Don't fear, CBS hasn't decided to bring over Who Wants to Be a Millionaire from ABC, but instead has picked up a new comedy pilot called Single White Millionaire, from writer Ricky Blitt. This is Family Guy alum Blitt's second attempt at a comedy, the first being a short-lived sitcom called The Winner, which starred Rob Corddry and was developed with Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane. SWM is about a millionaire who is ready to get serious and settle down, which I'm sure will not go as well as he had planned.Hopefully, this time Blitt will strike gold on CBS, where sitcoms still live, breathe and sometimes even last (sorta). Also on CBS' order slate are the following dramas: The Mentalist, Ny-Lon, Mythological X and Can Openers. —Erin FoxDo you think people want to watch a show about a millionaire who is unlucky in love?Watch episodes of Family Guy at our Online Video Guide.
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Question: I'm wondering if The Winner will be returning to Fox any time soon. I enjoyed the show and felt it had the potential to be a decent hit.
Answer: The earliest it would likely return would be in the fall, if it were renewed beyond the six-episode tryout in March. Given that the critical reception was mixed (I liked it, but that was hardly a universal opinion) and the ratings nothing much to celebrate, I wouldn't hold my breath. It's looking like The Winner and NBC's Andy Barker, P.I. will be among the mid-season's most regretful lost opportunities ...
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As the season finale, this was Glen’s very last time to get lucky with the ladies. And lo and behold, he did! Well… sort of. And with none other than Married with Children’s Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal, whose voice you may also recognize from Futurama. And who, for the record, is looking great these days). I was glad to see this date go better than Glen’s last date with the gay man from the video store, although I suppose when it comes to Glen, “better” is a relative term. Glen’s role-playing with his old teacher was hilarious, although it was a tad uncomfortable to watch Glen admit he was a virgin. I also love how Glen, upon meeting her, exclaimed, “You have a first name?!” Only a child like Glen would still be uncomfortable calling his old teacher by her first name at the age of 32. All of the sex lessons were hilarious as well. I loved everything from the chalkboard diagrams to the timer! I’m so glad the show has finally made some pr...
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I don’t know what was sadder, when Alison told Glen that Josh’s new friend was the “first time he has ever had a ‘cool’ friend,” or when Glen actually followed Josh and his new friend Murray to the movies! And let’s not forget that Josh actually took his new friend’s side when Murray called the usher to get rid of Glen. Poor Glen! Is this guy ever going to catch a break? I know we already know he ends up a millionaire, but I wish there was some indication of Glen losing some of his insecurities as well. My heart just breaks for Glen in moments like these.I am happy that the show is focusing more on Glen’s work life than his home life. His parents never really do it for me, and while they do serve to let us know how pathetic Glen is, I just am not feeling the laughs coming from them. His mom did have one great line tonight though when she told Glen that she bought him and his new friend tickets to the Ice Capades. While I’m not a huge...
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Question: I have to say, Matt, in the past, you've never led me astray. But your review of The Winner is a real puzzler to me. In this day and age of excellent comedies like Scrubs, The Office and the late, great Arrested Development, how could you possibly enjoy one of the lamest half hours on television? The laugh track is right out of the '50s: loud, intrusive and completely off base. (For instance, in the pilot, why would anyone laugh at his unfunny parents during the scene at the breakfast table? And there were not only laughs but actual guffaws!) I'm a huge fan of The Daily Show, and I love Rob Corddry. But his personality goes too far and needs to be toned down. The obnoxious laugh track does not make this show funny, only silly and stupid.
Answer: I've never led you astray before? Nice to know, but hard to believe. I've been doing this a while. You won't find me defending the laugh track here, although I'll admit I'm mostly immune to it, and wonder about those who rail against
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My initial thought on tonight’s bonus episode is that Rob Corddry looks like an entirely different person with hair! And that I love Glen’s alter ego “Lance Manly.” From the moment Glen put on his wig, he took on a confident, adult persona that’s actually appropriate for a 32-year-old. It was a refreshing change from insecure Glen Abbott who lives at home, works in a video store and makes $208 per paycheck (even if it is 1994). My favorite Lance Manly moments were his calling the other bald man at the spelling bee finals “Rapunzel,” ordering “three Michelobs” at dinner and telling Donna that his pilot job “pays the bills and gives the foxy mamas thrills.” Rob played Lance Manly as only Rob Corddry could, and I loved every minute of it.As for Rob’s real character Glen, I thought it was endearing how excited he was in what appeared to be Glen’s very first hotel experience. From gawking at the “art” to being so ...
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Tonight's episode of The Winner made me feel sad for Glen, and not in a haha-look-what-a-loser-he-is kind of way. There were few moments when I laughed out loud and even fewer when I felt sure that this 32-year old could truly transform into the “Winner” that the show’s introduction promises. It’s sad enough that the only real structure Glen has is at home with his parents. Throw their trial separation into the mix and it’s just plain pathetic that Glen remains at home, listening to his parents fight about a childhood he’s been living for 32 years. And just when you think this situation can’t possibly make you anymore uncomfortable, Glen heads over to Alison’s to intrude on her date with her new boyfriend, Gary, who treats Glen like he’s six years old. There were few parts of tonight’s episode that I found truly funny. I still love that it takes place in 1994 and I’m happy that those (albeit increasingly un-subtle) '90s referen...
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Question: I caught the first two episodes of The Winner on Fox Sunday night, and I have to say I am impressed so far. It had some really funny laughs, and I think the characters are pretty likable. I also appreciated a lot of the pop-culture references, especially about O.J. and Bill Clinton. I thought the sex jokes went overboard, but my opinion on that kind of humor appears to be in the minority these days. Do you see Fox giving this show a chance, or will it be the next Andy Richter Controls the Universe? PS. I guess I'm as big a loser as Glen, because Wings happens to be one of my all-time favorite sitcoms, too. I never understood the animosity toward that show.
Answer: With The Winner, you either love it or you hate it. Many of my fellow critics blasted it. I kind of liked it, in a guilty-pleasure kind of way. I was disarmed by the overall sweetness of the main character, though the humor does lean too heavily on stupid sex jokes. Too early to tell whether it's a keeper, but having
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I didn’t find this episode of The Winner to be quite as strong as the pilot. I think too much of the episode was focused on Glen and Josh preparing for their dates, but I do think it’s adorable the way they are bonding. It’s funny how Josh seems to be more mature than 32-year-old Glen, and I love how Josh was the one giving Glen advice at the end of the episode and not the other way around. I also think it’s so funny that Glen is working at the video store. What a perfect job for him! I laughed out loud when they showed Glen with his name tag that said, “Be patient, I’m learning.” The tag seems so symbolic of Glen’s life in so many ways.As for Glen and Josh’s relationship, this episode really showed their friendship blossom. I think the two have a good rapport and both characters seem to complement each other well. However, I still find it so bizarre that Josh is helping Glen date his mom, especially when Josh suggested that Glen go to a ...
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Being a fan of both The Daily Show and Family Guy, I’ve been looking forward to The Winner and tonight’s pilot did not disappoint me. Family Guy creators Seth MacFarlane and Ricky Blitt successfully bring their oddball humor to the show’s main character, Glen Abbott, and I think there is no one better to portray the 32-year old loser than Daily Show expatriate Rob Corddry.First off, I love how the show is set in 1994. The subtle (and not so subtle) 90’s references cracked me up, among them Glen’s Party of Five mention and of course, the O.J. Simpson car chase. I think one of the funnier lines in tonight’s pilot was Glen’s mom, Irene (Linda Hart), declaring that O.J. “couldn’t hurt a fly,” rivaled only by Allison (Erinn Hayes) noting that Clinton “seems to be a good family man.” I love how the writers intentionally take us back to 1994 through these references and I’m excited to see more of them as the series continues....
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