Pilot Review: Dads

Dads (FOX)
Premiered September 17 at 8pm

This show was off to a bad start thanks to early negative reviews about the racist content of its pilot. It’s impossible to argue that, thanks to the image of Brenda Song’s Asian assistant Veronica dressed in a schoolgirl outfit. But the unfortunate part is that the show itself is far from competent, taking an amusing but unimaginative premise and not putting much effort in to make it any more creative. I wouldn’t think to call upon Seth Green to do anything intellectual, but Giovanni Ribisi, an Emmy nominee for his guest spot on “My Name is Earl” and a frequent presence on “Friends,” often makes more mature role choices. Here, they’re both bland working types whose level of productivity at work is matched by the strength of their relationships with their fathers. Martin Mull and Peter Riegert both have longer resumes, but that’s more regrettable than anything given the unsophisticated nature of the parts they have here. The show’s title is simple, and the show is even simpler. It’s an example of a time where someone said “Wouldn’t it be funny if…” and then relied on that concept to be hilarious in its own right. Two business partners with live-in crotchety, cheap dads is absolutely expected, and this show isn’t interested in turning that into a viable idea for comic purposes. Song is merely trapped on a show that was terrible to begin with, and isn’t doing itself any favors by stranding her miserable excuse for a character in its universe.

How will it work as a series? I don’t think more needs to be said about how predictable and awful this show is going to be. Now that Eli’s dad is going to be around full-time as well, the show will have to try hard to figure out how not to have its younger protagonists and their fathers interact every single second, and I’m sure whatever fills that time will be equally agonizing.
How long will it last? Not too long, I think. FOX doesn’t endorse too many comedies, and it tends to keep only those that are proven winners. I think this will falter compared to the show after it, and a 15 score on Metacritic suggests that few people are clamoring to keep it on the air. It’s doubtful that it will make it to 2014.

Pilot grade: F