PILOT REVIEW: The Moodys

THE MOODYS

Starring: Denis Leary, Elizabeth Perkins, Francois Arnaud, Chelsea Frei and Jay Baruchel

Based on the Australian series "A Moody Christmas"
Created for American television by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg & Tad Quill
Teleplay and Story by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg & Tad Quill, Directed by Bob Fisher & Rob Greenberg

FOX is doing something interesting this year by running a three night, six episode holiday series. While it's billed as a "limited holiday event," I am still reviewing it because if it were to somehow make it big, you can bet FOX would find a way to get more episodes. But I'm pretty sure that won't happen so it's likely to stay a limited series. Oh well, still worth a review.

The Moodys is based on an Australian limited series with a similar premise. It centers on a Chicago family with grown children getting together at Christmas time. Veterans Denis Leary and Elizabeth Perkins play the parents and the kids are at various stages of arrested development. The performances are solid. Leary and Perkins prove they're the vets they are with some good delivery and chemistry. The extended family reminds me a little bit of the Life in Pieces gang and they have their moments.

But here's the problem with this entire premise. I'm a sucker for Christmas episodes. I love them from all eras of TV and I think family comedies are shows that can sometimes have the best ones because it's set up so easily to bring the family together. But the reason Christmas episodes of family comedies so often work is because we already know and love the family. We've never met the Moodys in a time other than Christmas so I'm not that invested in anything that happens to them.

I guess one could argue that every family sitcom starts this way and The Moodys just happens to be around Christmastime. Perhaps, but Christmas episodes sometimes feel like a pay off or reward for loving a TV family and so it doesn't feel entirely earned here. By virtue of it being billed as a limited series (whether that happens or not), I don't feel like I want to get invested in this family. I would rather see a former show get back together for a six episode Christmas themed run. That would be better than a full fledged revival and certainly better than this.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Eh, probably not. I've got other Christmas episodes to watch with TV families I already know.