com/episodes

[Kromm]

Barf.

[Tetraneutron]

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

My guess is he's thinking that CBS domcoms last forever and he wants a piece of that. I expect he's fully aware it's shit but it's not as though anyone's trying to put him in a Marvel movie.

[Kromm]

  3 hours ago, stanleyk said:

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

My guess is he's thinking that CBS domcoms last forever and he wants a piece of that. I expect he's fully aware it's shit but it's not as though anyone's trying to put him in a Marvel movie.

Well lets face it. If that new Kevin James show is a hit (and it apparently IS) than anything works on CBS.

[MrWhyt]

this is certainly going to spend all the good will he bought from me with his work in Episodes.

[stanleyk]

  4 hours ago, stanleyk said:

This sounds like exactly what I thought it would be: execrable.

But my real question is "What in the Sam Hill is Matt LeBlanc thinking?" He's coming off a legitimately good show where he seemed smart and self-aware and willing to play an ego-deflating version of himself. And then he chooses to star in the exact kind of dumb, retrograde sitcom that Episodes made fun of (and the kind of show that Episodes portrays as soul-crushing both to those who make it and those who watch it). Is he hard up for cash? Is he desperate to remain on television? Is he not as savvy and self-aware as Episodes made him seem? I genuinely want to know.

My guess is he's thinking that CBS domcoms last forever and he wants a piece of that. I expect he's fully aware it's shit but it's not as though anyone's trying to put him in a Marvel movie.

Right, but that's the question: why does he want a piece of that? Just a cash-grab? He wants something to fill the days? According to the very official Google search I just did, he's worth $60 million. He can afford to take (or not take) any kind of project. It seemed like his work in Episodes was a move towards being taken more seriously, but this is a total step backward. Maybe they're not casting him in a Marvel movie, but surely he's being offered something more interesting than this dreck - or he can afford to wait for something better.

[helent]

The show may be terrible but this write-up is fantastic.

[Meredith Quill]

Your Season 1 Topic!

[NYGirl]

Joey as gotten older, got married to Jimmy from Yes Dear's wife, and has children, but he's still the same old Joey.

[iMonrey]

I didn't think this was horrible, but it's really a shame to see Matt LeBlanc on such a generic, pedestrian American network sitcom after the brilliance of Episodes. And anyone who hasn't watched that needs to. Of course, that's a cable show, and it's British, but there's nothing to say LeBlanc couldn't have done better than this. 

On Episodes, he plays a fictional version of himself, and in the last couple of seasons he lost a lot of money because his business manager swindled and mismanaged his finances. Is life imitating art, or vice-versa? Does LeBlanc actually need the money so badly he needed to do a show like Man with a Plan? I wonder.

[QTBlueMoon]

Well, I guess I'm in the minority, then. I really liked this show. I haven't seen Episodes (don't get Showtime), so maybe comparatively, this show reeks. But I laughed all the way through it.  It didn't really seem contrived to me. It seemed like the characters were really saying their lines, not just acting. I'm in for the duration.

[Maharincess]

I'm liking it so far. I've loved Liza Snyder for years so it's nice to have her back on a sitcom.  I also like Kevin Nealon and Matt LeBlanc isn't bad. I hope it sticks around for a while. 

[tenativelyyours]

I watched the pilot and thought it tired but not tiresome.  I liked the casting of the two parents and the kids were sort of muted which I liked.  There to set up and bounce the jokes off of than be overly adorable. 

But I couldn't even sit through last night's episode.  The whole tickets thing has been done to death and I could not care less about such a thing especially so early in a show.  Maybe it would work better when I "know" the wife and the brother.  But I don't and none of it seemed interesting in the slightest.

I do wish CBS had put a little effort into encouraging some fresher ideas for these returning sitcom heavyweights.  Instead, in the case of Matt and Kevin James the attempts to tap too far into their original successes is just too deep and too awkward and too dull.

And in the case of Matt, he has shown he is willing to push his roles and take some chances.  Its kind of sad that it so safe and the network didn't look at its success rate in sitcoms lately and decide to push things and mix them up a little.

I'm a bit sad because I have a fondness for Matt that I don't have for Kevin James.  I think part of it is Matt's ability to laugh at himself but not play the clown.  Post-Friends he has the least frantic approach to life it seems compared to the rest of the cast.  So this is doubly disappointing seeing him settle into something I think is well below his abilities.

[jumper sage]

On 10/31/2016 at 2:29 PM, iMonrey said:

I didn't think this was horrible, but it's really a shame to see Matt LeBlanc on such a generic, pedestrian American network sitcom after the brilliance of Episodes. And anyone who hasn't watched that needs to. Of course, that's a cable show, and it's British, but there's nothing to say LeBlanc couldn't have done better than this. 

I am just now watching the last season of Episodes.  It is brilliant.  I always said it was Joey playing Matt.  Just noticed that his costar on Episodes is now starring on Impastor.  I like her too.  Love seeing Liza Snyder again.

7 hours ago, tenativelyyours said:

I'm a bit sad because I have a fondness for Matt that I don't have for Kevin James.  I think part of it is Matt's ability to laugh at himself but not play the clown.  Post-Friends he has the least frantic approach to life it seems compared to the rest of the cast.  So this is doubly disappointing seeing him settle into something I think is well below his abilities.

I know right?  I think Matt is an actor and Kevin is a comedian playing an actor.

I get a kick out of the nerd dad who keeps trying to make Matt his friend.  I see comedy gold in that storyline.

[iMonrey]

Are we being punked or something? Is this show going to turn out like American Horror Story, where about five episodes in, we find out this was just a show within a show, being re-created by actors? Because that - would be brilliant.

Otherwise, it's beyond comprehension how ironic it is to see Matt LeBlanc in the very sort of show his previous show made fun of. In fact "Pucks" would be better than "Man with a Plan." If Matt were actually playing a hockey coach at an all-boys school even that would be more original than this run of the mill, paint by numbers, totally unfunny pablum. Does he have no sense of how awful this is? Is he that desperate for work and/or money? 

[candall]

I'm like a guest judge on Project Runway--I don't have anything more helpful to contribute than:  I think it's decent.

But Kevin James has to look way, way up to spot "decent."

And I never thought I'd prefer Joey Tribiani to Chandler Bing, but I like this better than The Odd Couple, which is basically Matthew Perry dropping his jaw open and shaking his head to clear it because he can't BELIEVE the tomfoolery going on around him.

I guess nothing is great or small except by comparison.

 

(And pertinent to that conclusion, I've never seen Episodes.)

[dinkysquid]

What a wretched, dreadful offering!!! I thought that Kevin James' show was the worst thing I'd seen in a while on TV. Well....I stand corrected. This was worse but that's not saying much now, is it? 

May this putrid pile of stupidity, take it's lame, annoying laugh track and please disappear - for good!

[stillhere1900]

6 hours ago, dinkysquid said:

What a wretched, dreadful offering!!! I thought that Kevin James' show was the worst thing I'd seen in a while on TV. Well....I stand corrected. This was worse but that's not saying much now, is it? 

May this putrid pile of stupidity, take it's lame, annoying laugh track and please disappear - for good!

So.... I guess you won't be watching anymore ?

[kat165]

I was hoping this show would be much better than it is. I watch out of boredom, not live but On Demand and because I like Matt. I didn't like Joey Tribbiani for the most part & only came to appreciate Matt after seeing him on Top Gear, and in interviews, particular on the Graham Norton show. But I didn't like Phoebe either. I don't find being dumb/clueless funny/entertaining although both those characters had some good moments.

I'm glad to see him not playing yet another dumb, Tribbiani like character. But his show really is beneath him. I too liked Liz on Yes, Dear but not as much here. She looks so much older and I'm mortified that that seems to bother me. Hehe, looking in a mirror maybe?

In found this latest ep better than the first. I like the addition of the brother. Hated his wife. What a shrew. I also like when Matt visits the classroom. I enjoy his wiseass personna there.

[SmithW6079]

On 10/31/2016 at 6:39 PM, QTBlueMoon said:

Well, I guess I'm in the minority, then. I really liked this show. I haven't seen Episodes (don't get Showtime), so maybe comparatively, this show reeks. But I laughed all the way through it.  It didn't really seem contrived to me. It seemed like the characters were really saying their lines, not just acting. I'm in for the duration.

I liked it too. I laughed out loud several times. There seems to be an easy familiarity among the cast, which makes them enjoyable to watch. Plus, Matt LeBlanc became such a hot silver daddy, unlike poor Matthew Perry.

[dinkysquid]

On 11/4/2016 at 9:21 PM, stillhere1900 said:

So.... I guess you won't be watching anymore ?

Um....that would be a loud, resounding NO. ;)

[Big Mother]

Mayor Saxby!!!! I was going crazy trying to figure out where I know the  brother from.

[jumper sage]

About the classroom.  Now maybe I am a lazy adult.....who the hell spends all day at their kids school?  Parents out there respond.  I didn't do anything at school except show up to performances that my kid was in.  The show is too over the top on this right?  If a teacher ever talked to me like that I would be in the principal's office right quick.  Teachers - we have teachers in the family and none of them expect this stuff.

I am liking the show though.

[RainbowBrite]

2 hours ago, jumper sage said:

About the classroom.  Now maybe I am a lazy adult.....who the hell spends all day at their kids school?  Parents out there respond.  I didn't do anything at school except show up to performances that my kid was in.  The show is too over the top on this right?  If a teacher ever talked to me like that I would be in the principal's office right quick.  Teachers - we have teachers in the family and none of them expect this stuff.

I am liking the show though.

Yeah, it is completely over the top. It kind of irritates me because it perpetuates the old fashioned nuclear family, with the stay at home mother (I know, there's a stay at home dad on the show too) available (and expected to) to participate in an excessive number of school activities. I don't even get to drop my kids off or pick them up from school due to my work hours, and my partner works shift work. 

[Vickismom]

2 hours ago, jumper sage said:

About the classroom.  Now maybe I am a lazy adult.....who the hell spends all day at their kids school?  Parents out there respond.  I didn't do anything at school except show up to performances that my kid was in.  The show is too over the top on this right?  If a teacher ever talked to me like that I would be in the principal's office right quick.  Teachers - we have teachers in the family and none of them expect this stuff.

I am liking the show though.

Yes, it's totally over the top and it was really annoying me.  I am one of the 2 room parents for my son's class and it's nothing like this at all!  I also help in his classroom every Monday and a few other moms help the other days, and the teachers seem to be so appreciative and make sure to thank us many times while we're there. We mainly help prepping the things needed for projects, like cutting paper, collating and folding, making copies, etc.  Things to make things easier for the teachers, so they can spend their time with lesson plans, grading, etc.  There is no making puppets or demanding things for teacher appreciation.  

[SmithW6079]

I'm liking the show, but the teacher's a bully, and it really bothered me that she didn't get called on her shit. I'm not sure why Adam, who has a business to run, is supposed to be there while the single mom (who doesn't appear to have a job) and the stay-at-home dad aren't doing squat. 

[Ailianna]

I think in-story it's because his wife used to be a stay at home mom who could do all that.  I can't believe, with Lowell's fangirling over Adam though, that he hasn't volunteered to be co-room parent.

[iMonrey]

I really didn't see the problem with transferring Emme to the other classroom. It's only kindergarten, for Pete's sake, not AP physics. And the mom's reasoning? Because Emme's best friend is in the other classroom and they talk too much. Well then . . . separate them. If you can't stop them from talking too much without putting them in different classrooms you've got a behavioral issue you're not addressing. The idea she had to be in this classroom if she didn't want to grow up to be a cocktail waitress at in Indian Casino is ludicrous. It's the exact same school isn't it? Is the other teacher really that horrible? It's one thing if Emme didn't want to be separated from her friends but apparently she would have loved to transfer.

[NYCFree]

On 11/9/2016 at 3:19 PM, iMonrey said:

I really didn't see the problem with transferring Emme to the other classroom. It's only kindergarten, for Pete's sake, not AP physics. And the mom's reasoning? Because Emme's best friend is in the other classroom and they talk too much. Well then . . . separate them. If you can't stop them from talking too much without putting them in different classrooms you've got a behavioral issue you're not addressing. The idea she had to be in this classroom if she didn't want to grow up to be a cocktail waitress at in Indian Casino is ludicrous. It's the exact same school isn't it? Is the other teacher really that horrible? It's one thing if Emme didn't want to be separated from her friends but apparently she would have loved to transfer.

My son had a horrible kindergarten teacher and he was still talking about it years later.  The teacher had spent the previous decade+ teaching fifth grade, and this was her first year as a kindergarten teacher.  Kids are hugely developmentally different between ages 5 and 10, and I think she expected them to act more like 10 year olds.  My son was a very enthusiastic learner before her, but didn't get back the same excitement for a few years. Everything about the way she interacted with him, clearly gave him the message that he was "less" than other students.  Like even when they ran a mock restaurant for a parents' breakfast one morning, the kids had jobs like waiter, server, "chef", cashier.  My son was assigned the job of "sweeper".  Sorry for the rant, obviously touched a sore spot. 

[backformore]

Right to all, and since when does a TEACHER get to decide which students are assigned to her class?  

I've been a room parent.  First, you don't do all the work, you delegate it to other parents. Second, parties are short and sweet, and take place Halloween, Christmas, that's it.   There's very little actual work.  Organize a snack, help with a craft. No but kissing.   You certainly aren't in the classroom every day, not even every week.  

The episode annoyed me.

[jumper sage]

16 hours ago, NYCFree said:

My son had a horrible kindergarten teacher

I met a horrible kindergarten teacher once and could not believe my eyes.  These kids are cute and enthusiastic to learn.  She called them names and said the whole class was stupid..............

I asked her why in the world was she there?  I asked her if she knew she was ruining education for these kids.  She told me to fuck off.  She was "bought out" for retirement in the second semester.  I hope those kids got a good teacher to reverse the damage she had done.

[jumper sage]

More Lowell and less school.  Hurray!.  I never got the whole save the wedding dress thing.  Donate it.

[WildFlower87]

Another generic, bland, and unfunny CBS sitcom. That was horrible!

[needschocolate]

On 11/15/2016 at 9:09 AM, jumper sage said:

More Lowell and less school.  Hurray!.  I never got the whole save the wedding dress thing.  Donate it.

I knew someone who wore her mother's wedding dress.  I wished I could have worn my mother's, but she had loaned it to someone and never got t back.  When I got married, I picked a wedding dress that was classic and timeless, one that I thought my future daughters could wear on their wedding day, if they wanted to (I would never force them).   26 years later, my daughter was getting married and we took my dress out of its hermetically sealed box.  Her sisters and my mother were there too.  She put on my dress and we all laughed so hard, and then we went wedding dress shopping.  Apparently, I was such a woman of the 80's that, at the time, I thought poofy sleeves and lots of lace would in style forever.  

This show isn't horrible, it isn't great either, IMO, it is just "there."  Lowell is a nice addition to the standard sitcom gang.  School mom isn't necessary.  

[iMonrey]

I think I'm about ready to take this one off the series record list. It just isn't funny. I got a chuckle out of the son asking about the blue pill ("now that lady likes him") but they showed that over and over on the promo spot so apparently even the promo people knew it was the funniest line in the episode. The format is just so pedestrian. And I'm sorry but Kevin Nealon has never been funny once in his entire life. 

[jumper sage]

Ok, this shit is being written my millenials right?  The parenting episode with the hole in the wall was absolutely ridiculous.

[Unclejosh]

I just can't with the actress who plays the wife.  She ruins an already terrible show.  Not that another actress would have made this show amazing but she is awful and has been in everything I have ever seen her in.

[NYGirl]

She plays the same person in every show she's in.

[stillhere1900]

On 12/8/2016 at 2:20 AM, jumper sage said:

Ok, this shit is being written my millenials right?  The parenting episode with the hole in the wall was absolutely ridiculous.

why ?

[kat165]

Because they gave the kids too much power? Just a guess. Btw, I am not a parent so I have no idea what a good way to handle this would be. My parents would punished us all until someone fessed up. No way would they be playing any games with us.

[jumper sage]

I'm old.  Back in the 60's our parents taught us how to handle mistakes.  Their rule was that if we came and told them the truth we would not be punished.  Then they showed us how adults should handle mistakes.  Example:  We lived on the Edison fields and had a huge field out the back with houses on the other side of the field.  Homeowners were allowed a 15 foot easement beyond their fence which is where most families had gardens.  Beyond that there was a big open field that was 1/2 mile long and quite wide and was completely fenced in.  Parents would create a baseball diamond, a football field, skating rink etc.  I was about 10 years old and the neighborhood kids were playing baseball in the field.  I had a great hit and broke a window on the other side of the field.  Everyone, including my brother, ran off.  I stood there and when the homeowner came out I gave him the "just a minute" sign and ran home.  I told my dad and he said, "Ok, this is how we handle this."  He grabbed his check book and money and we walked across the field.  My brother joined us on the long walk.  We approached the man whose window I broke.  Both men agreed it was a pretty good hit for such a tiny girl and the man said it happens frequently and had extra panes in his basement.  My dad offered to replace the pane or pay for it.  The man was very nice and liked the way everything was being handled and said it was ok.  My dad then said that me and my brother would come over every Saturday and weed his garden, gather trash or whatever else small kids could do.  The homeowners were a very nice older couple.  His wife would bring us Kool-aid and that man taught me how to "place" my hits.  Ha ha.

We have kept that same theory up with our own kids.  My brother's daughter, while in college, lent her car to a friend.  Big mistake.  The friend hit another car and ran off.  The police were called and my niece was charged with a hit and run.  She did not hear about the incident until the police made contact with her.  She called her dad and he dropped everything, took her to the police station and explained what happened.  The other driver agreed she was not the person behind the wheel but sued her anyway.  They went to court, took responsibility and my brother paid for the damages, the fines etc.  She was told to get a job and pay him back.  She did.  Just showing her the right way made her fell much better.  She thought it was the end of the world.  People will react nicer if one takes responsibility.  She also learned that people not on your insurance should not drive your car.

On the show the eldest daughter was teaching the younger kids to lie.  I turned it off before the got to the bottom of the problem.  It was too unbelievable and this is why I think millenials wrote the show.  The generation where some, not all, were raised with their parent making excuses for them, covering up for them.

[kat165]

Jumper,  I really liked your story about the broken window. Your poor neice, what a horrible way to learn a good lesson. I don't know who writes this show, the age range, but it's not very well written. I'm still watching only for Matt LeBlanc which is a shame. He deserves better material.

[jumper sage]

I love Matt LeBlanc too!  He was one of my favorite actors on friends and just loved Episodes.  We need more of that guy from school.

[jumper sage]

20 hours ago, kat165 said:

Your poor neice, what a horrible way to learn a good lesson.

My brother had a dad to dad talk with the other girls dad and he poo pooed him and would not contribute a penny to the expenses and had no problem with his daughter taking off.  [shakes head in disbelief].  They did not sue them, and could have.  My brother pointed out how lack of ethics seem to run in the family and maybe his daughter should think about who she is friends with.  End of friendship.

[kat165]

Jumper, funnily enough I did not really enjoy Matt on Friends. I usually don't find
"dumb" characters entertaining. But I've seen him in Top Gear and on some talk
shows and I just really like him so I was looking forward to this show & seeing
him play a character I could maybe/hopefully enjoy. Well, that didn't happen, but I
still like Matt. :) I've never seen Episodes, unfortunately. No access.