Gary Unmarried: Season 1

For as long as television has been the dominant form of home entertainment the most popular type of show has been the venerable situation comedy. The most typical variation of this genre tradition revolves around the institution known as the American family. The shows we watched back in the fifties portrayed the standard family unit of the father, mother and proverbial 2.3 children. Husbands like Ward Cleaver would give his wife June a loving kiss on the cheek as he left for his job of an undisclosed natural. Since the series was concerned with the home the father’s actual means of employment is not really pertinent to the stories. The only thing that mattered was the weekly high jinks of Wally and the Beaver. This view of the typical family was highly idealized even back then but now variations in the structure of the family have overwhelmed the fifties’ standard. It took a long time for TV to acknowledge the single family house hold with series like ‘My Three sons’ or ‘Julia’ and they were always on their own because of the death of their spouse never divorce. With the divorce rate now over 50% the networks had to change the structure of their sit-coms in order to retain something the audience can identify with. One of the latest of this new generation of sit-coms is ‘Gary Unmarried’ on the CBS network. The show follows a recently divorced man as ne attempts to reinvent himself and move on with his life after a divorce. The series typically has the time slot next to ‘The New Christine’ which looks at divorce from the woman’s point of view. Shows like these take a humorous look at a serious problem that devastates families. Of course that opens the door for a touch or dark comedy in the mix and frequently some sexual problems that Donna Reed next encountered on the sir. ‘Gary Unmarried’ made it through the critical first season and has been picked up for a second. In case you missed this series it is now available on DVD.

The series was created by Ed Yeager who is garnering a name in this new school of sit-coms. He has several to his credit concerned with happily dysfunctional or unconventional families including ‘Still Standing’ and ‘"Dharma & Greg’. He has developed a freewheeling style that admittedly not appropriate for the younger members of family. Most of this is the result of Yeager’s perchance for sexually based jokes and PG-13 level partial nudity. Actually, in many ways it’s good that this series is targeted to a more mature audience. Some of the situations may hit a little too close to home for kids experiencing these circumstances. Gary Brooks (Jay Mohr) is normally an affable, easy going kind of guy the sort you could kick back with a beer while watching a game. A role like this demands just the right actor and fortunately the producers found him. . I’ve been a fan of Mohr’s for years both on TV and in films. He started as a standup comedian and frequently portrayed characters that are best describe as lovable villains. In this show Mohr portrays Gary as a man just trying to get through life with as little drama as possible and perhaps just a touch of happiness. His fifteen year marriage to Allison (Paula Marshall) end just a few months before the start of the pilot episode. As always the children are stuck in the middle; Tom (Ryan Malgarini) and Louise (Laura Marano in the pilot, Kathryn Newton from episode 2 forward). Tom is just at the point where puberty is kicking in. initially he was so shy that he was afraid to meet girls even in second life online. That takes a major turn when he starts going out with Danielle (Ashley Farley) who may be overwhelmingly possessive but she is very pretty and enjoys kissing. Louise, on the other hand is an aspiring eco-warrior who festoons her bedroom walls with pictures of Gandhi, Al Gore and Che Guevara. Gary owns his own business; a house painting crew. While on a job he hooks up with Vanessa Flood (Jaime King. She is gorgeous, completely out of Gary’s league. She single mother who has an uneasy relationship with her ex. Much to Gary’s consternation she becomes fast friends with Allison. Also trying to move on Allison is engaged to Dr. Walter Krandall (Ed Begley, Jr.), an environmentally friendly psychiatrist who used to be their marriage counselor. All of this sets the stage for the entangled relationships that have become common place in today’s world. With this newly redefined premise come an entirely new set of situations for the writers to play with. Gray would like to make a clean break but it seems that there is always a reason for him and Allison to get together. New boundaries have to be drawn but the line appears to be more than a little one sided. Gary has to ask permission to enter his former home but Allison can apparently barge into his new place any time. Then there is the perennial question of the division of property. She got just about everything but when Gary wants his old pool table back Allison refuses. Gary has to sink to blackmail when he finds from old very naughty photos of her. There are some episodes where there are arguments over visitation rights with the kids but the series generally takes the high road avoiding any plot lines where the children are used as emotional weapons or bargaining chips. In another episode Vanessa gets annoyed that Gary is constantly talking Allison. He promises to take her to a special restaurant and winds up taking her to the place he frequented with his ex. Not only does he take Vanessa there but it was on his anniversary with Allison.

The series is funny albeit frequently with darker humor than typically found in your average sit-com. The cast consist of seasoned professionals with ample experience in similar shows. The central cast has chemistry together creating an ensemble feel that helps to hold the series together. This first season was very much a preliminary attempt with many changes made for season two. there is room for improvement but the series has a lot of potential.

Posted 02/01/2010