Go On (TV Series)

When FRIENDS ended almost a decade ago, did it leave an empty spot in your heart? A spot that was reserved for Monica's eccentricities, Rachael & Ross' relationship, the Joey-isms, Chandler's sarcasm, and the craziness of Phoebe? If it did, and if that little empty hole is still there, you can fill 1/6th of it with the return of Chandler, well Matthew Perry, in Go On.

I do feel that the cast of FRIENDS has been cursed with the roles and characters they played in the series. Try as they might, their onscreen roles have almost always resulted in a hint of their FRIENDS avatars. I am not complaining, for I was an ardent fan of the series, and that is why I welcomed Go On with open arms.

Mathew Perry plays a recently widowed radio sports show host Ryan King who is forced to start with coping therapy and as a result comes in contact with an eccentric group that provides the writers of this sitcom with ample material to produce one comic episode after another. The makers of the Go On might try their level best to differentiate, but in the end they might as well have titled the series Chandler Goes To Group Therapy and the result would have been exactly the same. Still, if the character of Chandler did not annoy you in FRIENDS you are in for a treat with Go On. The supporting cast that consists of Laura Benanti, Julie White, Tyler James Williams, John Cho and Bill Cobbs amongst others is rather strong when it comes to comic-timing and helps the series stay fresh and interesting. Each character comes with their own individual dilemmas and that really builds up the sitcom especially since a number of life’s serious issues are tackled with a hint of sugar and a dash of salt.  

Go On is not a series that is likely to achieve cult status, but is a good enough 20 minutes each week that will make you laugh-out-loud at times and at others just make you wonder, what if there were to be a FREINDSre-union... how cool would that be? 

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

The new comedy series starring Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker is a refreshing change from the usual barrage of comedies we have had in the recent past. Granted it resembles 2 Broke Girls on a number of levels, still there are enough elements to the story that keep it funny.

Focusing on city-life, Chloe (Krysten Ritter) is a cunning New York socialite who cons and troubles her new roommates to make them leave so she can keep their deposit. Unfortunately for her, sleeping with her new small-town roommate June's (Dreama Walker) boyfriends only results in her sticking around longer.

The comedy isn't laugh-out-loud funny, yet entertaining enough to want to wait for the next episode. As is the case with most sitcoms, the supporting cast plays an equally important role in the success of a series. Liza Lapira's Robin is Chloe's ex-roommates, living in the same building, and has a crush on Chloe which undoubtedly leads to a fun dynamic between the three girls. The surprise factor is James Ven Der Beek playing himself and bringing about a certain uniqueness to the plot that as much as I like FRIENDS, Matt Le Blac, playing himself, has been unable to do in Episodes. Michael Blaiklock playing Eli, the girls' next window-neighbor/pervert, is another character that raises the comic talent of the series.

It's still early to call the series a hit or a miss. I've managed to see the first 5 episodes and am yet to be bored by the situations or the plotline. Obviously the arc of the story over the season would be of most importance as right now the series can get away with some new content and some clichéd material, but in order to sustain they need to keep fresh.