Breaking In - New FOX Comedy - Christian Slater, Bret Harrison

Slater's schizo spy show had a nifty premise, but they frakked up the execution and I was glad when it was cancelled. However, this new show isn't being written any better. This "story" was the thinnest yet, with a mission that stems from a silly accident, and a B-plot about Cam and Dutch fighting over a girl who is, let's face it, a bitch.

Dutch isn't nearly a big enough douchebag to deserve being dumped just because he's bashful about admitting to his judgmental, nasty girlfriend that he lost his job. Yet Cam is drooling after her, after witnessing how badly she treats her current bf? Do these guys have no bad-girlfriend Spidey sense at all?

Dutch not being a douchebag also raises questions about what Cam thinks he's doing. He's supposed to be the lead character and we're supposed to sympathize with him, but chasing another guy's girlfriend is kosher only if she's nice and he's a douchebag. Yet here we have a situation that is closer to being the reverse.

The emotional IQ of this show is waaay off. Compare it to the setup in Chuck, where Sarah is initially distant and chilly, but only because she's a dedicated professional and trying not to create a messy situation with a guy who is just an assignment for her. Sarah may be capable of killing people in cold blood, but there's never any indication that she is cruel, inconsiderate, or self-centered. Those are deal-killing qualities in a romantic comedy lead character, and far more appropriate for a romantic comedy villain who is keeping the True Lovers apart, which is why, following the rules of romantic comedy, Cam and Dutch should be the ones to hook up. Just watching those two guys try to live together would be hysterical.

And I just wrote way more about this inconsequential show than it deserves. I guess I'm bored. Ratings last night were pretty much level with last week's. However, with upfronts coming up, the buzz is that FOX really isn't desperate for shows, either new or existing, so anything that's weak-ish might get the boot. It's currently a toss-up for renewal. Ironically, Chuck, with far lower ratings, could get a renewal, due to being on eternally-desperate NBC.

I'd be okay with either show being cancelled. Breaking In is wasting several good comic talents on very meager writing, and while Chuck was far better written early on, it's just flat out of story. Cancel both and mix & match the actors across two or three other good comedies. I would pay real money to see Christian Slater and Zach Levi in something together, and I think there might really be something to tossing Bret Harrison and Michael Rosenberg into a new show together, with Adam Baldwin for good measure.

 

The problem with Breaking In is it is taking essentially an hour long premise and condensing it into 30 minutes...actually less in both cases counting commercials...I think it will take time for anything in depth with these characters unless they just focus on Oz & Cam...then everyone else is secondary...which wouldn't hurt. I do like Cash though. The writing is rather shallow.

 

The only part of this show that's working is that it gives the actors an excuse to play off each other in wacky scenarios, like Oz fooling Cash into thinking the copier is sentient. I'm not sure they'd know what to do with a full hour. The plotting barely fills a half hour as it is.

Here's what they need to do: amp up the surreality and nasty humor a la Archer (as far as they can get away with it on network TV). Dump any character who doesn't have a comedic gimmick - everyone except Oz, Dutch, Cam and Cash - and push those gimmicks to the edge. The girl (can't remember her name) has no gimmick, so lose her. If the writers don't know how to write funny female characters, once again the template is Archer.

They also need to add a character like Krieger, who is "the scary one." Moreso than Oz, who is the Mallory character.

 

I don't think this show is beyond repair but it will need to be tweaked if it is going to get a second season. Melanie is a useless character...it is a shame coz they had her paired up with Dutch...Rosey never disappoints.

 

Uh oh Ted McGinley's making an appearance. You know what that means.

 

Cone of silence, Vulcan neck pinch, Leroy Jenkins... they sure throw a lot of things out there hoping some of them stick. Although the Gordon Shumway alias definitely made me laugh.

 

That episode was a mess. Lot of comic talent being wasted here.

Ratings are stable, but the show is losing a lot of American Idol's lead-in, suggesting that it's just riding the coattails. I'm sure FOX will have another show among their upcoming pilots that will make better use of that timeslot. I doubt it'll get a renewal.

 

Argh, forgot to watch it! I'll have to look for it on the website when I have time.

 

I HAVE mine set to my DVR . if you missed it,it's on hulu so check it out this weeks episode was just great star wars gags and a nerf war. plus christian using a bow like he did on robin hood.

 

I completely forgot he was in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

 

he played will scarlett robin's half brother. why did you think he had a bow and arrow
instead of a nerf bow?

 

I didn't finish watching the episode.

 

Cash & the Star Wars fan film stuff was great. When I heard this had to do with Melanie...I wasn't too keen on the ep...but it was pretty good. Loving this show actually.

 

Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic since I used to make my own Star Wars films as a kid, but I thought it was the funniest episode since the pilot.

 

i wonder if you're biased because of TrekBBS threads ongoing joke of Clark being a d-bag, so the others are automatically not on Smallville, and that resonates in other roles (also factoring in Rosenbaum being a great, if not best, Lex Luthor)

 

Since I have no idea what you're talking about, that would be a no.

 

Tonight's episode was full of geek awesome! We get Christian saying "we have a broken arrow!", Dutch picking up an "S" Shield t-shirt and using it and his allergy to pull-off a Sloth impression. A ninja turtle "ninja's" the movie. Cash's bedroom. Real properties seen at the Con. I think this show is moving into first place for my sitcom allotment.

I like that the geek jokes so far have gotten the details right. It's a nice contrast to big bang theory where it feels like the writers don't actually know the references they are using.

 

Such a fun show. Tonight was great. Dutch(Michael Rosenbaum) in the Superman shirt was awesome. The show gets better with each ep.

 

Tonight's episode was the first I've seen of this and I loved it...laughed at the "Broken Arrow" reference made by Christian Slater's character.

 

Turning the peanut allergy into Sloth was genius. Didn't see that coming.

Also, did Rosenbaum just wear the Superman S before Welling did?