"Center of the Universe" (2004) TV series 2004-2005

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Creators:

Nat Bernstein
Mitchel Katlin

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 October 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The world doesn't revolve around John...but his family does.

Cast

John Goodman	...	John Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Jean Smart	...	Kate Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Spencer Breslin	...	Miles Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Olympia Dukakis	...	Marge Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Edward Asner	...	Art Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Diedrich Bader	...	Tommy Barnett (12 episodes, 2004-2005)
Melinda McGraw	...	Lily Barnett (11 episodes, 2004-2005)

Runtime:

30 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

15 Episodes of the show were produced but only 10 episodes got to air because CBS canceled it with 5 un-aired episodes remaining.

Not really bad so much as disappointingly average

Press coverage of this would have the average reader thinking this show is disastrously bad. This is unfair to the very strong cast. If anything, in fact, the cast is TOO strong. There's no reason in the world Ed Asner and Olympia Dukakis were hired to play the main character's parents--neither of their roles ever rise above standard sitcom clichés. The same is true for all of the regular cast. The situations, plots, and laugh lines might be more attractive if they didn't look so shopworn and threadbare next to the sterling cast list.

None of this means the show isn't watchable--it is. The network probably wonders why they're shelling out so much money for all those Emmy- and Oscar-winners, though, since a cast of nobodies would probably make just as good a show.