CBS Thursdays @ 8:30pm ET
"The Millers" stars Will Arnett as Nathan Miller, a recently divorced local roving news reporter looking forward to living the singles life until his parents' marital problems unexpectedly derail his plans. After Nathan finally breaks the news of his divorce to his parents, Carol and Tom, his father is inspired to follow suit and stuns the family when he leaves his wife of 43 years. Already in shock, Nathan is even more aghast when his meddlesome mom decides to move in with him. Meanwhile, his absent-minded dad imposes upon Nathan's sister Debbie, her husband Adam and their daughter. Now, as Nathan and his sister settle in with their truly impossible parents, they both wonder just how long the aggravating adjustment period is going to last.
Poor Will Arnett...
The hilarious costar of "Arrested Development" has been searching far and wide for a new starring vehicle ever since that beloved FOX comedy was cancelled back in 2006. First he costarred with Keri Russell in 2010's "Running Wilde" on FOX. That show was cancelled after one 13-episode season. Then he costarred with Christina Applegate in 2011's "Up All Night" on NBC. That show went on hiatus midway through its second season and then never came back after the producers self-sabotaged in spectacular fashion. (They cancelled Maya Rudolph's hilarious talk-show-within-a-show, then they decided to transition from single-camera to multicam, causing Christina Applegate to quit, and the show died a quiet, unnoticed death.) Then he appeared on this year's revival of "Arrested Development" on Netflix, which bowed to decidedly mixed reviews and a sharp decline in quality from the original series. Now he's starring on CBS' "The Millers" as a news reporter saddled with his cantankerous mother after her husband leaves her. Is this the vehicle that Arnett has been waiting for? The one that will finally bring him the success he deserves?
Yes and no. If success is defined by longevity, than "The Millers" may very likely be Will Arnett's biggest success yet. The pilot premiered to spectacular numbers, which is very promising for its chances of getting a second season. But there are several reasons "The Millers" did so well, and hardly any of them have to do with the fact that it was any good. First of all, unlike any of Arnett's previous shows, "The Millers" airs on CBS, which is already the most-watched network on television. Secondly, it has a lead-in from the most-watched network's highest-rated comedy, "The Big Bang Theory". Of the 18 million people who watched the Season Seven premiere of TBBT, 13 million of those stuck around for "The Millers". (That's 10 million more than watched NBC's premiere of "Welcome To The Family" at the same time.)
It's an utter shame, then, that Arnett's most commercially successful show so far is also his worst. "The Millers" is a groan-worthy, eye-rolling comedy that really scrapes the bottom of the fart-jokes barrel for its laughs. It's astounding that such an awful show attracted such great talent. Other than Arnett, the show stars Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges as his cartoonish parents and Jayma Mays ("Glee") as his exasperated sister. This show is especially embarrassing for Martindale, hot off a 2011 Emmy win for her supporting role in FX's "Justified", as well as a critically-acclaimed guest turn on FX's "The Americans" as a conniving Russian spy. This is quite a step down from those amazing roles, and it's impossible to watch such a talented actress hit on strangers while drugged on sleeping pills by bragging that she can't get pregnant without covering your eyes in shame.
"The Millers" is the kind of show you know exactly where it's headed from the moment it starts. As soon as Martindale brings up "Dirty Dancing" early in the episode, you know it will end with a dance to the overplayed strains of "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life". And sure enough, it does. Perhaps this lack of surprise and sense of familiarity is exactly what attracted so many viewers to the show. But for those who crave creativity and excitement, "The Millers" is a must-skip. It's sad to think that Arnett's talents could be tied up in this undeserving show for many years to come.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxzXf5xVn_8[/youtube]
