The Good Guys – A First Look

Colin Hanks, Jenny Wade, Diana Maria Riva and Bradley Whitford in The Good Guys

From the guy who gave you Burn Notice, Matt Nix, comes The Good Guys starring West Wing alumni Bradley Whitford.  I still remember Bradley most from his days as a High School Football player on All My Children, but that’s just me.  He’s a bit less appealing these days as an alcoholic cop who seems to have a pretty sordid past.

As typical with FOX shows, there is nothing routine about the show or its characters, with the exception of the Police Captain who constantly butts heads with our stars as we’ve seen before countless other times. But you have to ask yourself if the stuff you haven’t seen before, you actually want to see.  As much effort as is put into this show with its guns blazing action packed premiere, one senses that they are just trying too hard to be quirky for the sake of it.  I have nothing against originality.  In fact, I’m the first to jump aboard shows that perhaps have a cult appeal (see Happy Town review).  But The Good Guys is really a bit of a mess.  An idea that perhaps could have turned into something, but just never evolved.

Anyhow, for those willing to subject themselves to this one, there is some convoluted plot revolving around Drug Smugglers, a Hired Assassin and special guest star Nia Vardalos.   As for the “subtle bits of humor”, it’s almost as if someone just stuck in a few gags in their after the fact that came out surprisingly forced.  I’m thinking that there may be an audience here of under 25 year old males, but not enough to make a dent in the coveted 18 – 49 demo that the FOX network craves.  This probably would have been a good series for the SPIKE cable network. I’ll be surprised if this one lasts.

THE GOOD GUYS is produced by Fox Television Studios. Matt Nix and Mikkel Bondesen serve as executive producers. Tim Matheson will direct the pilot episode.

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