Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) stars in this new show about two couples living next door to each other. He and his wife represent the elder (and presumably wiser) couple, and he tries to impart his wisdom to the newlywed husband who just moved in next door (Eddie Kaye Thomas of American Wedding).
Garrett was great in Everybody Loves Raymond, and he was excellent in Seinfeld before that, but in both cases there was a lot less of him (not physically – he’s always been a big man). Here he’s in more of a leading role, though he does get to play off of the neighbors a bit, something he did a lot in Raymond.
The jokes aren’t bad, but they seem forced, and the laugh track is turned up a bit high. If they turn it down a bit and let the comedy work, then the show might have a chance. Watching Garrett struggle to get his frame around the pool table, crammed into a room where it shouldn’t fit (a gag throughout the episode) was classic – yet many other instances throughout the show were highlighted as being the “funny bits”, and if they keep that up, then the show might not have a chance to truly shine.
