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Twitter'Hank' review: Kelsey Grammer's 'Hank' is heavy on the laugh track, light on laughs
Kelsey Grammer's last sitcom, "Back to You," made it through a meager 17 episodes. With "Hank," Grammer may be looking back at those 17 episodes as the salad days.
ABC's "Hank" is an old-school setup-punchline sitcom, complete with laugh track. The laugh track is cranked up to 11 -- we saw a rough cut, so here's hoping it gets smoothed out in the final product. It had better, because the show eschews minor elements like plotting and multi-layered characterization in favor of every line being some sort of sarcastic retort. Not a single wisecrack got a laugh other than from the studio audience.
Grammer stars as Hank Pryor, owner of a chain of sporting-goods stores who has recently been deposed and must move from Manhattan to rural Virginia. Hank has a patient wife who waffles from despairing over their circumstances to accepting the new life at the whims of the "script"; a snarky teenage daughter in the broadest sitcom sense; and a nerdy, hyperactive son.
Hank himself is a supposed titan of industry who can't relate to his family other than as employees. That's a source of "humor" now that he has to spend all of his free time in exile with them.
We most feel sorry for Jordan Hinson, good as wise-beyond-her-years Zoe Carter on Syfy's "Eureka" and absolutely wasted here as Maddie. At least she has a summer job to fall back on. Grammer may be begging her to put in a good word soon.
In the meantime, watch Korbi TV's interview with Grammer and television wife Melinda McGraw:
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Fall TV 2009: What we are (and are not) looking forward to
'Hank' episodes and cast
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I'll definitely give it a watch, but please for the love of God leave the annoying laugh track in the 20th century where it belongs.
It does nothing at all but distract and bug....And besides---if I find something funny I can laugh on my own---I don't need a cue to tell me when I should be doing it!
The only thing I'll watch Kelsey Grammer in is Frasier. Bring that back and I'll watch. Other than that, any show he is in is unwatchable.
In the late 1960s the original tile "Hank" was a series about a college dropout who used to drop in to classes.
I thought Back to You was a funny show. Don't understand why Fox cancelled it. I may look at the premiere of Hank, but it probably won't keep my interest.
I also thought 'Back To You' was a pretty good show. I always watched it, but I've always been a fan of Kelsey's way back to his Cheer's days. I hope Hank will be entertaining, I will certainly hang in there and watch it. Good Luck Kelsey!! Welcome back!!
Just watched the pilot. Brutal.
I was looking forward to it but -- embarassingly bad.
Have to echo the last 2 comments---that pilot was really suprisingly horrible.
I expected so much more from Grammer especially after 'Back to You' was cancelled and more so his 20+ year sitcom experience.
He comes back...to this drivel??
I'd say onyl two options are open for him at this point....One, re-tool the entire show, eliminate the kids, bring him and that wifr back to the city and take it from there wherever they wish to go.
And number two is most obvious----come back as Fraiser and let the world re-visit this wonderful character once again.
horrible, horrible show.
Hank sucked all around. The writing was horrible and the acting wasn't much better. The concept of the show actually sounds okay, but the execution was horrendous. Full review of the episode.
http://th3tvobsessed.blogspot.com/2009/10/abcs-hank-masive-bore.html