Review: 'The Neighbors' - 'Sing Like a Larry Bird': Sending our love down a well
A musical episode shows how far the ABC comedy has come from its humble beginnings
Toks Olagundoye and Simon Templeman sing and dance in "The Neighbors."
When "The Neighbors" premiered back in the fall, I found the pilot so disheartening that I ultimately didn't even review it, choosing to devote my limited time in premiere week to shows I either liked or that at least had the potential for growth. I didn't see any in a show that leaned so heavily on gags like naming all the aliens after famous athletes.
I watched another couple of episodes (the shopping mall trip and Halloween) later in the fall, each of which showed signs of becoming something I wouldn't hate, and I made a mental note to come back later in the season to see what "The Neighbors" had become.
And with the musical-themed "Sing Like a Larry Bird," it looks like I picked a very good week to check back in. This wasn't a "good by 'Neighbors' standards" sitcom episode. This was a good sitcom episode, no other qualifiers needed.
The songs by Alan Menken were clever and fun, and also a good example of how aliens might respond to our popular culture. The aliens chafing at being treated like children by the Weavers also led to a number of funny moments, chief among them Larry Bird's utter panic attack at being confronted by a television reporter. (Simon Templeman's delivery of every line in that scene was perfect.) Having aliens on your show should be a license to get weird — as it so often was on "3rd Rock from the Sun," which got namechecked near the end here — and I'm glad to see that "The Neighbors" has embraced its own strangeness.
So fair is fair: one of my least favorite new pilots of the season just turned out one of the better sitcom episodes I've seen anywhere on the networks this season. (And if you don't believe me, I've embedded the full episode below.) Obviously, the characters won't be bursting into song every week, but "Sing Like a Larry Bird" was good enough that I want to sample at least one or two more typical episodes to see exactly how good "The Neighbors" has become.
What did everybody else think? For those of you who've been watching all season, how did this compare to recent episodes? Are there others you might recommend as a good entry point to anyone else who was turned off by the pilot?
News From Our Partners
-
FX's 'The Strain' Taps 'Alias' Mia Maestro as Female Lead
FX's 'Tyrant': Ang Lee Drops out of Directing the Pilot, Cites 'Life of Pi' Exhaustion
NBC's 'Siberia': New Reality-Skewing Drama Ordered for Summer
-
What to Watch Tonight: The Season Finales of Rectify and Hawaii Five-0 and the Series Premieres of The Goodwin Games and Motive
Mad Men "The Crash" Review: Uppers Give You Wings!
News Briefs: CBS Is Pulling Mike & Molly's Season Finale Due to a Tornado Storyline
-
'Star Trek Into Darkness' Takes Box-Office Crown With $84 Million
'Arrested Development' Gang: Where Are They Now?
'Star Trek Into Darkness': What's Next For J.J. Abrams And The Cast?
-
The Telefile - Veep: The Episode's Best Insults
The Telefile - Saturday Night Live: Straight Outta 8H
The Telefile - Game of Thrones: Our Weekly Westeros Scorecard
-
Joe Satran: Who's Winning The 'Game Of Thrones'?
Andrew Jenks: Where Guns Are as Common as Cell Phones
Renee Graziano: Look Before You Love
-
Ranking the Blockbusters with Summer Movie Scorecard 2013
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Star Trek Softer Than Expected at #1
-
Hear This: With “Deceptacon,” Le Tigre captured the sound of youth in a song
Watch This: Walter Hill’s The Driver is all about work done well
Scenic Routes: A quiet scene from The Matrix demonstrates how to make exposition compelling
-
'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters': Jeremy Renner Never Read the Script Before Signing On
'Angry Birds' Movie Flies Forward
Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique: First Look at the Actress in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'
Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching
Latest Posts
-
Daniel ponders a trip out of town as the terrific first season comes to a closeMonday, May 20, 2013
-
Some interesting pieces in a new sitcom from the 'HIMYM' guys, but it's a dead show walkingMonday, May 20, 2013
-
Dan and Alan also review 'Save Me,' talk about 'SNL' departures and a wacky 'Mad Men'Monday, May 20, 2013
-
A police procedural that doesn't bother with whodunnit, but doesn't replace it with anything interestingMonday, May 20, 2013
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupTheonewhoknocks
March 14, 2013 at 9:33AM EST Reply to CommentMy wife and I were desperate for a new show a few months ago so we watched the first episode of the neighbors. We agreed it was incredibly cheesy and it wasn't what we were looking for, but we watched a few more episodes to give it a fair shake. It's really gotten better every week and its one of our favorite comedies now. Haven't seen last nights episode yet but I'm glad critics are coming around now on a show that definitely deserves to stay on the air.
Jon88
March 14, 2013 at 9:50AM EST Reply to CommentMuch the same reaction. I heard about the Menken involvement, and checked it out. Now that the situation has been established, the show seems much better than when I gave up on it in the fall. (Buy the premise, buy the bit.) I'll give it another chance next week.
Ryan JP
March 14, 2013 at 10:20AM EST Reply to CommentI've watched every episode so far. There's been surprisingly steady improvement since the beginning (I thought the pilot was one of the worst of the year). It's a fun fit airing after one of my favorite comedies, The Middle.
Simon Templeman and Toks Olagundoye have been fantastic revelations since Day 1, completely invested in their characters and buying into these outlandish roles. Even in the bad episodes, it has been worth my time watching those two. Lenny Venito and Jami Gertz have gradually gotten more comfortable as has the acting of Tim Jo (very stiff in the first few episodes) and the overall writing quality.
I like how the show regularly features odd pairings (various characters interacting with each other like Larry Bird/Amber, Jackie/Abbey, and Debbie/Dick Butkus). I keep waiting for them to drop the ball on the slow-burning Reggie Jackson/Amber romance and they haven't yet.
So while it is not a great show at this point, it is quite good. Which is shocking to me, because I expected this to be the first comedy cancelled.
scoopie77 Well said. I totally agree.
March 14, 2013 at 1:38PM ESTRandomSprinkles
March 14, 2013 at 10:30AM EST Reply to CommentThe show is getting smarter and smarter. It cracks me up with every new episode. I can watch episodes over and over and still laugh at it in a good way. I love it and hope it sticks around.
yrwehere
March 14, 2013 at 10:36AM EST Reply to CommentAfter seeing the promos and then reading Alan's scathing review of the pilot, I didn't bother with this show, but I have to admit, while watching this musical episode I laughed out loud at least 4 times.
Dave
March 14, 2013 at 10:50AM EST Reply to CommentThis is the funniest show in tv, even if just for the Larry Bird character. Jamie Gertz is not very good though, overacts way too much.
yrwehere I know humor is subjective, but come on. Funnier than Parks & Rec? Archer? RuPaul's Drag Race?
March 14, 2013 at 12:01PM ESTHarley Yes, funnier than those shows. The writing is very fresh and clever, and the show also surprisingly has a lot of heart.
March 14, 2013 at 12:34PM ESTyrwehere Harley, "1/16th the size of Adele" is clever?
March 14, 2013 at 12:44PM ESTHarley It was clever, for example, to slip a mini parody of The Voice in the larger scale Broadway parody as the townsfolk audition for roles in Larry Bird's musical. "I'm going to sing something I wrote myself..." "I hate when they do that!"
March 14, 2013 at 3:01PM ESTforg
March 14, 2013 at 11:59AM EST Reply to CommentThe Alien family is great! Simon and Toks are awesome! And the kid who plays Dick delivers his lines perfectly! The regular family is just OK but they grew on me but the Aliens are the stars of the sitcom. Glad you liked this episode :)
Smigglesby
March 14, 2013 at 12:10PM EST Reply to CommentAny episode with the fantastic combination of Larry Bird and Amber Weaver. They have some of the most interesting buddy chemistry on tv. Them practicing driving was great, and in one episodes that I can't exactly remember, they had a sweet/funny conversation on the front lawn.
forg Oh yes I remember that episode the one where they give each other an advice haha. And yes they are the great unlikely best friends Larryb was talking about :D
March 14, 2013 at 12:25PM ESTjoe
March 14, 2013 at 12:25PM EST Reply to CommentIt's really just gotten better and better. It's found a much more comfortable and stranger footing and is a fun little sitcom. I hope ABC gives it a chance.
Great episodes to look into would be the country club episode (titled meta-ly "The Back Nine") and the Oscar episode ("Larry Bird Presents an Oscar-Winning Film by Larry Bird").
forg I would also recommend Juan of the Dead where they talked about death, Dream Weavers (prom ep) and I Believe I Can Drive
March 14, 2013 at 12:32PM ESTHarley Juan of the Dead is my favorite episode.
March 14, 2013 at 12:36PM ESTforg I was pleasantly surprised on how they tackled death in a funny but honest manner. That episode made me realize that this show has what it takes to be good in the long run after the shaky first batch of eps
March 14, 2013 at 12:42PM ESTscoopie77 I like the one where Jackie becomes a Real Housewife. She's a killer actor.
March 14, 2013 at 1:39PM ESTDonBoy
March 14, 2013 at 1:26PM EST Reply to CommentAs a Neighbors...enjoyer? Fan seems too strong -- anyway, I was a bit disappointed by this one, just because I couldn't make out a lot of the lyrics. Just a technical issue, but kind of important here.
Ryan JP Somewhat agree regarding the technical issue (weird sound issues during chunks of the songs), but to me they were kind of an afterthought. I loved the kids rebellion subplot (Gertz and Venito's exasperation and confusion were terrific) and I like the idea of the Weavers becoming more protective over their best friends, these weird, curious, needy aliens.
March 14, 2013 at 4:27PM ESTscoopie77
March 14, 2013 at 1:38PM EST Reply to CommentHonestly, I come away happy after seeing this show. It doesn't irk me like its more prestigious neighbor, Modern Family. I really like the peformances on this show and sure, it's a silly sitcom about aliens, but it's good.
Ryan JP Agreed. I don't know if it's the wealthy/class aspects of Modern Family that have gnawed at me recently (especially following The Middle and The Neighbors, which both treat finances in a more relateable and funny way), but something just seems so entitled about that show. It still has some great bits and zingy one-liners, but I thought it peaked in the first season and has been stagnant since then.
March 14, 2013 at 4:19PM ESTRob
March 14, 2013 at 3:49PM EST Reply to CommentIt was a fantastic episode. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Toks Olagundoye is a great comedy actress and deserves an Emmy nomination, though I'm not holding my breath. A great partner for "The Middle" (despite what some critics say) and I'm crossing my fingers for renewal.
Oaktown Girl Totally agree on Toks. She is absolutely amazing, and her character on the show and the way she delivers it is consistently the cutest thing on television!
March 14, 2013 at 9:57PM ESTTo answer Alan: I wasn't impressed with the Pilot, but thought it showed promise if it would be allowed grow. Plus, I liked Toks' character so much, it made me want to come back.
But originally I added this to my DVR record list back around episode 3 because I took off "Modern Family", which I was enjoying less and less. "The Neighbors" has grown, and I enjoy it as light entertainment. This musical episode please me because it was a nice balance of singing and not-singing. I was very happy this wasn't *all* song, and the songs they did were rather good.
Suzy
March 14, 2013 at 10:53PM EST Reply to CommentI haven't seen this episode yet, but I've been watching all season so I'm not at all surprised they produced an excellent episode. I've liked it from the beginning, and it has only gotten better. Before the season started most of your peers had picked it as their worst show of the year. They mocked it and derided it and snubbed their nose at its premise -- Really, aliens in suburbia? Who could tell the difference? -- and never gave it a chance. There are a lot of really dumb sitcoms on TV ("The Big Bang Theory," "Two and a Half Men," etc.) and this isn't one of them. Besides Jamie Gertz, Simon Templeton is great week in and out, as is the teenage curmudgeon played by Clara Mamet (half-sister of "Girls'" Zosia Mamet). I'm happy you're willing to give it another look. I think it'll be worth your time.
erika_herzog
March 14, 2013 at 11:22PM EST Reply to Commentjust like Penny and Sheldon are the key to BIG BANG THEORY, Amber and Larry Bird make THE NEIGHBORS a really enjoyable show to watch.
i'm glad you picked up on the show finally, Alan. you may want to go back and watch from the start because it progressively grew into its own as a show.
and while this episode was okay like you said isn't the best of the show's other episodes -- there are a lot of episodes that are even stronger.
i'm grateful the show is so strange and wonderful. Jamie Gertz is so enjoyable, as is Lenny Venito as Marty Weaver. Clara Mamet is a revelation -- as well as the little kids who are the least robotic kids on TV.
everything is up for grabs in this show -- i used to watch it and be surprised and how either moving and/or interesting it was but now i have settled into pure enjoyment.
...
maria
March 14, 2013 at 11:55PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, I'm so glad you reviewed this show. I was like you when I watched the pilot. I thought it was unbelievably terrible. But since I was recording the rest of ABC's Wednesday night offerings back then, I kept recording The Neighbors too... and it shocked me how my feelings about it did a 180 as the weeks progressed.
Even during the first few episodes, I was really impressed by the cast. And then around the Halloween-ween episode, I realized that I was enjoying The Neighbors more than any of the other shows.
I love how creative the writers are, and the cast is simply a joy to watch. Even the children cast members are impressive.
A few weeks back, I watched the pilot again, and was surprised to find that I no longer thought it was terrible. I think the main reason I judged it so harshly when it first aired is because I was unable to imagine where they were going to go with the premise. Now that I know, I think the pilot sets up the series just fine.
The other reasons it didn't play as well for me the first time around are twofold - first, because it's a high-concept show which took a little time to get used to, and second, because I originally hated the conceit of the sports-figure names (and did for the first several episodes.) Now however, I couldn't think of the main alien family as anyone other than the Bird-Kersies.
I thought the musical episode was another fantastic episode. I love how committed and fearless the cast are in their portrayals of these unusual characters. And I especially love how much heart this show has.
This show brings me more joy each week than any other on the air right now. I really hope they get renewed. I think it will continue to build an audience the same way The Middle has. I also hope it remains in the same spot on the schedule. I think it's a wonderful complement to The Middle.
Too bad such a great musical episode was buried on a night of repeats. I don't think very many people realized it was a new episode.
If you read through this long-winded post, Alan... I really hope you give this show another chance and maybe more reviews. I always love reading your thoughts.
ides
March 15, 2013 at 3:55AM EST Reply to CommentThe embedded video was the first episode I've seen. The rest of the episode was up and down, but the Simon Templeman / reporter scene was gold. Strange to see Kain from "The Legacy of Kain" series in this situation, but his terror was hilarious.
Jeff
March 16, 2013 at 3:29PM EST Reply to CommentIt is one of the few sitcoms I can watch with my kids and we all quite enjoy it. It's funny without the seriously adult content and subject of many other shows on TV.
V Fornander
March 19, 2013 at 12:37AM EST Reply to CommentI think the Thanksgiving episode and the episode when they all came down with the flu were great episodes. Wasn't crazy about the first episode but I have grown to love the Bird-Kersees and the Weavers, even Amber.