If you’ve seen a city bus in the past two weeks, then you’re bound to have noticed an advertisement for NBC’s “New Family of Comedies.” One of these is Mike Sikowitz’s “Welcome to the Family,” a show that revolves around a Caucasian family and a Latino family learning to get along when their lovebird children discover that they’re expecting.
Shows like “Family” represent the network’s strategy for the fall, one that’s trying to capitalize on the success of broad sitcoms like “Modern Family.” But in a time slot once occupied by modern classics like “The Office” and “30 Rock,” one must wonder how “Family” compares.
Mike O’Malley, otherwise known as the host of Nickelodeon’s “Guts” for a solid three years, or most recently as Kurt Hummel’s father on “Glee,” stars as Dan Yoder. His teenage daughter, Molly — who conforms to any and all teenage stereotypes — has just graduated from high school. Dan and his wife Caroline are looking forward to getting some alone time once Molly leaves for college.
But trouble arises when Dan decides to shape up and hit the local boxing gym. He has an uncomfortable run-in with the gym’s owner, Chuey (Ricardo Chavira). The two don’t get along — Chuey thinks Dan is spoiled, and Dan thinks Chuey is judgmental. Unluckily for the both of them, Chuey happens to be the father of Junior, Molly’s boyfriend and baby daddy. With the children’s revelation to their parents, the two fathers must learn to put aside their differences.
The biggest issue with “Family” is that it’s a show about a group of people who hate each other. These characters don’t inspire much sympathy, and it’s difficult to connect with anything they say or do.
For example, Junior is depicted as a super smart kid throughout the entire pilot. He’s valedictorian of his high school and he’s on the path to Stanford — why he would fall for a girl as dimwitted as Molly doesn’t make any sense. And unfortunately, for a show created by a former “Friends” writer, “Family” isn’t all that funny. Only one or two lines from the first episode deserve a laugh.
“Family” demonstrates a severe misdirection for NBC, a network whose Thursday night lineup has always been a sacred haven of sitcoms, from their “Must See TV” campaign to their more recent “Comedy Night Done Right.” “Welcome to the Family,” at least in its pilot, fails to live up to the pedigree of those previous lineups. The characters require major adjustments, and the writing needs punching up. For now, this is one family with which you can avoid spending time.
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Oct. 3 print edition. Jeremy Pick is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].
