PILOT REVIEW: Sean Saves The World

SEAN SAVES THE WORLD

Starring: Sean Hayes, Megan Hilty, Echo Kellum, Samantha Isler, with Thomas Lennon, and Linda Lavin

Created by Victor Fresco
Written by Victor Fresco, Directed by James Burrows

Sean Saves The World is a new throwback sitcom starring Sean Hayes as Sean, a divorced gay father who suddenly has his 14 year old daughter Ellie (Samantha Isler) with him all the time. Rounding out the main cast is his overbearing mother Lorna (Linda Lavin), his stuffy boss at an online retail company, Max (Thomas Lennon) and co-workers and friends Liz and Hunter (Megan Hilty and Echo Kellum).

THE GOOD: There are some cast members who were some of the strongest parts of their previous shows: Echo Kellum from Ben and Kate and Megan Hilty from Smash. That shows promise to me from the cast. However, the best get in the cast is Linda Lavin who had some nice deliveries and timing in the opening. An old pro like Lavin seemed in her element in a throwback multi-cam sitcom even though it's been a long time since Alice. With this many talented supporters, the show can't be that bad, can it?

THE BAD: But unfortunately the worst part of this show is Sean Hayes. I'll admit that I've never been a Hayes fan. Even back to Will & Grace, I find him annoying more often than I find him funny. But here he is just grating. From lines like "sometimes you're negative" to the lame attempt at physical comedy when he drops the kitchenware as his daughter asks him how he and her mom had sex if he's gay (side note, she's 14... is that really a question a 14 year old girl would ask her dad?) It is just way too much bad comedy from Sean Hayes to be enjoyable.

BOTTOM LINE: There are many times that a sitcom pilot doesn't have it all together but I see enough pieces to believe the show could become a funny one. However, when the problem is the star and he's doing the shtick he's known for, I have real reservations about where this show is going. Even with a strong supporting cast, I'm not sure I can keep watching because I'm annoyed by Sean Hayes.