"The Michael Richards Show" (2000) TV series 2000-2001

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Creators:

Spike Feresten
Gregg Kavet
Michael Richards

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

24 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The show is about Vic Nardozza (Michael Richards), a lanky and bumbly P.I., working for McKay Investigative Services...

Plot Keywords:

Critically Bashed | Short Lived | Detective | Performer Name In Title | Television Flop

Cast

Michael Richards	...	Vic Nardozza (7 episodes, 2000)
William Devane	...	Brady McKay (7 episodes, 2000)
Bill Cobbs	...	Jack (7 episodes, 2000)
Amy Farrington	...	Stacey Devers (7 episodes, 2000)
Tim Meadows	...	Kevin Blakeley (7 episodes, 2000)
Claudia Rose	...	Poquito Mas waitress (3 episodes, 2000)

Runtime:

30 min (8 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Television

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Rob Lowe/Eminem (#26.1)" (2000)

Must-Seek TV

Can someone please explain to me why this show was greeted with so much hostility? Everyone in America ostensibly loved the character of Kramer on "Seinfeld," the number one show on TV when it ended in 1998. When "The Michael Richards Show" premiered two seasons later, critics and viewers were waiting with bibs on and knives raised... they called it "horrible," "terrible," and refused to watch it. With that type of public sentiment its no surprise the show only lasted seven episodes.

"The Michael Richards Show" was good... sometimes great. I loved him from his brilliant physicality on Seinfeld but before that as retarded janitor Stanley Spadowski in "UHF" and as the Bow-Tie Killer in "Problem Child." TMRS featured not only Richards and a colorful ensemble cast but- best yet- the writers from "Seinfeld"! (Including Spike Feresten, Gregg Kavet & Andy Robin) Sure, Richards was basically playing Kramer but the premise of him as a private detective allowed him to get into a wide variety of physical and comical jams. The writing was always smart, never cheap sitcom humor, and like Seinfeld every episode featured multiple story lines. In one episode the elderly Bill Cobb is particularly mean to Tim Meadows... when Meadows asks Richards for advice Richards informs him that Cobb has "death grumpiness," an ailment that all old people get just before they die. Meadows goes through the rest of the episode treating Cobb like a fragile baby, telling him how much he loves him and how much he's going to miss him. The old crank, of course, has no idea what's going on. It was hilarious.

Was TMRS television's greatest product? No. Should the show have gone on another 8 seasons? Never. Was it a funny and intelligent series that deserved better treatment from fans and critics? Absolutely. If they release the DVD you'll see what I mean.

GRADE: B+