NBC Midseason Pilot Review: About a Boy - Premieres February 22

[TJ]

About a Boy - Tuesdays at 9:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Special Premiere Saturday, February 22, 2014 following The Olympics at approx. 11:05PM ET/PT

Based on a film of the same name, About a Boy follows Will Freeman (David Walton) after being granted a life of free tie, free love, and freedom from financial woes after he writes a hit song. But when single mom Fiona (Minnie Driver) and her 11-year-old son Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) move next door, his life is turned upside down.

Read our review of the pilot here:
http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2014/0...r-comfort.html

[TMC]

http://www.vulture.com/2014/02/tv-re...up-fisher.html

"Most sitcoms are populated either by characters you'd meet in life or characters that only exist on sitcoms," says Matt Zoller Seitz. "Two new NBC sitcoms, 'Growing Up Fisher' and 'About a Boy,' fall into the second category. That's not to say they're incompetent or otherwise unwatchable; they're professional bits of work, acted and written and directed with energy. They might catch on with audiences or they might not, and they might improve drastically or they might not. Whatever happens, I'm in no rush to watch either show again, because I'm tired of sitcoms in which everybody acts and sounds like a network sitcom character, talking very quickly and in a peppy and 'bright' tone to make you think they aren't irritating, even outright horrible people." PLUS: "About a Boy" is NBC's best sitcom in years, David Walton is good at not being Hugh Grant, the show waters down the book and movie, the pilot is utterly charming, and "Growing Up Fisher" seems like a pale imitation of "The Goldbergs."
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#TKFzCv26GwTdUliF.99

[robyrob]

I liked "Growing Up Fisher" and will probably watch it again, but it is nowhere near as good as The Goldbergs.

"About A Boy" was just a cringe-fest - I do not understand why they keep giving that David Walton guy starring roles in sitcoms; he's way too irritating even as a sidekick or secondary character, as proven already by the countless failed sitcoms he's been in. He's like the Ted McGinley of sitcom pilots - once they add him, you know it is doomed.

[Will and Grace Fanatic]

based on the ratings from the first 3 episodes NBC thankfully will renew About a Boy.

[comedyfreak]

I still haven't been able to see these shows yet. I forget to DVR them.

[irehtman]

These three shows need to get renewed and aired on the same night as Parks And Recreation:

Community
About A Boy
Growing Up Fisher