PILOT REVIEW: Abby's

ABBY'S

Starring: Natalie Morales, Nelson Franklin, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts, Kimia Behpoornia, and Neil Flynn

Created by Josh Malmuth
Written by Josh Malmuth, Directed by Pamela Fryman

IN SHORT: Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Outdoor Edition)

THE PREMISE:
Abby's is a new bar comedy with a unique aspect being that it is filmed outdoors in front of a live audience. It is centered on Abby (Natalie Morales), a woman running a bar in her backyard. But she runs into trouble when she meets her new landlord, Bill (Nelson Franklin), who does not approve of the business and insists on changes that Abby worries will ruin everything. Populating the rest of the cast are bar regulars: loyal customer Fred (Neil Flynn), neighbor and stressed out mom Beth (Jessica Chaffin), know-it-all Rosie (Kimia Behpoornia), and softie bouncer James (Leonard Ouzts).

THE REVIEW:
It's hard to not do the Cheers comparisons here. Abby's has some signs of a potentially strong ensemble comedy but as with most comedies, it's going to take some time and then we can see if it actually has the capability or not to be a winner (if it makes it that long...). One thing I liked about the pilot was they found a decent mechanism to get exposition out of the way by bringing Nelson Franklin's character into an established group of friends. I still think they were maybe a little too overt with the exposition at times, but at least it felt a little less forced than it usually does.

There is some strength in the cast too. Natalie Morales has the right amount of sarcasm and dryness to be in charge of the bar, but the best get for this cast was the always reliable Neil Flynn. Fresh off very memorable and long runs on Scrubs and then The Middle, Flynn is one of those actors that just makes you feel like the show is in good hands. He wasn't as defined yet as the Janitor or Mike Heck, but he still can play the everyday guy pretty darn well. Leonard Ouzts had some funny moments as the bouncer while Nelson Franklin was a serviceable foil to Morales and the rest of the bar. I think this cast at least has the potential to gel and be a strong group if the writing is there.

The outdoor filming thing might be kind of gimmicky, but it does work to a large extent. It has a different feel than an indoor studio would and I think it adds to a surprising amount of authenticity in this show. It seems like the outdoor setting is almost another character here. It's fun to see something different that actually works instead of feeling forced. So, the pieces are there to make Abby's a success. The question is whether or not it can actually put said pieces together.

BOTTOM LINE:
Hey, NBC had some bad ratings (by 1982 standards) at the beginning of the legendary Cheers run so Abby's airing in a tough slot on a night where NBC really struggles doesn't have to be a death knell. But it's still an uphill climb for Cheers 2.