[astrohip]

Call Your Mother, a new ABC sitcom, premiered Wed Jan 13 2021. Stars Kyra Sedgwick.

wiki
The series follows an empty nest mother, who decides to be close to her children by moving cross country in order to be with them, much to their chagrin.

Very mixed opinions on this. I almost stopped watching ten minutes in, then it got better, then it got funny, then it didn't, then it ended ok. Like watching a roller coaster of :thumbsdown::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsdown::thumbsup:. Part of the problem for me is Kyra Sedgwick. She just isn't working for me in this role. She's not the kind of personality I would have cast. She has an edge to her that plays wrong in this setting (IMHO). Great for Deputy Chief Madeline Wuntch, not so great for this.

I like the kids, the partners are funny, potential with the Incredi-Host. But she isn't working for me. Maybe it'll get better. We'll see how the next episode or two settle in.

 

[Donbadabon]

I thought it was good for a pilot. I didn't turn it off, and it was good enough for me to stick with it and see what happens.
I have no point of reference for Kyra Sedgwick, other than I've heard the name somewhere.

 

[hapster85]

Just watched it. It was ok. I'll try a couple of more episodes and see how it goes.

Love Sedgwick in The Closer, which is where I'm most familiar with her. Even though that was a crime drama, it contains a lot of humor, but it's of a totally different nature. So while I know she can be funny, I'm not sure yet if she can be sit-com funny.

 

[Donbadabon]

I did like that the laughs were muted, and didn't overpower the scenes like on most sitcoms. Maybe there was a limited audience? Or the producers just didn't sweeten them. Either way I appreciated it.

 

[TIVO_GUY_HERE]

I liked the dog

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[series5orpremier]

Not bad, but I didn't like the family. I would have rather left with Celia and Lane and watched the sitcom that's centered around them.

 

[TonyD79]

Meh. Too much in half an hour. But it’s a pilot, so, I’ll give it a few shows.

 

[Steveknj]

Meh. Too much in half an hour. But it's a pilot, so, I'll give it a few shows.

I agree. It was exactly that, meh. I'll watch another episode or two, but the mom is kind of a lightweight Beverly Goldberg and not nearly as funny.

 

[ricks77]

I agree. It was exactly that, meh. I'll watch another episode or two, but the mom is kind of a lightweight Beverly Goldberg and not nearly as funny.

Yes. Kyra was outstanding as Brenda Leigh Johnson in The Closer("Thank you!") but IMO doesen't quite fit as a sitcom mom...

 

[Steveknj]

Yes. Kyra was outstanding as Brenda Leigh Johnson in The Closer("Thank you!") but IMO doesen't quite fit as a sitcom mom...

I don't know if it's Kyra exactly, the material, the acting in general. It just seems very blah.

 

[series5orpremier]

Saw the 2nd episode last night and I liked it more than the pilot. To me the series is solid compared to some other sitcoms that make it to air. Don't know if I'll make time to watch it indefinitely but it's not bad.

 

[TonyD79]

Second episode felt like a second pilot. The show is just too cliche. Ditch the loopy media girl. And the gay roommate sets gay roommates back about 15 years. It’s a mess that needs to find a center. Too many characters that do nothing.

 

[Family]

Too many characters that do nothing.

Too many characters that are nothing. Not funny, not interesting.

 

[series5orpremier]

The ensemble cast is part of what makes it good. So far the girlfriend and roommate have been the moral compass/voices of reason for the kids. The characters can evolve and they can see what works and what doesn't. Even if this series doesn't last I predict it's going to open other doors for Austin Crute and Emma Caymares in other sitcoms.

 

[Steveknj]

Second episode felt like a second pilot. The show is just too cliche. Ditch the loopy media girl. And the gay roommate sets gay roommates back about 15 years. It's a mess that needs to find a center. Too many characters that do nothing.

This. I felt the second episode was a bit funnier, but still not great. And after watching a couple of episodes of Mad About You (the revivial) right before, this seemed SO unfunny compared. I agree, the loopy "influencer" is just dumb as rocks. Is that what these people are like or is that just what we've become? It's scary if that's what influences people these days (and yes, Get off my lawn!!) I agree about the gay character, that was written as a stereotype. Terrible. I may or may not give it another episode.

 

[astrohip]

I agree with much of what @Steveknj said. Part of what makes a sitcom watch-worthy (IMHO) is that fine balance between making it funny, but not making it stupid. So far, the balance isn't there (and you can guess which way I think it falls ).

It's insulting to us as viewers when characters do dumb things, or the writers create beyond-ridiculous situations, and we're supposed to find it funny. For example, the mom gets lost in LA. They call the police. C'mon, it's not like she's stranded in the Sahara. She's lost in LA, just call an Uber and go home. Or if you're that stupid, walk into a Starbucks and ask for help.

I like the premise, but the writers haven't found the tone yet. I'll give it a couple more, but it needs to gel. And quickly.

As a conversely... Call Me Kat started similarly, but after a couple episodes, is finding its voice. Let's hope Call Your Mother can too.

 

[Steveknj]

I agree with much of what @Steveknj said. Part of what makes a sitcom watch-worthy (IMHO) is that fine balance between making it funny, but not making it stupid. So far, the balance isn't there (and you can guess which way I think it falls ).

It's insulting to us as viewers when characters do dumb things, or the writers create beyond-ridiculous situations, and we're supposed to find it funny. For example, the mom gets lost in LA. They call the police. C'mon, it's not like she's stranded in the Sahara. She's lost in LA, just call an Uber and go home. Or if you're that stupid, walk into a Starbucks and ask for help.

I like the premise, but the writers haven't found the tone yet. I'll give it a couple more, but it needs to gel. And quickly.

As a conversely... Call Me Kat started similarly, but after a couple episodes, is finding its voice. Let's hope Call Your Mother can too.

I forgot about that lost in LA stuff. I know they are trying to make the mom a "bumpkin" but she's definitely aware of what most of us are aware of. Though they HAVE shown a couple of times she has no idea how to use her phone (to be fair, my dad is the same way, there's no way he'd every figure out how to use Uber unless someone showed him how, and even then...). And she wasn't really lost, it was the kids overreacting to what she was doing....the kids who one episode made it feel like they couldn't care less about her. Again, she's trying to be the overbearing mom, but I just don't feel it from her. I definitely agree, it is much more stupid than funny.

 

[astrohip]

I'm out. The dumb/stupid outweighs the funny. The kids are killing it for me.

The way the girlfriend rolls her eyes at her boyfriend (the son). That's how I feel.

 

[Donbadabon]

I struggled with this last episode. It is just so dumb.
I'm gonna try one more, only because I don't have much in the queue right now.

 

[Steveknj]

I'm out. The dumb/stupid outweighs the funny. The kids are killing it for me.

The way the girlfriend rolls her eyes at her boyfriend (the son). That's how I feel.

We're out too. Same reasons as you. And all of these people get on my last nerve. I can't think of one that doesn't. For a sitcom, especially one where the pilot was so bad, I gave it as much time as it deserved.