Great News - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your UO Topic!

[OtterMommy]

The place to gab about all the Great News!

 

[Tara Ariano]

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Cable news producer Katie Wendelson (Briga Heelan) is horrified when her mother (Andrea Martin) gets an internship at her news show in the series premiere of this workplace comedy that explores mother-daughter relationships. Tina Fey is an executive producer.

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A bear is on the loose and Katie volunteers to cover the story, but Carol fears for the worst and meddles. Meanwhile, Greg pushes Chuck and Portia to do some friendly banter at the end of the show.

[Primetimer]

Or does NBC's new workplace sitcom make you wish you called in sick?

View the full article

[Lorimac]

The Andrea Martin article in New York says that the inspiration was that Tracy Wigfield's mother used to drop in on her daughter - at work - all the time, and that Tina Fey thought this was hilarious. So, I guess the premise has some foundation in fact and not mere pandering to comedy audiences. BUT, I must say, the idea of a mother dropping in on her children at work seems to me to be the basis of a horror movie, rather than a sitcom. Will I watch this thinking, "just tell her to go home, for pete's sake" because this is taking helicoptering to a new non-funny level.

[Diana Berry]

Maybe it's just me, but the background music needs to go.

[Dots And Stripes]

20 minutes ago, Diana Berry said:

Maybe it's just me, but the background music needs to go.

Not just you. It feels way too 30 Rock for me. 

Surprisingly, Nicole Richie is not the weakest cast member for me. That honor goes to Horacio. Maybe I should have been more grateful for his SNL giggles because without the giggles his line reading is lifeless.

Loooove the anchor guy. Loved him as Wayne Jarvis and love him hear. His chemistry with Carol is great too. Katie and the British guy are also working for me. 

I enjoyed the pilot more than the second episode. Katie's storyline kind of dragged. The Lemonade bit at the end was really cute.

[lor]

im kind of mixed on this show. andrea martin and the actor who plays the anchor are great. the woman who plays the daughter is boring. 

what is the mother learning as an intern to the anchorman. it seems more like shes playing something  like his wife who calms him down.

[AnnaRose]

I liked it more than I thought I would.   I'll watch a few more episodes at least.

[Big Mother]

I like the chemistry between Chuck and Carol :D :D. I KNEW Horatio looked familiar! Couldnt place him since he lost so much weight.

[PRgal]

OMG.  So ANNOYING!  I don't know, but there's too much "I love my mom.  No, wait, I HATE HER!!!" and "dumb, annoying boomer mom" going on.  The first episode was okay, but I had to change the channel part way through the second.  I was hoping there'd be a good TV show detailing relationships between a 30-something daughter and her mom (something I could relate to myself - ha!), but this isn't one.  At least not for me. 

[ae2]

11 hours ago, lor said:

what is the mother learning as an intern to the anchorman. it seems more like shes playing something  like his wife who calms him down.

"Intern" in large parts of the corporate world really means "assistant." And by "assistant" I really mean "grunt." Fetching coffee and running errands is par for the course. I assume it's the same in the news world? Maybe in future episodes we'll see her doing something resembling news work.

These two episodes got a handful of chuckles out of me and a few big laughs. I'm in for a few more episodes. I really like Briga Heelan from two of her past shows, and John Michael Higgins brings laughter and absurdity to everything he does.

We're only 44 minutes into the show, so I'm not too upset that the daughter hasn't quite found the gumption to stand up to her overbearing mother yet.

[BoogieBurns]

I really liked it. Tracy Wigfield made a cameo as the meteorologist lady, and so did her husband as one half of the higher rated news team. I didn't realize I knew as much as I did about Tracy Wigfield, but I'm totally sold on the show. Nicole Richie was made for that part, I wonder if they wrote it with her in mind. Season pass on the dvr!

[butterbody]

I cannot remember hating a show more. And I'll sit through some pretty embarrasing tv junk food. 

[clb1016]

7 hours ago, ae2 said:

We're only 44 minutes into the show, so I'm not too upset that the daughter hasn't quite found the gumption to stand up to her overbearing mother yet.

 

And she never will, because that's the premise of the show.  This seems to me like a (supposedly) comedic version of the film "Terms of Endearment" where it's obvious that the mother is in complete control of the daughter's life and the daughter never seems to understand that she doesn't have to put up with it.

Despite the abundant talents of Martin and Higgins (and Fey), I found this to be a major disappointment.

[BusyOctober]

I know there's only been 2 episodes, but I have mixed feelings.  I like pretty much every character on the show...except the lead.  I don't know the actress, so I can't compare her acting in this to anything.  She just isn't selling it to me.  Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper (and a dozen other actresses I can think of) can pull off the klutzy physical comedy and the panic stricken looks of embarrassment much better IMO.  But my love for Andrea Martin and John Michael Higgins will keep me watching for now.

[TheRabbi]

I made it about 5 minutes into the second episode before calling it quits. I liked the news anchor, but couldn't tolerate the overbearing mother.

[OtterMommy]

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Chuck is having cataract surgery and, for the first time ever, must miss a day of work. Carol, eager to shirk her overwhelming intern duties, offers to take care of him. Meanwhile, Katie is excited for a peaceful day but with Chuck gone, Greg is reluctant to be the bad guy. As a result, "The Breakdown" descends into chaos as Greg is forced to say yes to Portia, Justin and everyone else's "great ideas for the show."

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Katie's secret war reporter boyfriend, Trip, is back in town and working at the MMN offices. Despite Katie's best efforts, Carol quickly uncovers the covert relationship using a plan she stole from "Days of Our Lives". Meanwhile, Chuck, feeling threatened by Trip, is determined to return to the field. Greg and Justin support the idea until they find footage of Chuck's time as a war reporter in the '90s.

[Kaoteek]

Basically, a big fat MEH, as far as i'm concerned. I was on board thanks to the show's pedigree & Briga Heelan, which was great in everything else I've seen her in, but in the end, it just doesn't click. I don't know if it's because it's too much under 30 Rock's influence (the music, the rhythm, the jokes), I don't know if it's because I don't really care for the mom/daughter dysfunctional relationship stuff, if it's just the supporting cast that leaves me cold (Richie is basically Jenna 2.0, but smarter, Higgins does his schtick, and Andrea Martin is good - the character is annoying, but hey, she's supposed to be - , but none of the others made the slightest impression), or because Briga seems to struggle with the material & its cadence (just like Krysten Ritter just felt out of place during most of Jessica Jones' action scenes), but I just ended up paying halfway attention to the second episode, which doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.

[Milburn Stone]

Boy, I hope this show makes it--I think it's great. The music's similarity to that in 30 Rock is pretty obvious, but then so is the sensibility of the show, the rhythms of the writing and the cutting patterns. Which is all to the good, because 30 Rock isn't on anymore.

Also, Andrea Martin deserves a hit.

[jhlipton]

Tina Fey hasn't been funny since her SNL days -- I don't expect her to start now.

[Wings]

I liked it.  The writing is good and I love Andrea Martin.  Now whether it will stand the test of time is another story. And by that I meant 2 or 3 more episodes, for me.  I sense this is a one trick pony.  There has to be more than a mother meddling in her daughter's life to sustain this show.  

[lor]

that was funny in the first episode when chuck said im being miseried. it was funny in the second episode when they got ideas from days if our lives. those ideas definetly sound like a soap opera

[Milburn Stone]

Overall I thought these two episodes weren't as funny as last week's two--but not bad. Chuck's naked post-surgery eyes were great!

[AnnaRose]

11 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Overall I thought these two episodes weren't as funny as last week's two--but not bad. Chuck's naked post-surgery eyes were great!

They totally freaked me out!!  I had to look away from the screen during that segment.

I liked what I think was supposed to be a Snoopy dance between the lead female and the boss.  (I don't remember her name.)  Speaking of the boss... he is the boss, right?  (I liked him a lot more these two episodes.  It was nice to see a more vulnerable side, and I'm a sucker for an accent.)   It seems like Chuck is the one in charge though.  Is that supposed to be because he's the veteran on-screen talent, so even the boss gets pushed around by him?   Most of the show changes were way too extreme to be even remotely believable for a news broadcast (even on a sitcom) so that really didn't work for me.

I liked the guy who played Trip when he was on the Mindy project, so I enjoyed seeing him again.  Too bad he won't be sticking around.  I'm also still enjoying Carol and Chuck.  I've never really seen Andrea Martin in anything, but she's really quite funny and brings a lot of charm to a character that could otherwise be annoying.

I'm hoping the show gets better.  It still has some promise, in my opinion.  Comedies can take a while to gel.  I plan to watch next week.

[BusyOctober]

I watched Ep 3 and barely made it.  I deleted Ep 4.  Not funny IMO (aside from Chuck/Carol/Angie).  I'm out. Guess I'll just sit & wait for "Trial & Error" to get renewed before I watch another new NBC "comedy".

[wayne67]

The mother is too much, she grates. She should have been fired at least once per episode. I like the blond guy but I struggle to remember anyone's names because I don't care about the show enough. 

[Milburn Stone]

Personally I liked the blond guy more when he was an unmitigated prick.

[teebax]

6 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I watched Ep 3 and barely made it.  I deleted Ep 4.  Not funny IMO (aside from Chuck/Carol/Angie).  I'm out. Guess I'll just sit & wait for "Trial & Error" to get renewed before I watch another new NBC "comedy".

If this show gets renewed and Trial & Error doesn't, NBC will be dead to me.

While I don't hate this show, it doesn't make me laugh. I'm not even sure why I am still watching it. Trial & Error was laugh-out-loud funny for me.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/2/2017 at 11:48 PM, AnnaRose said:

I've never really seen Andrea Martin in anything, but she's really quite funny and brings a lot of charm to a character that could otherwise be annoying.

If you have Hulu, you can watch Difficult People, where she has a recurring role as the female protagonist's therapist mother.  In this show, both Andrea and her daughter are supposed to be fairly unlikeable, or, at least, difficult!

Edited May 4, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ShelleySue]

I am not sure if this is a funny show or not because I cannot get past how much Briga Heelan looks and sounds like Ashley Williams.  I know that that is shallow, but that's the way that it is.

[CoyoteBlue]

Oh, god, I love absolutely every actor on ths show except the woman playing the horrible, horrible overbearing helicopter mom who ruins everything she touches. She has no boundaries and never shuts up and she's HORRIBLE. I don't know if I can even hate-watch this thing.

[ASpring1900]

I'm happily season passing this show. So funnier than I thought it would be. The bit with Carol reading the lines was silly but so funny. And I am a huge soap fan, so it was great to see Marlena, Kate and Belle on primetime.

[meep.meep]

On 5/4/2017 at 9:01 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

If you have Hulu, you can watch Difficult People, where she has a recurring role as the female protagonist's therapist mother.  In this show, both Andrea and her daughter are supposed to be fairly unlikeable, or, at least, difficult!

Or dig up some old Second City TV episodes.  Or rewatch My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

and if you really miss Trial and Error, Adam Campbell (the blonde British producer) is married to Jayma Mays.

[Phishbulb]

On 5/4/2017 at 2:50 PM, ShelleySue said:

I am not sure if this is a funny show or not because I cannot get past how much Briga Heelan looks and sounds like Ashley Williams.  I know that that is shallow, but that's the way that it is.

To me it seems like someone spliced Amy Adams and Tina Fey's DNA. She has picked up a lot of Tina's mannerisms from 30 Rock and that combined with the 30 Rock-like score makes this show seem much more like 30 Rock than Kimmy Schmidt even does. 

It's not bad though; Fey has a way of layering her shows with so many jokes that even if they're not all great there's just so many of them you find yourself still enjoying the show. It's always better to be overwhelmed with comedy than underwhelmed. 

[Milburn Stone]

1 hour ago, Phishbulb said:

...and that combined with the 30 Rock-like score makes this show seem much more like 30 Rock than Kimmy Schmidt even does. 

I would not be the least bit surprised to learn they're actually recycling music cues from that show.

(Which doesn't bother me.)

[OtterMommy]

Quote

After organizing a poorly attended staff karaoke night, Carol is convinced that everyone at "The Breakdown" needs some office bonding time. When Greg (Adam Campbell) refuses to help, Carol enlists the help of God, causing a huge snowstorm to trap everyone in the building overnight. Chuck takes an interest in working with Katie, which Portia convinces Katie is romantic. Carol saves the day when she breaks into the offices of competitor "Morning Wined Up with Kelly and Mary Kelly" and steals all the morning show's wine.

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When a field reporter at "The Breakdown" is exposed as an arsonist, Katie gets an opportunity to appear on the air. Carol, embracing the role of stage mom, becomes obsessed with propelling Katie to fame. Katie must choose between her personal ambitions and making her mother happy. Meanwhile, Chuck, jealous of Portia's many creative pursuits, tries to compose a new theme song for the show.

 

[lor]

the mother is getting annoying.  how is she doing her internship when she is obssesed with her daughter? 

every week the news program gets more insane. its not even funny. i dont watch the voice so i had to look up the curly sue joke.

[Machiabelly]

My recording ended early. What was wrong with the new reporter?

Secret red head?

[Machiabelly]

Thanks. 

[OtterMommy]

Great News in the media!

[OtterMommy]

Great News has been renewed for season 2.

[OtterMommy]

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Carol is excited when Chuck asks her to wait for the cable guy at his townhouse, until Chuck gives an ominous warning that tests her curiosity. Meanwhile, Portia's phone gets hacked and Katie struggles not to read her private emails.

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Katie secretly investigates a celebrity phone hacking ring behind Greg's back. In Katie's absence, Carol falls into producing a piece on her favorite phone game, "Biscuit Blitz." Meanwhile, Chuck gets in hot water when Portia accuses him of mansplaining.

[AnnaRose]

2 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

Great News has been renewed for season 2.

I'm shocked.

[Phishbulb]

This show has some legitimately very funny jokes. "Josh Duggar and Jared Fogel's new reality show 'Property Pervs'" and the joke about how all of Carol's friends helped pick Curly Sue as the winner of The Voice made me LOL. Really glad this show got picked up for a second season; hope they pair it with "Superstore" or "The Good Place" on Thursday nights next season.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Phishbulb

[Kel Varnsen]

The snowmageddon episode was probably the funniest episode yet. It seems this show is improving every episode. Morning Wined Up was hilarious and something I hope they call back to. Also Katie's Frankenstein shirt made me laugh a lot.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/13/2017 at 7:02 PM, Phishbulb said:

Really glad this show got picked up for a second season; hope they pair it with "Superstore" or "The Good Place" on Thursday nights next season.

It's going to be between Will and Grace and This Is Us on Thursdays.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/05/14/nbc-fall-schedule-will-and-grace-this-is-us/101685882/

[ShelleySue]

This show is officially off of my DVR recordings.  

[Milburn Stone]

On 5/15/2017 at 4:41 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

It's going to be between Will and Grace and This Is Us on Thursdays.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/05/14/nbc-fall-schedule-will-and-grace-this-is-us/101685882/

ItCouldBeWorse.

[BoogieBurns]

They have to tone down the mother next season. The rest of the show is solid. I just can't stand her broad humor next to the somewhat standard single camera sitcom happening around her.