Question: Just wanted to throw some praise (rather than the usual "sexist pig" name-calling you're used to, apparently) your way for your comments on Brothers & Sisters' refreshing treatment of its gay character. I noticed in your response that you mentioned homosexual characters who are forced to be "laughable sitcom bait." I couldn't help but think of Sean Maguire's character on the otherwise steadily improving The Class. While all of a sudden the show strives to define itself as "Friends 2.0," I see Maguire's character Kyle getting pushed more and more to the periphery. At the start of the series he was in a stable relationship with his boyfriend, but nowadays he seems to be the least gay homosexual since Will Truman. Between the Heroes de-gaying and The Class' Kyle, I have to wonder why networks feel that fully developed homosexual characters have to be sacrificed for increased popularity? Thankfully, ABC seems to be above that.
Answer: Good point, but knowing the producers behind
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Boy, Monday nights really twist me in all directions now. I get to laugh my head off with The Class and follow it up with brutal violence on 24. But this is why I love Monday night! Alas, I'm only here to chat about The Class.... So let's talk. I started telling you two weeks ago about my growing disinterest for anything involving Ethan/Kat/Palmer, and that trend continued this episode. I really am keeping an open mind because I love the show so much, but these three were a real snoozefest. Not only that, but it was really confusing before the first break. The whole first scene was off-kilter for me because they just sort of jumped into the phone conversation with no explanation. Without having a TiVo to check, I could have sworn that Ethan told Kyle they were pathetic for channel-surfing on a Friday night. Then all of a sudden they are listening in on Kat and the violinist having a conversation with no reasoning behind the how or why of the whole thing. Of course, I know they expla...
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To me, this episode of The Class was right up there with the stripper pole as the funniest episode of the season. The set-up was a bit long and really, the whole Kat dating this mystery man story line better lead to something good because if it doesn't, I would have rather seen 10 more minutes of "hitting it." But, once again Richie and Lina stole the show. I can't believe all of the mean things Fern said to Richie about his sexual prowess. She told him she was "wildly under whelmed," and on multiple occasions he heard "stop that!" I love when Richie was talking to Duncan about Fern and told him that sometimes during sex she would ask, "Are you going to call the plumber or am I? And then sometimes she'd call the plumber." I can't believe any person would stay with this woman for as long as Richie did. That's absurd. I guess its good he's got Lina then, as she seems to be quite understanding about everything and is really giving him a fresh start. The dialog between the two of them i...
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Question: While I know it is still a very uneven show, I do find myself enjoying The Class more and more. I understand its fate is still up in the air, but does the People's Choice Award help it at all? In the past, I've never put much stock in the People's Choice Awards because the "people" aren't typically watching my favorite shows. Honestly, I never put much stock in any of the awards shows. I always get excited for the nominations, but once they are announced, I become bitterly disappointed.
Answer: People's Choice? Never heard of it. (Kidding.) Seriously, this is possibly just about the most weightless of all awards. But if it helps CBS look generously on The Class during its fumbling freshman season and give the show a little more promotional juice, cool beans. While we're on the subject, I'm intrigued by The Class' stunt this week of putting a table read online live today and webcasting a run-through this Wednesday (both at CBS.com), plugging fans into the production process in ...
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We have breaking news about, and not from, Holly Ellenbogen: A CBS spokesperson confirms that Lucy Punch, who played The Class' high-strung news anchor, is leaving the series. In a statement released to TVGuide.com, the freshman sitcom's executive producers explain, "Due to creative changes, Lucy Punch is no longer a cast member. She is a superb actress and did a fabulous job. We hope to work with her again in the near future."I guess this is what Jason Ritter meant when he told me they were "reworking some things" with Punch's character, though Holly's "colorful" hubby, played by Sam Harris, will apparently stick around.
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Starting next week, CBS will offer, for the first time ever, a pair of live, behind-the-scenes looks at the making of a major network television series. On Monday, Jan. 15, at 2 pm/ET, TheClassTV.com will feature a webcast of the cast, producers and writers participating in a table read of an upcoming episode of The Class. Then on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 4 pm/ET, a second live webcast will let viewers witness a full-episode runthrough of the material.
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Happy New Year to all the fans of The Class. Are the critics finally getting to me? All I've heard since the start of the show was the word "uneven." Up until this episode, I thought the show was friggin' hilarious. But with this one, I too thought it was "uneven." There were many funny moments. In fact, more funny moments in this episode than According to Jim has had in its entire run. But there were also many jokes that just fell completely flat. To me, this was a case of: How many jokes can we cram into 22 minutes?Maybe my thoughts are changing because I hate Palmer. Jaime King isn't bad to look at, but her character is annoying. Honestly, I'm not that familiar with the career of King to know whether this is bad acting or a poorly developed character. But either way, I'm with Kat on this one — Palmer needs to bite the dust. Or maybe my thoughts are changing because I hate Fern. True, she brings comic relief to everyone around her, like Nicole and Duncan with their line: "Oh,...
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Question: Over and over we hear that the sitcom is dead and gone, but I tend to disagree. Even when Seinfeld and Friends were in their prime, the landscape wasn't as full of comedy hoots as it is today. For every Seinfeld we had three Veronica Closets, and for every Friends we had four Thunder Alleys. Today, we have How I Met Your Mother (why it isn't a Friends-style smash I don't know), The New Adventures of Old Christine (the most consistent and witty of the traditional sitcoms running today), Two and a Half Men (I personally despise), 30 Rock (god bless Alec Baldwin), Scrubs, My Name Is Earl, The (vastly improving) Class and the best sitcom since Seinfeld: The Office. Could it be that the problem does not lie in the networks but rather with the American public's expectation that they should have glaring laugh tracks (with the exceptions of Two and a Half Men and The Class) hammer home the times they should laugh. I am an unproduced writer and have a pilot being pitched — "Hi, ...
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Jason Ritter, The Class
Kat may toss the tart zingers, and Richie and Lina may have won our hearts already, but Ethan is the glue that brought, and now holds, The Class together. This week on the CBS sitcom, a sexy surprise awaits our hero. Jason Ritter, who plays Ethan, gave us a sneak peek. Plus, he reflects on Joan of Arcadia's ungodly axing.
TVGuide.com: First off, I was reading on one of the "movie database" sites that you died yesterday. My condolences.Jason Ritter: Yeah, I read that, too.... That was a lot of fun. Made me feel good.
TVGuide.com: But dude, you've got Jaime King as a new love interest on The Class. Wel
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Hello faithful Class fans. Happy New Year to all of you. New episodes begin again on January 8th! Yeah! See you in 2007!
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