New Show: Mike & Molly
Emily alerted us in the comments about this TV pilot going into production. From the WSJ:
The formula: “Mad About You” meets “The Biggest Loser”
The plot: A romantic comedy about a couple that meets at a support group for overeating.
The brand names: Co-creator Chuck Lorre can do no wrong for CBS lately with hits like “Two and a Half Men” and “Big Bang Theory” under his belt.
Off screen: Media buyers say they wonder how advertisers will respond to overweight lead actors. Sitcoms like “Roseanne” may have featured heavy stars but didn’t center around weight.
The buzz: Mr. Lorre’s cred with CBS comedies could catapult this sitcom pilot to a sensation.
There’s also a discussion going on about this at Entertainment Weekly’s website:
Two people who meet at a weight loss support group…” yea there’s no way this will be a series of half-hour fat jokes.
Other people are optimistic because it stars Billy Gardell (who I’ve never heard of). I guess we’ll see… I’m not optimistic, but at least it isn’t going to star Jenna Elfman in a fat suit. Or… is it?
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I sit here and make this face :/
We shall see.
Since the premise of the show already equates fat people with overeating, I am not optimistic. I forsee a lot of jokes about “those fatties, they sure eat a lot! Hur hur!” If I want that kind of “humor” I can turn on Letterman or Leno.
I read that the female lead is going to be the woman who played Sookie on “Gilmore Girls,” which is good because I liked her a lot on GG, but not so good because I feel like the concept of this show is kind of a step back from the character she played on GG. Ah, well.
I will say that Chuck Lorre’s other two shows have been fairly even-handed in their treatment of fat people (from what I can remember), so maybe this won’t be too bad…?
When I saw this last week I actually thought it was a suggestiopn for a spoof show…because it sounds just so ridiculous! And about as funny as bubonic plague.
Two and a Half Men is absolute sexist dreck with a humor IQ in the single digits. Big Bang Theory is certainly smarter and less offensive, but the entire premise is “nerd falls for hot blonde as soon as he lays eyes on her hotness”.
This new show sounds like 24 minutes of fat jokes, which much of America will find HILARIOUS. I suspect it will make me want to shoot my television.
I love Melissa McCarthy. Does anyone here remember “Starved” a show on FX about four friends in an eating disorder group. I kind of liked the show because it showed several different sides of eating disorders and how it can affect men and women. It was definitely not a perfect show, but it did speak to me on a certain level.
They may have bought the rights to a show I saw in the UK with this premis called “Fat Friends”. I thought that show was actually very good.
If it has Sookie (the REAL Sookie, forget Anna Paquin!) (though I do love me some True Blood) then I’m definitely in. I love Melissa McCarthy.
Though really, I found it both refreshing and completely unrealistic that Gilmore Girls never once in 7 seasons mentioned Sookie’s weight. I think it’s great, but also seemed totally like a crazed fantasy world where she never struggled at all due to her weight. It almost bugged me, but I loved it so much I ignored it.
She was able to date and marry a regular sized guy, have kids, and even have noticeable weight fluctuations (well maybe I only noticed because I watched most of the series in a short amount of time on DVD) without ever a fat joke or “oh my new diet starts tomorrow” offhand comment thrown in. She was enthusiastic about food in a major way, being a chef. Heck there was never even ever a fat chef joke! And all the while she had a best friend who was very thin despite stuffing her face all the livelong day with every piece of junk food she could get her hands on and eschewing exercise…and we never heard Sookie even mention this paradox. It both delighted and bugged me.
Anyway, tangents aside, if she’s involved I can see it being good. Knock wood.
Madame Suggia got it right! I, too, thought this was a sketch for SNL, certainly not a REAL show or even a pitch for a real show. It’ll be #1 (with a BIG bullet) on my list of “what NOT to watch” next season.
I’m a big fan of the Big Bang Theory, although their treatment of fat has been uneven. On one hand they had the very cute Sara Rue on playing a love interest and it wasn’t played for laughs, but there have definitely been moments at the other end of the spectrum as well.
That said, while I’d love to have a show on my tv with an actual plus-sized leading lady… I’m skeptical. At best.
Madame, I thought it was a joke, too! I like 2 1/2 men and my favorite character is Berta, played by the amazing Conchita Ferrel. I don’t think they ever mention her weight.
I was actually reasonably optimistic when I first read it — I mean, I’m also a nerd, and I love the Big Bang Theory for it’s portrayal of nerds and both authentic nerdiness (and I was MIT for 6 years, so I know of what I speak) and real people.
I could imagine this being about real fat people… not just caricatures of them. With all the reality that entails, including some of the weight-related issues the Gilmore Girls never touched.
Billy Gardell has been a regular on Yes Dear, My name is Earl, The Heist and was a standout on the short lived FX comedy, Lucky. Trust me folks, it is not 22 minutes of fat jokes… This sitcom has a heart.
I love Mike and Molly-no matter what their size!! I think this is one of those shows that takes all the characters to make the show work..It is FUNNY- I love all of them~! Keep up the good work ! I am however, wondering where the writers can go next since the “deed” had been done now~??
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Folks, just watch Mike & Molly and give it a chance. I believe that it will have a following. I didn’t start watching Big Bang Theory at first either but now it’s my favorite show.