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ajsnaves

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ajsnaves

ajsnaves

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Abby's unlicensed backyard bar hits a major snag when new landlord Bill, who recently inherited the house from his deceased aunt, shows up and proposes major changes.

I didn't hate it.  Willing to give it a few more episodes.  I like the idea of it being taped outdoors.

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MrWhyt

MrWhyt

I love Natalie Morales (Dub Dub 4eva!) but I wish this wasn't a multi cam with laugh track/sweetened audience. It was a pilot and they're always rough so i'll give it a few more before making a final decision.

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SnarkySheep

SnarkySheep

I tuned in mainly for Neil Flynn...overall I liked the characters themselves, but are they going to spend the entirety of every episode just in that bar/yard? Normally I'd assume not, but somehow I just don't see how they could be elsewhere with this one.

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jmonique

jmonique

Stupidest premise ever. I couldn’t get over Abby’s entitlement, but then again Natalie Morales’ charms have always escaped me.

Couldn’t make it through the episode and bailed. Can’t believe it’s a Mike Schur project, given how rote the dialog was.

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mcgkgm

mcgkgm

50 minutes ago, jmonique said:

Stupidest premise ever. I couldn’t get over Abby’s entitlement, but then again Natalie Morales’ charms have always escaped me.

Couldn’t make it through the episode and bailed. Can’t believe it’s a Mike Schur project, given how rote the dialog was.

Agreed.  It is just so far-fetched. And no way is she going to be able to get a business license, liquor license or insurance to run a bar in a residential backyard, but I guess maybe that will be a future episode plot.

I didn't realize it was a Mike Schur show.  That makes me sad, but also curious to see if maybe it gets better.

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biakbiak

biakbiak

3 hours ago, mcgkgm said:

I didn't realize it was a Mike Schur show.  That makes me sad, but also curious to see if maybe it gets better.

He’s just an exec producer not the creator or show runner so who knows how much he is involved.

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jmonique

jmonique

Pilots are notoriously bad so I gave it another shot.

I lasted 5 minutes. Doubling down on the stupid premise by digging into some of the 100+ stupid rules for the stupidly illegal backyard bar was too much. I’m out. Good luck, all.

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Loandbehold

Loandbehold

On 4/1/2019 at 1:43 AM, MrWhyt said:

I love Natalie Morales (Dub Dub 4eva!) but I wish this wasn't a multi cam with laugh track/sweetened audience. It was a pilot and they're always rough so i'll give it a few more before making a final decision. 

I had the exact same reaction, including Middleman  reference. Watched the second episode. Even w/ Natalie Morales, this show falls into the "I'll watch if I have nothing else to do" category.

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ajsnaves

ajsnaves

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I enjoyed this episode more than last week’s, so I will continue watching until it is canceled.

I’ve been to a few bars attatched to, or even part of, someone’s house. And all bars in my area have outdoor seating, and sometimes satellite bars outside. So the back yard bar thing doesn’t seem to outlandish to me. I do wonder about things like bathrooms and weather, but in the end, those are logistics I will assume have been thought out, so I will not think too much about them right now.

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SmithW6079

SmithW6079

(edited)
On 4/2/2019 at 7:58 AM, jmonique said:

Stupidest premise ever. I couldn’t get over Abby’s entitlement, but then again Natalie Morales’ charms have always escaped me.

Couldn’t make it through the episode and bailed. Can’t believe it’s a Mike Schur project, given how rote the dialog was.

Yes, it was awful. I, too, shut it off before it was halfway through. She's mad at the owner of the house for demanding his tenant not run an illegal business on his property, but we're supposed to root for her, in part because she's a veteran.

If I recall, she served as part of OEF, so at some point, there will no doubt be the obligatory episode where she has to confront her PTSD. 

Edited by SmithW6079
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Melina22

Melina22

Given the overwhelmingly negative reaction on this forum, I'm curious to see if the show is quickly cancelled. As noted, I found it pleasant enough, but I'm clearly in the minority. Then again, people who come here may not fit the demographic for this show. (Also, some shows take awhile to get going. Hardly anyone enjoyed Parks and Rec in season 1. Babylon 5's first season was all but unwatchable.) I certainly won't be devastated if it's cancelled, I'm just curious to see what the consensus is. 

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biakbiak

biakbiak

5 hours ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

Sure, a bar operating as a business in a residence. In a city. OMG who thought this was a good idea? Plus isn’t sobriety the new black? Plus aren’t there real bars these morons could go to?

It’s not super crazy though he doesn’t charge. There used to be an illegal bar in the building next door to me in the basement of a bamboo bike shop, a more SF sentence doesn’t exist, it never got shutdown even though authorities knew about it. It only closed down because the building sold and the bike shop went out of business.

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AnimeMania

AnimeMania

21 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Given the overwhelmingly negative reaction on this forum, I'm curious to see if the show is quickly cancelled. As noted, I found it pleasant enough, but I'm clearly in the minority. Then again, people who come here may not fit the demographic for this show.

I am not that fond of the show, but the reason I joined "Previously TV/Primetimer" was so I could post about any TV show that I happened to watch without having to subscribe to multiple forums. I was gutted when IMDB shut down their forums. To pay them back for their betrayal, the only time I go to IMDB is to look up what actors were in what series. I admit that I am a little more negative than most people regarding plot holes in TV shows, and not very impressed with shows heavy in "character development" and "shipping".

I just stopped by this show's thread to see if anybody made a comment about how the show was supposed to film if the weather turns bad, they have to protect the set and the audience, as well as hide the fact that they are filming in sub-optimal conditions. I am guessing that this is still filmed in a movie lot, just outdoors. Answers please, before the thread loses too many more of the show's viewers.

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Melina22

Melina22

11 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I just stopped by this show's thread to see if anybody made a comment about how the show was supposed to film if the weather turns bad, they have to protect the set and the audience, as well as hide the fact that they are filming in sub-optimal conditions

Interesting question. Has a sitcom ever been filmed outside before? I did wonder if the cast or audience were cold or what would happen if it rained, but I assume it's filmed in California where supposedly it's always warm and dry. (Is that even true though? Where I live we just had an April snowstorm, so I know nothing about the California climate.) 

So will every episode be filmed after dark? I wonder what kind of weird schedule the cast would have to adopt if that's the case, although I guess the actual filming only happens once a week. 

As much as I don't mind the show (talk about faint praise!) if every episode is going to be set at the bar, it will be very confining in the long run. I think even Cheers was occasionally set in other places. 

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Aliconehead

Aliconehead

It's set in San Diego, not sure if it is filmed here also.  I will say that for the last few months, evening filming could have been cold and rainy.  It seems like every week we have gotten rain, but not every day so they could work around that.  There also could be a large canopy over the set which would solve the rain and possibly lighting issues 

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AnimeMania

AnimeMania

23 minutes ago, Aliconehead said:

It's set in San Diego, not sure if it is filmed here also.  I will say that for the last few months, evening filming could have been cold and rainy.  It seems like every week we have gotten rain, but not every day so they could work around that.  There also could be a large canopy over the set which would solve the rain and possibly lighting issues 

I had kind of thought about a canopy, but I was thinking that might create sound problems if it was raining.

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I think the best way to describe this show is "pleasant". Its not laugh out loud funny, but the actors are likable enough, and the first few episodes got a smile out of me. Its the kind of show to put on in the background when you want some background noise while doing work. I think it does have potential to get better though.

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arachne

arachne

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I forgot to pay attention was the old man who sits alone by Abby's back door in this episode?

Didn't see him this week. Strange that he would miss Free Alcohol Day. 

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

(edited)

As before, this show is just pleasant. Its just laugh out loud or particularly inventive or creative, but it has some funny lines and continues to be...pleasant.

The random cat in Abby's house made me giggle, I admit.

Edited by tennisgurl
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Blindfox

Blindfox

(edited)

I keep waiting for this show to get better, but it hasn’t so far. I like all of these actors - is it possible to take them and put them into an actually funny sitcom? 

The biggest problem I have with this is the character of Abby is not very likable. Everyone on the show seems to adore her, but they are seeing something I don’t see. She won’t let people sit at the bar (snob), she doesn’t let people get close to her (cold), and she’s completely inflexible and bossy. One reason Cheers worked is because it had a likable lead. This is no Cheers.

P.S. The random cat in Abby’s house was the first time I ever laughed at this show. Weirdly, I had a random cat show up in my house yesterday. That made me laugh, too.

Edited by Blindfox
Added stuff.
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zoey1996

zoey1996

I tuned in because of Neal Flynn.  It's ok for a way to pass the time, but I record it, I don't watch it in real time.  It won't take much to get me to watch something else instead.

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SnarkySheep

SnarkySheep

On 4/9/2019 at 5:35 PM, tennisgurl said:

I think the best way to describe this show is "pleasant". Its not laugh out loud funny, but the actors are likable enough

Yes, the actors seem likable, but the characters they are playing, not so much. For example, the blond woman - Beth? - seems to have two main personality traits, drinking wine and complaining about how much she hates her kids. At this point, they really should be expanding the characters more than that, rather than just falling back upon Established Character Traits. It's bad writing.

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Gothish520

Gothish520

3 minutes ago, SnarkySheep said:

Yes, the actors seem likable, but the characters they are playing, not so much. For example, the blond woman - Beth? - seems to have two main personality traits, drinking wine and complaining about how much she hates her kids. At this point, they really should be expanding the characters more than that, rather than just falling back upon Established Character Traits. It's bad writing.

In the last episode I think they did expand her character, with how she was hurt that Abby didn't tell her about her past relationship with the liquor sales rep, and we learned that she was pretty much the reason the bar started. I thought the scene between them was sweet.

They are only three episodes in at this point, but I agree that scenes like those that flesh out the characters are welcome. Not sure how long this will last though.

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SnarkySheep

SnarkySheep

On 4/15/2019 at 11:21 PM, Gothish520 said:

In the last episode I think they did expand her character, with how she was hurt that Abby didn't tell her about her past relationship with the liquor sales rep, and we learned that she was pretty much the reason the bar started. I thought the scene between them was sweet.

They are only three episodes in at this point, but I agree that scenes like those that flesh out the characters are welcome. Not sure how long this will last though.

I dunno...to me, the bar backstory didn't really fit too well. It might have if Abby had brought a few chairs out for Beth and her other lonely neighbors and kept it at that; but right now she is running a for-profit business based on said neighbors. I pretty much agree with Beth's assessment, that her relationship with Abby is less friends, more business. That doesn't mean Abby doesn't like her neighbors/customers, just that if they were not buying drinks from her, she most likely wouldn't have any relationship with them other than a casual wave from time to time.

Also, the whole backstory really put Beth in a creepy light for me (not that she kinda already wasn't, what with her whole existence being drinking and hating on her kids). We learned that SIX YEARS AGO, this woman already wanted to get away from her husband and small kids so badly that she was sitting in a stranger's yard drinking every night?? I'm sorry, but this isn't haha sitcom stuff IMO, but heading right into "this woman needs professional help ASAP." Her behavior is not in any way normal.

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Gothish520

Gothish520

(edited)
On 4/20/2019 at 2:26 AM, MakeMeLaugh said:

As I said to Mr MML, Cheers was set in a bar but it wasn’t really about the bar or drinking. This show is only about the bar and drinking, in a time when sobriety is a real thing.

Well, it was at least a little bit about drinking. The regulars must've put away a lot of booze since they were there all the time. Norm certainly seemed to enjoy having his face buried in a beer mug.* And Sam's alcoholism was plotline a time or two.

A show set in a bar is going to be about drinking.

On 4/27/2019 at 10:13 AM, Aliconehead said:

I think the problem is that there is no heart yet. The characters are too angry and hard. There needs some softness 

I'm still digging it. I love Nelson Franklin and like Neil Flynn and the rest of the cast. I'm ok with the lack of the warm fuzzies right now - the characters are gruff-ish but not mean or nasty, and if the show lasts I'm sure stuff like that will come. Looking back on Cheers, I wonder how I ever tolerated Carla, who was an awful human being, certainly much worse than any of these characters. 

*Which he did for how many hours a day, to avoid going home to his wife? And how often did he say anything nice about her, and how often did he duck her calls at the bar? (to @SnarkySheep's point about Beth complaining about and avoiding her family).

Edited by Gothish520
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MakeMeLaugh

MakeMeLaugh

54 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

Well, it was at least a little bit about drinking. The regulars must've put away a lot of booze since they were there all the time. Norm certainly seemed to enjoy having his face buried in a beer mug.* And Sam's alcoholism was plotline a time or two.

A show set in a bar is going to be about drinking.

I'm still digging it. I love Nelson Franklin and like Neil Flynn and the rest of the cast. I'm ok with the lack of the warm fuzzies right now - the characters are gruff-ish but not mean or nasty, and if the show lasts I'm sure stuff like that will come. Looking back on Cheers, I wonder how I ever tolerated Carla, who was an awful human being, certainly much worse than any of these characters. 

*Which he did for how many hours a day, to avoid going home to his wife? And how often did he say anything nice about her, and how often did he duck her calls at the bar? (to @SnarkySheep's point about Beth complaining about and avoiding her family).

I'm glad you're enjoying it--I hope it gets the time it needs to develop the characters for you.

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MakeMeLaugh

MakeMeLaugh

28 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

Lol well I appreciate that! I doubt it will last though. 😕

I really liked Natalie Morales in The Grinder—not sure imo Abby’s is the best fit for her, though. Maybe it’s the directing, but it’s hard to carry a show. If this show gets cancelled she should land on her feet and we’ll see her in something else soon.

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Gothish520

Gothish520

2 hours ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

I really liked Natalie Morales in The Grinder—not sure imo Abby’s is the best fit for her, though. Maybe it’s the directing, but it’s hard to carry a show. If this show gets cancelled she should land on her feet and we’ll see her in something else soon.

I loved The Grinder! That show deserved a second chance, I really wish it had been picked up by another network.

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MakeMeLaugh

MakeMeLaugh

4 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

I loved The Grinder! That show deserved a second chance, I really wish it had been picked up by another network.

The Grinder was soooo perfect the one year it was on that I almost didn’t mind it not being renewed as it might have gone downhill from there! That cast and writing were truly amazing.

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cpcathy

cpcathy

I attempted the first episode On Demand. It was not working for me. Other than all the great points you guys have made here, I noticed the jokes a) weren't funny and b) did not have time to breathe. I also felt weird being "dropped" into the pilot, supposedly knowing who everyone was. I think Cheers has the best sitcom pilot ever put on film, and it introduces us to everyone slowly, one at a time, even if the audience doesn't realize they're doing it.

And I'll also agree Cheers was not about drinking.

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