The Agency's Posts

Fast & Furious 6: High-speed series still thrills, critics say: Showing no signs of slowing down -- quite literally -- the "Fast & Furious"....
Read More>

Outside the Comfort Zone and Into Sketch Comedy: Amy Schumer, a breath of foul-mouthed fresh air as a stand-up comic, seems noticeably less....
Read More>

Don’t Bring Daddy to School for Vocation Day: ‘The Iceman,’ With Michael Shannon as Richard Kuklinski In “The Iceman”
Read More>

One Last Cringe for The Office Finale: LOS ANGELES — Sometime in Season 3 of “The Office,” its creator, Greg....
Read More>

Adult Head Games, Focused on a Child: Henry James’s short novel “What Maisie Knew” was suggested by a friend’s
Read More>

Bang, Boom: Terrorism as a Game: Right before I saw “Iron Man 3,” a publicist implored the several hundred attendees....
Read More>

Model Moves Bootcamp - May 11th: Get $100 discount for Model Moves Commercial Boot Camp on May 11th. Please join me, Shawn....
Read More>

Paladino Casting Workshop - How to Book the Job: ***HOW TO BOOK THE JOB** Do you have the passion, talent, and drive, but aren't....
Read More>

Iron Man 3: Don Cheadle and Avengers 2: Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes has been a minor, though important, character in the &ldq
Read More>

Tonys: That Hollywood-Broadway transition is harder than it looks: NEW YORK -- When Shia LaBeouf dropped out of the Broadway revival “Orphans” because....
Read More>

'Pain & Gain' is No. 1 in U.S.; 'Iron Man 3' opens huge abroad: Star power didn't do much to attract moviegoers to the multiplex this weekend, as two....
Read More>

Baz Luhrmann wants to 'reveal' more of 'The Great Gatsby': The Directors: The filmmaker is concerned with what's in the novel — and what isn't. He....
Read More>

‘Iron Man 3′: Tony Stark lives by his wits in Marvel’s latest: Robert Downey Jr. stood frozen in pain after leaping onto a platform of an oil tanker on the....
Read More>

'Pain & Gain' to strong-arm rivals at weekend box office: There will likely be less pain than gain for Paramount Pictures at the box office this....
Read More>
Television review: Matthew Perry is best thing about 'Go On'
Posted on: 08/11/12
Share/Save/Bookmark

The new NBC sitcom starring the former 'Friends' star as a Type A sports talk radio host show has promise — if he can deliver.

 

or reasons that don't make an awful lot of sense, many people remain concerned about the fate of "Friends"cast members who are not Jennifer Aniston. We applaud the comedic elasticity of Lisa Kudrow, pulled for Courteney Coxto overcome the initial premise of "Cougar Town," cheer when Matt LeBlanc parodies himself on"Episodes" and wonder whatever happened to David Schwimmer.

This fond, familial (and most certainly nonreciprocal) fretting reaches its zenith around Matthew Perry, who played the admittedly endearing Chandler Bing. Perry, who, over the years, has yo-yoed in weight, health and sobriety, seems to embody our collective hopes and fears regarding TV stardom — that it doesn't guarantee anything but headlines every time you enter rehab.

We rooted for him when, post-"Friends," he starred in the short-lived "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and again when, last year, he created and starred in ABC's short-lived "Mr. Sunshine."

PHOTOS: 'Friends': Where are they now?

And we're rooting for him still, with the premiere of his newcomedy, NBC's "Go On," which reunites him with "Friends" writer Scott Silveri to chronicle a sports radio host who reluctantly enters a support group after the tragic death of his wife. (The network is airing the sitcom's premiere early in order to capitalize on its huge Olympics audiences.)

Therapy, like oddball roommate situations and wacky workplaces, has been a popular comedic go-to ever since Bob Newhart practically invented the genre. "Frasier" took it to the radio, Kudrow to the Internet on "Web Therapy," the now defunct (and still missed) "Head Case" got celebrities involved, and Charlie Sheen was resurrecting his career playing a therapist-heal-thyself on"Anger Management."

Sheen's show bears an eerie resemblance to "Go On," in structure and intent, if not tone. Where fury, unbridled ego and the potential of true madness fuel "Anger Management," "Go On" has a kinder, gentler power source.

VIDEO: Watch previews of 'Go On,' 'Animal Practice'

Perry no doubt knows the complicated tripwires of "recovery," but here he is taking a surprisingly simplistic, almost retro route, with a character who might have wandered into Newhart's office, who cannot speak about the healing process without the aid of verbal quotation marks.

He plays Ryan King, an acerbic, rapid fire, Type A sports talk radio host who does not think much of having feelings, much less sharing them. Instead, Perry's character believes that work is the panacea for all ills. His boss (John Cho) disagrees, and for reasons that are strangely unclear (and possibly actionable), tells King that he must seek help — 10 sessions worth to be precise — before he will be allowed back into the studio.

The best thing about "Go On" is, not surprisingly, Perry, who, like Sheen over at "Anger Management," knows what he does best on TV. If Chandler Bing had lost Monica, he would be Ryan King, instantly light and dark, funny and sad, a comedic version of a thousand Broken Men who have followed the gimpy footsteps and acidic mutterings of Hugh Laurie's"House."

Within minutes of entering his first support group session, King has instigated a bracket-structured grief face-off — "March Sadness" — that allows him to show just how fast-thinking and tough-talking he is. It is shut down by the appearance of group leader Lauren (Laura Benanti) who, as luck and the demands of the genre would have it, is young and lovely and just as feisty in her beliefs as King is sardonic in his. They play off each other well enough and will no doubt make a lovely couple someday.

No one will be surprised to learn that by the end of the pilot, King has conceded the value of facing his pain, which leaves one wondering what the show will actually be about. If it simply follows King's smart-mouth journey to self-realization then, frankly, I'm not interested. How many well-employed, reasonably attractive, witty and over-dialogued white men do we have to watch come to terms with the realities of possessing a human heart?

If, however, Silveri and Perry use their easy-fit, patter-friendly main character to create a true collective, slowly deepening each character until a fuller portrait of survival emerges, well, that might be worth watching. The supporting cast is up to the task, so the question becomes: Is Perry the engine for a new ensemble comedy or is "Go On" just his latest post-"Friends" vehicle?

COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal