Sons & Daughters

This is absolutely my FAVORITE new show on television and I really hope the network gives it the chance it deserves. However, by running it against American Idol, ABC pretty much signed its death warrant. I'd started watching Sons & Daughters because American Idol has been such a disappointment this season. Now, after having talked up the show for WEEKS, I got my family and co-workers to watch, only to find that each of the ten episodes has already run and there are no upcoming episodes scheduled. This show and the actors on it are brilliant. I do see the similarities between this and Arrested Development, but I'd also compare it to Curb Your Enthusiasm since some of the dialog is improvised. This show is wonderful and I sincerely hope ABC sees its way clear to give it a "thumbs up."

I realize that everyone has an inherent right to express their own opinion. And, I guess if you don't like Sons & Daughters, you really don't like it. My concern is that Mr. Goss and Mr. Holly are pioneers in the wasteland of current, every-shows-a-reality-show network television. As such, they are bound to present new and heretofore unexperienced moments in television watching. History teaches us that we, as a species, fear the unknown. Therefore, we really don't want to know about it at all, let alone experience it. But, Fred and Nick are giving it to us anyway. And it's wonderful. If you read the ABC blog and the IMDb boards, the show is cultivating a base of excited, open-minded individuals thankful, ecstatic even, for the fresh, new and exciting television brought to viewers by Sons & Daughters. For those afraid of television that breaks the formula, I beg you to give it another chance. Keep an open mind. If we didn't have pioneers, would the west have been settled? Would Hollywood have been built? Would television have been born? And even if you still hate Sons & Daughters, perhaps you could allow for the fact that this show may just open the door for a whole new format of network situation comedy or dramedy, as the case may be. And you may just fall in love with those shows looming in the not-to-distant television future. Subsequently, you would have Fred Goss and Nick Holly to thank for your future favorite flavor of network TV. So, try to set aside your ignorance and your fear and embrace the new and the unknown as the catalysts to positive change. And, in those regards, in the here-and-now, give Sons & Daughers a chance. (This goes for you, too, ABC!)

I downloaded this show because, well, apart from living in England and thus not having ABC, I download most new shows, but I rarely bother getting the second episode unless it's really good. I wasn't expecting much from this, the title isn't especially gripping, and anyway is the title of a lame duck Aussie soap from way back :) However, about 5 minutes in, my friend and I simultaneously announced 'wow, this is actually really good!' and now, having seen the first two episodes, I am really impressed. We both were.

Sadly, however, it will probably be cancelled because it demands too much of a lazy, apathetic viewer. It has more than 4 characters, it has overlapping dialogue, it has actors who look like real people (gasp) instead of blow-up dolls, and it requires a (hear the bell toll, Fred) sense of irony to appreciate the comedy. Shame you guys didn't make this in Europe - you would be set for life :/ I hope it lasts though, the kids are great, it had some laugh-out-loud moments, and enough acidic humour to keep me chuckling after the credits roll - more than I can say for Two and a Half Men and their ilk. I liked that I didn't know any of the actors too, star vehicles are tedious affairs. I loved Arrested Development, and while I don't accept that this is a rehash or replacement of that show, I do see some similarities. It is intelligently written, it's different, and I hope that people give it a chance, before writing it off, just because it isn't what we're used to.

This series was excellent. Never in recent years ,has there been another network sitcom where the cast of characters were so genuinely quirky and not forced.The actors were very good at owning their characters in such a short time. The writing was unique, because the punch-lines and timing were not typical. Maybe it was canceled because there was no laugh track. Some might say that it was a failure. I would say not because every episode was well crafted. Their is an assumption that Americans need another dumbed down formulaic situation comedy. This should make any human being with more than two Gray cells to spark together very sad. If an audience were looking for a show that had wit ,great writing,good acting,improvisation and comic timing,this was it. Given time, this could have been another Seinfeld. It is my hope that they at least release the season on DVD. One of these networks might get the idea some day ,of testing some of their shows that are on the fence, by putting them on their websites and see how many hits they get. Time will show just how good this show really was. maybe our sons and daughters will appreciate it.

I was a fan of "Significant Others" which was broadcast on Bravo a couple of years ago and which had Fred Goss in the cast. I found that show very entertaining due to it's talented cast, witty writing and lack of a laugh track. I like this show even more. While some viewers seem to find Goss irritating, I think he's great. What a pleasure to see Max Gail again! As a matter of fact, I think the whole cast is superb. Their facial expressions are spot on and the dialogue (either written or improvised) is head and shoulders above the usual sitcom fare. I remember reading somewhere that this show is just a placeholder for something else on ABC which means its lifespan could be pretty short. That would be a shame since this the best thing to come down the pike since Arrested Development and we know what happened to that worthy effort.