Welcome back to our TV Preview series! In this half of said series, Emily, Stephanie, Mandy C. and I will take a look at shows featured in our TV Preview: New Friends post, and let you know what we think you should—and shouldn’t—be watching.
Warning! Possible spoilers ahead.
Ghosted
Premiered: October 1 on FOX (Watch online.)
Twitter Pitch
A former detective and a former Stanford professor are teamed up by a shadowy government agency to investigate paranormal activity.
Familiar Faces
Craig Robinson as Leroy Wright
Adam Scott as Max Jennifer
Ally Walker as Ava Lafrey
Adeel Akhtar as Barry Shaw
Amber Stevens West as Annie
Redeeming Qualities
Mandy C.: I am v. glad to see both Adam Scott and Craig Robinson on my TV screen, and am excited to see how their comedy works together. I didn’t fall in love with their duo while watching the pilot, but I see the promise there. I’m also all about secret government organizations who investigate the paranormal. Like, where do I sign up? I’m sure they need someone to write and edit their inter-office memos.
Kandis: It stars Adam Scott? There are elements here that could work. Funny actors in a buddy comedy, elements of The X-Files, and a lack of laugh track are all in the pro column.
Stephanie: Adam Scott, for one. My love runs deep. His character seems a bit of a sad-sack, but I see the promise to get better. I enjoyed parts of the humor (though unfortunately they did show a LOT of the best jokes in the trailer, so I had this deja vu feeling that I’d watched this already) and I think the partnership of Craig and Adam has potential. I also liked Barry, the guy who kidnapped them...I think he may be a therapist of some sort?
It's Not Me, It's You
Mandy C.: I wasn’t as drawn to the show as I might have hoped. I know it was just a pilot, and it’s especially hard to suck people in in a ½ hour show, but still. I wanted more.
Kandis: I’ve seen the pilot twice now, and while there’s nothing necessarily wrong with it, it’s not really doing it for me. They’re leaning too heavily on sight gags for this to be as funny as it could be. Craig Robinson is playing the same character we’ve seen on The Office, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I know Adam Scott is supposed to be the believer, and that’s always a thankless role in the sci-fi genre, but this feels like a waste of his delivery talents.
Stephanie: I watched this late at night, so at first I was like, “Yay, it’s only 23 minutes long so I can go to bed!” But by the end, I was going, “Why was this only 23 minutes long?” As a pilot it felt very rushed, and I think the story suffered from the time constraints. We were required to make some big leaps into accepting what was going on. I am a big proponent of plot making logical sense, even if it’s a silly sort of show. I think they also need time to smooth out the humor and find their groove, as this felt all over the place.
Let's Do This Again
Mandy C.: I’m going to give it a few more episodes before I decide a firm yay or nay. I want to see where this is going.
Kandis: I don’t see myself getting invested in these characters, and the paranormal aspect is mostly just silly. I want better for both these guys. Somebody let me know if it gets better, and I’ll try again.
Stephanie: I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. If Adam Scott wasn’t a draw for me I would’ve never even bothered to watch the pilot, as goofy sitcoms aren’t my cuppa. I’d be willing to give this one another shot further down the line, if it doesn’t get cancelled and if I can get at least two independent recommendations that I should give it a go.
Did you watch? If so, let us know your thoughts below!