NBC Fall Pilot Review: Perfect Harmony - Premieres September 26 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TJ · 09-25-2019, 04:27 PM

Perfect Harmony - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 8:30PM ET/PT

Perfect Harmony is a comedy about finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers that are out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix of individuals to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness, just when they all need it most.

Read our review here:
https://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2019/...t-harmony.html

TMC · 09-27-2019, 07:46 PM

NBC's Perfect Harmony has one of the most confusing pilots of the fall

In theory, Bradley Whitford has the perfect role as a former Princeton choral director who is hired to lead a small-town church choir. But the script of the pilot episode is too weak and too rushed, says Daniel Fienberg. "From here, you can guess the drill. He'll teach them. They'll teach him. And maybe by the time the choir competes at regionals, this discordant group of outsiders will, as a unit, finally be in… perfect harmony," says Fienberg. "That seems like a fairly reasonable template for the first season of a TV show, right? A little Glee, a little Pitch Perfect and a little Mr. Holland's Opus? Instead, what probably would have been a 100-minute feature film becomes a confusingly gutted 21-minute pilot in which every plot machination is unmotivated, every character shift illogical and every attempted emotional moment unearned."

ALSO:

Perfect Harmony's pilot could've backfired without Whitford: "The part of a know-it-all guy swaggering in to impart his superior knowledge is a time-honored TV tradition, but also a very tired one, so the moments that Whitford takes to show Arthur’s reluctantly human side aren’t just a relief, but necessary," says Daniel D'Addario. "They’re also, as anyone who’s seen a similar premise knows, rather inevitable."
Perfect Harmony becomes too predictable halfway through its pilot, which is never a good sign
Bradley Whitford is glad to be be back on NBC: "I mean, look it sounds stupid and of course, you’re dealing with these big corporations in reality, but I really do, NBC even before West Wing, was a place that was interested in working with me," he says. 'It’s really kind of been a home, and NBC has this history of these amazing comedies that still hold up perfectly. Jason and I knew that we wanted this to go to NBC because they have a history of doing these quality comedies that hold up, and they know how to develop and take care of them. You can feel the heritage of Parks and Recreation and The Office. We definitely share that DNA."

09-25-2019, 04:27 PM	#1
TJ Site Owner Administrator Forum Star Join Date: Feb 03, 2000 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 10,676	NBC Fall Pilot Review: Perfect Harmony - Premieres September 26 Perfect Harmony - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC Premieres Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 8:30PM ET/PT Perfect Harmony is a comedy about finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers that are out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix of individuals to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness, just when they all need it most. Read our review here: https://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2019/...t-harmony.html

09-27-2019, 07:46 PM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,847	NBC's Perfect Harmony has one of the most confusing pilots of the fall In theory, Bradley Whitford has the perfect role as a former Princeton choral director who is hired to lead a small-town church choir. But the script of the pilot episode is too weak and too rushed, says Daniel Fienberg. "From here, you can guess the drill. He'll teach them. They'll teach him. And maybe by the time the choir competes at regionals, this discordant group of outsiders will, as a unit, finally be in… perfect harmony," says Fienberg. "That seems like a fairly reasonable template for the first season of a TV show, right? A little Glee, a little Pitch Perfect and a little Mr. Holland's Opus? Instead, what probably would have been a 100-minute feature film becomes a confusingly gutted 21-minute pilot in which every plot machination is unmotivated, every character shift illogical and every attempted emotional moment unearned." ALSO: Perfect Harmony's pilot could've backfired without Whitford: "The part of a know-it-all guy swaggering in to impart his superior knowledge is a time-honored TV tradition, but also a very tired one, so the moments that Whitford takes to show Arthur’s reluctantly human side aren’t just a relief, but necessary," says Daniel D'Addario. "They’re also, as anyone who’s seen a similar premise knows, rather inevitable." Perfect Harmony becomes too predictable halfway through its pilot, which is never a good sign Bradley Whitford is glad to be be back on NBC: "I mean, look it sounds stupid and of course, you’re dealing with these big corporations in reality, but I really do, NBC even before West Wing, was a place that was interested in working with me," he says. 'It’s really kind of been a home, and NBC has this history of these amazing comedies that still hold up perfectly. Jason and I knew that we wanted this to go to NBC because they have a history of doing these quality comedies that hold up, and they know how to develop and take care of them. You can feel the heritage of Parks and Recreation and The Office. We definitely share that DNA."