Back to You

It is interesting in this instant gratification generation that folks who saw the first show only are already on IMDb blasting this show. First episodes of 30 minute comedies are usually always a little slow. They have to develop characters so that the audience can relate to them later & then they will get better. These type of folks would have had other great ones over the years canceled.

For instance, CHEERS first episode is really no where near the quality that appeared later in the series. Seinfeld's first episode didn't even have Elaine yet, much less have it's characters fully developed. Barney Miller was very slow the first show. The list goes on, even in the 1960's the pilot to Green Acres is pretty slow. The first episode of Fraiser was nothing over the top either, but given time look where that show wound up.

This show first episode actually shows a lot of promise. It had to take time to develop the friction between the lead characters so that viewers could understand the friction between them which is sure to produce some funny shows later on. Kelsey Grammar & Patricia Heaton are both very good performers, & it shows in the first show.

There is a lot of promise here as when the scripts come along, which I believe they will, the show will get stronger. We have the situation created here where the elements of News Radio can be combined with some unique situations to become an excellent show. The supporting cast looks like they have the potential to come in & strengthen it too.

This type of situation comedy has been done before, but given time to mature, this show can be as big or even bigger than those past series. Let's just hope the instant gratification generation is not running things at FOX. This show had potential but I heard Fox has canceled it.

I love this show!! It's so funny, and so unlike all the other shows that are on TV right now. The two lead actors (Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton) are so good together, it's the perfect pairing. They are just SO funny. Every time I watch an episode, I end up laughing my head off. Everything is so perfect, and they have such great interactions. The supporting characters are great, too. It's so refreshing to see a show on anymore that's actually funny. Whenever I think of the show (usually when I'm sitting at my desk in school) I just burst out laughing, which results in a lot of weird looks. There's such great chemistry, it's really a near perfect show.

Network: Fox; Genre: Sitcom; Content Rating: TV-PG (for some language and sexual innuendo); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: 1 season

In the mist of a career nose dive, Chuck Darling (Kelsey Grammar) returns to the local news station where he got his start and former co-anchor Kelly Carr (Patricia Heaton) still holds up shop. He meets all the newscast regulars: the sportscaster (Fred Willard), the weathergirl (Ayda Field), the hung out to dry field reporter (Ty Burrell) and the geeky young news director (Josh Gadd).

It isn't long before we learn that Chuck and Kelly once, as sitcoms always so elegantly put it, "did it" and Chuck learns that this night actually led to the birth of Kelly's 10-year old-daughter Gracie. Cue the sex jokes. And keep them coming until the series finale.

"Back to You" would be disposable as another lame network sitcom. It's the sheer wattage of talent attached to it that makes the show such a disappointment. Emmy-winners Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton are put together on the same set with halfway decent chemistry between them despite the glaring age difference. Mr & Mrs. Comic Timing. Behind the camera we've got serial-writer Steven Levitan ("Just Shoot Me") and Christopher Lloyd ("Frasier"). So, frankly, I just don't know what happened here. How did such a classy group of actors get buried under a pile of sitcom sex jokes? It's like the "Frasier" side of the series duked it out with the "Just Shoot Me"/"Stacked"/"Oliver Beene" side of the series and Levitan won.

The aforementioned set-up, Chuck, Kelly and their kid, becomes all "Back to You" can think about. Every single episode of the single season run orbits closely revolves around this idea. It grows tiresome quickly, never evolving, never giving the leads something else that might flesh them out. Character jokes, local news media jokes, rival anchor jokes, forget all that - Chuck and Kelly have a kid together. Chuck quickly goes from arrogant ladies man (funny) to a man serious about being a father (unfunny). He instantly falls in love with Gracie and wants the world to know it regardless of the detriment to himself, his job, Kelly or Gracie.

"Back" has a "'Till Death" formula to it. Like Fox is taking all these stars from modern classic sitcoms and using their name to pump life into an otherwise worthless show, while they slum through collecting a paycheck still able to deliver the goods giving 10% of their skill set. Grammar and Heaton are able to strain some laughs out of the material. There are a few good one liners. I can't lie. That is more than I can say for most sitcoms. Ty Burrell makes a good impression as a likable comic klutz, but "Back to You" marks a comedy first for me. This is the first time I've ever not found Fred Willard funny.

* * / 4

This is one of the funniest shows I've seen for some time, witty dialogue, two great lead comedy actors in Kelsey Grammar, and the gorgeous Patricia Heaton, with a good supporting cast. Unlike some, I found every one of the 17 completed episodes to be very enjoyable, thought Grammar and Heaton had great chemistry together, and the situations were always funny. Unfortunately, network executives don't always make wise decisions, and they stuffed up big time in canceling this show, that due to the writers strike, didn't even complete the first season. They didn't give it a chance, and therefore lost a potential classic. Thank God they've released it on a nice little DVD set, and we can at least enjoy the 17 episodes over and over. I for one would love to see Kelsey & Patricia teamed again in the future. Many far inferior shows to this one have gone on year after year!

I was looking forward to seeing this show, but I wasn't sure when it was coming on. Luckily, I happened to scroll by it just as it was starting up. It has a great cast, a good premise, but the writing fails to impress. Many of the jokes are obvious one-liners that aren't even funny. Kelsey Grammar can't even save any of the lines. There is no originality, no cleverness; I could have written this show. The only good parts are when it is dramatic; the "humor" makes my head hurt. I need a good, original sitcom besides the shows that I watch on NBC, and this doesn't do the trick. It should be canceled soon. However, I'm giving it a 5 because the cast could possibly be able to save it.