'The Carmichael Show': A look at the new program and what's happening with NBC comedy
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
This spring, NBC, home of such classic comedies as 鈥淐heers鈥� and 鈥淪einfeld,鈥� got the public鈥檚 attention when it announced that it would only have two comedies on its slate for this coming fall.
More comedies would be arriving in the spring, but only the show 鈥淯ndateable鈥� and a new program titled 鈥淭ruth Be Told鈥� will be looking for laughs on NBC in the autumn, according to the network. And 鈥淭ruth鈥� is airing on Fridays, regarded in the TV world as a less prestigious time than during the week.
However, a new comedy has debuted on NBC this month 鈥� and it鈥檚 being called "promising" by some critics.聽
鈥淭he Carmichael Show鈥� stars Jerrod Carmichael, a stand-up comic, as a character of the same name who lives with his girlfriend Maxine (Amber Stevens), while actors David Alan Grier, Loretta Devine, and Lil Rel Howery play Jerrod鈥檚 parents and brother.聽
The show, which was co-created by Carmichael and 鈥淣eighbors鈥� director Nicholas Stoller, debuts on Aug. 26. Two episodes of the program will run on Wednesdays for the next couple of weeks. NBC shows like 鈥淏lindspot鈥� and 鈥淗eroes Reborn鈥� return later in September.聽
The schedule for 鈥淐armichael鈥� is an odd way to air the show and certainly different from the planned roll-out for fellow sitcom 鈥淭ruth Be Told,鈥� which debuts on Oct. 16 along with other high-profile NBC shows. But despite its unusual debut schedule, 鈥淐armichael鈥� is getting some good reviews from critics. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times 鈥渦nusually topical and thematically pointed for a people-on-a-couch comedy in the year 2015鈥�. The star is as good as he needs to be, given the excellent company.鈥� Molly Eichel of AV Club that 鈥渨hen the show 鈥� allows [Carmichael] to explore [social justice] issues and expand on his voice that it begins to show real promise.鈥� Hollywood Reporter critic Keith Uhlich to be 鈥渄eeper than expected鈥� and also wrote that the program 鈥渉as 鈥� promise鈥�. [T]he cast works very well together鈥�.[T]he performers manage to spin gold from the little details that govern this particular clan.鈥澛�
Not all critics are won over. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times "a clich茅-filled m茅lange featuring terrible acting." But the fact that the show hasn鈥檛 gotten a complete thumbs-down from reviewers is interesting. The spring season will be a much bigger time for comedy at NBC, with such shows as the Rob Lowe program 鈥淵ou, Me and the End of the World,鈥� the America Ferrera show 鈥淪uperstore,鈥� and the new 鈥淐oach鈥� show with Craig T. Nelson debuting.
Comedy at NBC is in flux, but 鈥淭he Carmichael Show鈥� is an intriguing program on its network lineup.
