First Thoughts on Kevin Can Wait

Being more of a movie fan whose television watching consists mostly of 70s and 80s TV reruns, if I get into something current on television it is either through word-of-mouth or channel surfing and finding something interesting to watch. Having watched some CBS show that must have been so interesting that I don't even remember which show it was, learning that Kevin James is coming back to series television with a new show is the first time in years I have looked forward to a TV show.

I like Kevin James as an actor for several reasons. Of course he is funny and does a lot of physical comedy, but he can also be touching and sympathetic in his performance, not coming off like someone who is interested in delivering the laugh while not caring whether they offended their audience. Along the same lines he is, in my opinion, a family-friendly presence among a dying breed in the world of entertainment. His movies are among the few I wouldn't hesitate to put on the TV when family and friends of all ages are around. I can't say the same for a lot of fare that's on TV at any time of the day.

I also cannot give a fair assessment of his new show from one episode. Positive or negative, one episode does not make a series and it takes a few episodes to get a feel for a show's staying power. Additionally as I had seen the CBS preview show hosted by Kevin James as well several promos for the show, I had seen much of this first episode already, and really want to kick myself for not allowing myself an undiluted first experience.

The premise of the show is Kevin plays...uhm...a guy named Kevin. He has just retired from the police force and is looking forward to his retirement "me" time, spending more time with his family and doing all those macho guy-things with his retired buddies.

Screeeeeech!

Enter his eldest daughter who not only shows up with her boyfriend from college to introduce him to dad for the first time, but she also drops the bombshell that they are engaged. Oh, and there is a cherry on top as well: she is dropping out of college to support him while he is developing his "app" that will be the next big thing.

Yes, the boyfriend, though a nice guy who does care about Kevin's daughter, is a geek, and not the sports loving, beer swilling, macho kind of guy dad would like to hang out with, and frankly dad doesn't like the guy for that very reason. But Kevin does have a soft spot, and his daughter, her dreams, what makes her happy and, yes, even if that includes a boyfriend dad can't hang with, are more important than his plans for retirement.

Hence, Kevin Can Wait to enjoy his retirement plans while he lets his daughter and his soon to be son-in-law move into his home so she can continue with school. Naturally there are going to be adjustments, and potential entertainment value in those adjustments.

This first episode, though spoiled through my own fault of watching previews and promos, did offer quite a few chuckles still. It's much of the same character he played in Kings of Queens, but with three kids this time around and certainly different challenges as he has to be even more responsible, an entertaining choir in itself as Kevin James often and well portrays a 12 year boy trapped in an adult body.

No previews for me before next week's episode. The show looks promising so far. The pilot was solidly written. Kevin James' real life brother, Gary Valentine, is a part of the cast, as well a few familiar faces from shows and movies he has done. One of the advantages James has with bringing his friends along is they always seem to have fun together and that fun element spills into the audience. With the potential fun factor of Kevin James and friends, a fresh approach for him playing a father in an overall different situation, and so far some solid writing, it looks hopeful for another hit series for Kevin James.

Toxic Fletch

TV Review: Leverage - The Office Job (2011)

TV Series: Leverage (2008-2012) - USA

Episode: The Office Job (Season 4, Episode 12; Original Airdate: Dec. 4, 2011)

Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Series Regulars: Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, Aldis Hodge

Guest Stars: Josh Randall, Gene Freedman, Blake Lindsley, Peter Stormare

It's Leverage meets The Office in perhaps the funniest episode of the series and one of the most entertaining.

A long time employee of the Good Cheer Greeting Card Company has been fired but smells a rat as he suspects the CEO of embezzlement and driving the company into the ground. The team goes in under the guise of efficiency consultants but find themselves in the midst of an ongoing documentary being filmed at the same time. Improvising, they use the camera crew to their advantage, but it soon becomes evident that things aren't as clear cut as a simple embezzlement as the CEO is too dimwitted to accomplish that on his on, if he's even involved, and if it's even embezzlement that is at the heart of the matter.

Leverage often has tongue in cheek moments but this one episode goes for the throat in humor. In a parody of The Office, the Leverage team takes asides from the job at hand to speak to the camera about each other providing some humorous moments. Unlike The Office, this is actually funny.

The one difference I found was the usually astute and well planned Leverage team in this is more improvisational. They roll with the punches well and everything comes out fine in the end as is always the case, but getting there has several detours for the sake of humor that the usual episode does not.

My Rating: 5 Fingers. Although I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and it had become one of my favorites, it is a different approach to both the usual assignment and on the characters themselves which some purists may find a little off-putting...but not me.

Get the complete 4th season of Leverage on DVD

TV Review: Columbo - A Stitch in Crime (1973)

TV Series: Columbo (1971-1978, 1989-2003) - USA

Episode: A Stitch in Crime (Season 2, Episode 6; Original Airdate: Feb. 11, 1973)

Directed by Hy Averback

Series Regulars: Peter Falk

Guest Stars: Leonard Nimoy, Anne Francis, Will Geer, Nita Talbot, Aneta Corsaut, Jared Martin

Even with Leonard Nimoy as the guest murderer this episode is a letdown due to a rushed and inconclusive ending.

A surgeon (Nimoy) plots to kill his research partner and fellow doctor (Geer) by botching his heart operation with improper sutures. A nurse (Francis) becomes suspect and he kills her to keep her quiet. Along comes Columbo to solve the murder of the nurse, but can he catch the killer and save his original intended victim before the surgery goes wrong?

In an unusual twist for a Columbo mystery, the intended victim has not been killed yet, but instead someone who suspects what the killer is up to is the murder victim. Unfortunately this is not the only deviation from the usual formula for a Columbo mystery, but the other deviations bring it down.

Being one of the shorter (74 minutes) Columbo movies to fill a 90 minute airtime it is a little rushed. Columbo comes into the case almost immediately suspecting the surgeon of the crime, I guess because he wondered about him bothering to set his clock while he heard about the news of the nurse's death. A pretty weak reason to suspect someone of anything. The conclusion is just as weak, as it happens abruptly. You can almost hear the director telling them they have to wrap it up in a few seconds with Columbo's speed in finding the fatal clue.

For me the even weaker part is that with the evidence Columbo has found, he has proven nothing more than attempted murder as it does nothing to tie (pun not intended) the surgeon to the two people he actually did kill.

Having watched many Columbo movies over the years I had never seen this one and was looking forward to a treat with Leonard Nimoy as the killer. Needless to say I was quite disappointed. At least it does provide one of the few times that Columbo gets angry with a suspect; the only other time that comes to mind for me is when Robert Conrad played a killer and Columbo lashed out at him in a hospital.

My Rating: 2 Fingers. Despite any good performances and it still being entertaining because it is Columbo, the rushed ending is a disappointment and the inconclusive evidence is a head scratcher.

Get this episode on DVD in Columbo - The Complete Second Season

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