New Adventures of Old Christine 3/13/2006 SPOILERS POSSIBLE

Anyone watch the two episodes of this "new" turkey last evening? I did and
want that hour of my life back.

karl...

I wouldn't be that hard on it. It was not good to be sure. I would rate it
at sub-par to mediocre.

JLD [and Michael Richards, and Jason Alexander] should just accept that
will always and forever be associated with their Seinfeld characters. The
show was too iconic and through syndication, pounded in a dozen times a day
that they will forever be Elaine, Kramer and George.

If I were to give instructions on how to succeed after being so identified
with a character it would go like this:

1] Take two years off. Do nothing. Give people a break from you and your
character.

2] Do some cameo's or recurring roles on established shows. Ride on their
coat tails a bit.

3] Don't try to portray a completely different character. It will confuse
the viewer. Portray characters that are a little different from you
signature role but not a polar opposite. Ease yourself away from the
character.

4] When you are ready for your own show do not try to singlhandedly star
and carry it. Go for an ensemble cast with other actors/character taking the
focus and load off of yourself.

Jude Cormier...

go for an entirely different genre....... a lot of stars famous for sitcom
roles later had big success with crime dramas

Obveeus...

Ted Danson...Cheers to Becker.
Tony Danza...Taxi to Who's the Boss.

Jude Cormier...

In the case of Ted Danson, he first went to "Ink", which was a stinker

My idea is not a hard fast rule, but it does seem to work for a lot of
former sitcom stars

Jude Cormier...

Then Karl replied:

karl...

Tony Danza in Taxi wasn't so widely and strongly identified with the
character. Taxi was good show and Danza decent in his role but nothing like
the character identification of the Seinfeld series.

karl...

Also not to dump on Danson but isn't Becker a lesser - more a syndication
success? I don't recall seeing it in the primetime lineup like JLD is trying
to do with her show.

Jude Cormier...

I'm not getting what you are trying to ask here. Becker was for the most of
its run, a ratings hit (that is til CBS tired of it and dumped it on Grim
Reaper Wednesdays)
It may find long legs in syndication as an evergreen.

Another rule would be

5] Work in different media at first - anything but TV. Don't try to carry a
movie but play supporting roles. Do live theatre, musicals and such. An
Andrew Loyd Webber play or something like that. It helps get people used to
the actor being someone other than the character.

Mark Nobles...

Best example, Gillian Anderson. In fact, it would probably be best to
be doing these things between seasons of your regular show.

Jude Cormier...

another good suggestion

Obveeus...

I'd change that last sentence to say: 'it helps the actor get used to being
someone other than the character'. After all, no significant number of 'the
people' will never see the Andrew Lloyd Webber play. 'The people' won't get
used to that actor playing other rolls if the rolls are on stage where only
a few New Yorkers and vacationers will ever see it.

An actor will do fine sticking with the same genre and being the main
charatcter of the show IF the show is written/cast well. Julia's previous
attempt at a sitcom failed because it was so 'different' from what sitcoms
are (kinda like why Arrested Development failed). Those were shows better
designed for HBO, PBS, or maybe just TV in the UK rather than USA.

This new show seems a lot closer to what a sitcom is expected to be and
seems like it will have a better chance at success.

Barry Margolin...

I thought so, too. I chuckled a few times, especially during the second
episode with Andy Richter. I think it's a good fit with Two and a Half
Men.

The only character that really put me off was New Christine. I'm
getting really tired of the dumb young girlfriend stereotype (like

Obveeus...

Am I the only one that was left wondering why she was supposed to be seen as
'shockingly younger'? She didn't look that young and certainly not more
attractive that Julia.

wdstarr...

The actresses are 45 and 31 years old, according to their IMDb
birthdate data (13 January 1961 for Louis-Dreyfus and 18 September
1974 for Emily Rutherfurd).

Obveeus...

Which doesn't change my point, does it? The 'hot young chick' didn't look

wdstarr...

I was just throwing in information, not trying to dispute you.

young...or hot.
BTW, how old is the guy compared to the other two?

wdstarr...

That's Clark Gregg, right? The IMDb says he was born 2 April 1962
so he's going to turn 44 in a few weeks.

Obveeus...

Thanks...he didn't look that old to me, either. I would have guessed (by
looks alone and not knowledge of Seinfeld) that he and Julia were late 30's
with the 'hot young chick' being mid 30's.

Alan's current girlfriend on TaaHM). But Christine's brother seems to
have really good comedic timing and gets some of the best lines.

Obveeus...

It wasn't as bad as you seem to suggest.

Good:
The kid angle was kept to a bare minimum.
The Ex-husband is a fairly original character angle rather than
the typical sitcom replica for the one thousandth time.

Bad:
Julia's character is way too whiny/pathetic...and will have to
be 'stronger' to be interesting.

Taylor...

I did. The ONLY time in weeks or possibly MONTHS I've ever watched CBS.
It was okay.