PILOT REVIEW: Mr. Sunshine

MR. SUNSHINE

Starring: Matthew Perry, Andrea Anders, James Lesure, Nate Torrence, and Allison Janney

Created by Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow, & Marc Firek
Written by Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow, & Marc Firek, Directed by Thomas Schlamme

Matthew Perry, known forever as Chandler, has returned to the sitcom world in Mr. Sunshine. In a somewhat unique setting, Perry plays Ben Donovan, the manager of a sports arena in San Diego. Never one to care much for others or be committed to anyone, Ben experiences a mini midlife crisis in the pilot and seems to begin to make an effort to care about people more. Co-starring is another veteran Allison Janney as Crystal, Ben's wacky and needy boss. Rounding out the ensemble is Crystal's enthusiastic estranged son Roman (Nate Torrence), Ben's "friend with benefits" Alice (Andrea Anders), and an overly positive ex-basketball star Alonzo (James Lesure) that Alice wants to date. The pilot deals with Ben's change of heart and a circus coming to the arena.

The pilot was uneven but the promise was there. The pilot was re-shot after bad reviews for the first cut. I did not see the first one but I have to think this was better. It was uneven for sure, but the promise was there. Despite playing a somewhat unlikable character, Matthew Perry has his usual charm and there's a sense of familiarity with him as he seems to be an older, edgier version of his commitment-phobe Friends character. The highlight of the premiere was Allison Janney who is completely committed to being as offbeat as possible. It was a far cry from her put-together character on The West Wing. The other characters are likable enough. Torrence and Lesure will need to avoid becoming one-trick ponies while Anders seems to be a decent love interest.

The pilot was certainly uneven. It had some good moments - Crystal's speech to the children and really any scene between Ben and Crystal. But it also hasn't found its voice yet and some scenes like the clowns with axes did not come off very well. Still, the premise is original and the acting from likable personalities elevated the so-so and inconsistent writing. Matthew Perry and Allison Janney are reason enough to give this show a chance and if the other characters can find their footing and the writing can be more solid and organized, this show has a chance to develop into something strong. To use a sports analogy for a show set in an area, it didn't knock the ball out of the park with its premiere, but it kept the ball in play.