Four Ways to Fix The Mulaney Mess - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-27-2014, 12:14 AM

http://www.twcc.com/articles/2014/10...e-mulaney-mess

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Fox has a new comedy this season titled Mulaney, starring John Mulaney. Mulaney is previously known for his work on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and the show is produced by his SNL boss, Lorne Michaels. You would think that with the resources that Lorne Michaels can bring to a show that Mulaney would be a smash hit. But sadly, Mulaney has the look and the feel of a bad Seinfeld rip-off and FOX has just trimmed the show from 16 to 13 episodes. Here are a few suggestions to help make Mulaney the updated comedy that it should be.

Mulaney starring John Mulaney airs on FOX Sunday at 9:30 pm ET.

Ditch The Game Show TV workplace

Mulaney (John Mulaney) works as a writer for comedian Lou Cannon’s (Martin Short) game show. The few comedic moments that could be done using this game show premise has come and gone. It would be better if Lou Cannon got a gig as a late night talk show host. He could have a stand-up segment (hopefully with better jokes), Mulaney could still write for him and guest stars could be booked to breathe some fresh life into show. Such guest stars could play provocative, quirky or downright nasty caricatures of themselves.

Provide Elliot Gould a Husband/Life Partner

The only part of Mulaney that works is when Elliot Gould shows up as Mulaney’s Jewish and gay next door neighbor, Oscar. Oscar is basically John’s conscience, but he would be even better if he was living with a life partner. This would give Mulaney and Oscar more things to talk about and Oscar could compare his own happy life to that of Mulaney’s younger, struggling life.

Transition from Live Audience to Single Cam

Mulaney is shot in front of a live audience, but it is very likely that the laughs heard on the show are created by a laugh track. The show just isn’t that funny. The days of live audience sitcoms have passed and Mulaney would do well to take some cues from the NBC comedies that have been very successful using the single camera model.

Drop the Mulaney/Seinfeld Stand up moments

So far, the Mulaney stand-up moments are horrible. Not only are they not funny, but they are offensive as well. Seinfeld’s stand-up moments were used because they were funny and Mulaney needs to be told by someone that he is not Seinfeld. Imitation is the best form of flattery, but the worst way to try to launch a successful sitcom. The stand-up moments need to go, now!

comedyfreak · 10-27-2014, 05:00 AM

It's too late.

Blackout · 10-27-2014, 06:55 PM

last thing this show needs is another gay character. that's what is wrong with TV these days, every show has to have one.

anyways I'd like to see Mulaney start dating the female character.

TMC · 11-26-2014, 08:11 PM

http://www.tv.com/news/best-new-come...-141583395248/

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TO BE BURNED IN A GARBAGE HEAP

10. Mulaney

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch x infinity. Word on the street is that former Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney is quite the stand-up comedian, so giving him his own show seemed like a natural next step, given his history with television (he's also regularly featured on Kroll Show). Unfortunately, that turned out to be the wrong decision. In fact, it was the worst decision. Mulaney can't take all the blame for this disaster, but he deserves the lion's share of it, especially since he's the cast member who acts most like he's on a sitcom... from the early 1980s. And despite borrowing from so many hammy sitcoms of yesteryear, Mulaney's writing and pacing makes the show feel like everyone involved the series has never seen a comedy in their lives. Unfunny, uncomfortable, and unfixable, Mulaney wins the season's worst new comedy award in a landslide.

Mace Dolex · 11-27-2014, 01:10 AM

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Transition from Live Audience to Single Cam

Mulaney is shot in front of a live audience, but it is very likely that the laughs heard on the show are created by a laugh track. The show just isn’t that funny. The days of live audience sitcoms have passed and Mulaney would do well to take some cues from the NBC comedies that have been very successful using the single camera model.

OK let's say I really like this POS of a show then this would've been the first thing to discard, as it was I doubt there was even an audience even if free sitting through this crap.

TMC · 03-13-2015, 02:59 AM

They used some of the same jokes from John Mulaney's most famous standup special, but they just don't work in the context of the show, as Seinfeld-like bumpers to the sitcom. To put it in another way, I think a lot about standup—especially modern standup—is that it isn't just a series of jokes that you can chop up into individual bits and use them out of context. You have to let the comedian work up to the jokes.

10-27-2014, 05:00 AM	#2
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,059	It's too late.
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10-27-2014, 06:55 PM	#3
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,235	last thing this show needs is another gay character. that's what is wrong with TV these days, every show has to have one. anyways I'd like to see Mulaney start dating the female character.
	__________________ MOHRIOR

03-13-2015, 02:59 AM	#6
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,621	They used some of the same jokes from John Mulaney's most famous standup special, but they just don't work in the context of the show, as Seinfeld-like bumpers to the sitcom. To put it in another way, I think a lot about standup—especially modern standup—is that it isn't just a series of jokes that you can chop up into individual bits and use them out of context. You have to let the comedian work up to the jokes.