Lots of single parents with complications. Lots of large families in various combinations. Lots of ethnic families. And then there are blended ethnic families.
There are unlikely pairings of single parents that “become” families. There are blended cultures trying to become families.
And of course there’s the family member who moved away but now must return to the family.
And most of them are “loosely based on the writer or star’s life.”
Many sound ridiculously complicated or with large casts. A few have narrators. That always scares me. When you have so many characters that you can’t let their behavior describe them, when you have to tell the audience who they are and what their place in the series is that always signals trouble to me.
A number of them are clearly just vehicles for their stars. The family premise is just an afterthought.
Nothing sounded particularly original.
Which is why, execution is so critical. For all I know four or five of these pilots are great. They’re smartly written, perfectly cast, with fresh looks at familiar situations. It could be a banner crop of pilots, or another year of 9JKL’s.
Upfronts are next week and we’ll know soon enough. At least it’s nice to see that multi-cams appear to be back in favor (until none of them are picked up).
The irony is I don’t think you could sell FRIENDS today. Six white kids who go through their twenties together – not a chance.
from By Ken Levine
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