Skip to main content

PILOT REVIEW: Lucky 7

LUCKY 7

















Starring:  Summer Bishil, Lorraine Bruce, Christine Evangelista, Stephen Louis Grush, Matt Long, Anastasia Phillips, Luis Antonio Ramos, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Based on the British series The Syndicate
Developed by Jason Richman and David Zabel
Teleplay by Jason Richman & David Zabel, Directed by Paul McGuigan

Lucky 7 is a new drama with a unique premise: seven gas station workers in Queens have been playing the lottery for years and when they finally win the big jackpot, their lives are changed for better and for worse. Making up the main cast are the six winners (one chose to save his money instead every week and didn't become a part of the winners) and their close family and friends.

THE GOOD: You know, I went in expecting to completely hate this show and I guess I didn't completely hate it. There are some individual performances that are good: Lorraine Bruce and Luis Antonio Ramos are the strongest performers so far in the ensemble or at least they made the most of mediocre material and character development. I actually think the premise is really interesting and could make for a great drama but so much of it just didn't work which I will get to now.

THE BAD: This show is sooooo ABC that it's nauseating. And it's ABC circa 2006-2007 with its whimsical feel and melodrama. I just wasn't invested in this show at all and I blame it on a couple things. First is the writing. The characters are one dimensional with some predictable problems and issues. A show like this needs to be character driven and it isn't. The second thing was the directing - the quick cuts, the abundance of slow motion moments. So much just didn't work here but most of all, it was boring. This is about people winning the lottery and I feel like nothing exciting happened. Finally, the lottery guy on TV seemed like he belonged on The Goldbergs because it was such an 80s looking TV clip.

BOTTOM LINE: I just don't see anything about Lucky 7 working. It has no buzz and it's only hook didn't pan out in the pilot. I can't imagine many people tuned in and I really can't imagine those who did sticking around for long. This will be a prime candidate for first cancellation of the season.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Post a Comment
Read more