NBC's new comedy block kicked off tonight with Christina Applegate's new comedy 'Up All Night', and the US adaptation of 'Free Agents' starring Hank Azaria. Out of the two I gotta say i preferred Up All Night, probably because it means my weekly Christina Applegate fix is back, Samantha Who? was cancelled waaaaaaaaaay too early so Im very happy to have her back on the small screen. That doesn't mean Free Agents wasn't good because in fact it was very good. So instead of me deciding which one to tell you about I shall discuss both separately :D.
Up All Night is a comedy starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as first time parents to a newly born baba, and Maya Rudolph as Reagan's (CA) free willed boss. Now straight off your looking at an awesome comedy team, Christina is basically a TV vet now, Will Arnett has the cult comedy fans behind as hes an alum of the cancelled way too soon show Arrested Development, and also Maya Rudolph who is a SNL (Saturday Night Live) alum and who has also shown her comedy chops this year on the big screen co starring in Bridemaids. So I was very much looking forward to this show before it aired, and I gotta say thank you for making it so good as well. For me I was scared that because it had such an awesome cast that It might turn out to be just hype, but because the cast are such well known good comedy actors they worked really well together.
Christina and Will play Reagan and Chris who are the first time parents. Ive not yet experienced what this is like and many shows and movies make it seem like the most magical thing in the world but what I already love about this show is that yeah its magical having a baby is amazing but also the show the realities with that as well, all with keeping the comedy as well. One of my favourite parts was seeing Arnett's character Chris trying to find his way round the supermarket, most guys are probably not this clueless but it was hilarious ever so, and the old lady who wanted to aww at the baby became the evil old lady, just brilliant.
Maya plays an Ellen/Oprah sort of character her own TV show 'Ava' which is about how she came from nothing to have it all now wants to help everyone else. I'm not too sure exactly what Reagan's job is for Ava, possibly personal assistant, basically the only person in the office who is scared of Ava. What I loved about the character of Ava though is that considering who she is to the public behind the scenes she is like this wild party girl, for example the baby basket present she bought for Reagan and Chris was full of champagne, fancy cheeses and biscuits.
So to give you an idea of what its like check out this promo:
Now onto Free Agents:
I was going to add the picture of the actual promos but this is the only ensemble promotional photo I could find and that felt more important, showing the ensemble. Reason for that being that I think this is more of an ensemble show. As much as I love the lead actors Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn I love them more playing wacky supporting roles, they feel too normal as the leads. The supporting cast/characters though I find very entertainingly wacky, but most of all I gotta say welcome back to my screen Mr Anthony Stewart Head, a very different role to Giles but I love him none the less.
Azaria plays Alex, although it sounds like they all call him Alec, a guy who works in PR and is recently divorced so is basically sad lonely and crying a lot. Sadly though he works in a PR firm so is surrounded by douches and bitches who are just telling him to get over it and start dating again etc etc. I say sadly but I mean that for the character not for the audience because I loved the douchiness and bitchness of the firm. He starts getting it on with Hahn's character Helen who lost her finance a year ago and isn't quite over it yet which she discovers near the end of the episode when she counts how many canvas painting she has of him on her wall, I think it was near 20, so she is also a bit of a mess but no one really knows that about her apart from Alex. These two could have a really sweet friendship if they weren't well friends with benefits but he is obviously guna actually fall for her.
But like I said its the ensemble that makes this show for me and by that I mean the supporting cast. Head plays the boss Stephen, which is the same role he played in the UK version, and well hes a big douche, and quite inappropriate but its very funny. Then the other characters we have are Dan (Mo Mandel) the young I'm guessing hip douche (I'm guna be using the word a lot but use it as a term of endearment) who is trying to get Alex (Azaria) out there dating again by being his own wingman, however when Alex lets him down Dan calls upon the married wingman Walter (Al Madrigal) who I just wana call adorable, he desperately wants to be in with the crowd, or just out of the house. Then we have the executive assistant Emma (Natasha Leggero) who is just a cold hearted bitch and I very much would love to be her, and the buildings security man Gregg (Joe Lo Truglio) who gives Alex great advice about movie on whilst in the background his home made martial arts video is playing.
Like I said the supporting cast really do make this show for me and I hope they get more focus as time goes on and it does become more about the ensemble, but check out a clip for yourself:
I choose this clip because its the only promo which shows off the supporting cast.
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