'Go On': Initial Reaction

Go On (Tuesdays @ 9:00 pm NBC)

Matthew Perry hasn't been the luckiest of actors since Friends ended nearly a decade ago.  He starred in the NBC drama Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip in 2006.  That Aaron Sorkin produced show only last for one season.  A couple of years ago he starred in ABC's Mr. Sunshine.  That half-hour comedy only lasted for 13 episodes.  For the 2012-13 TV season NBC and Matthew Perry are making one more attempt at bringing back that old Friends magic with the group therapy comedy Go On.

Like The New Normal that aired after it, NBC had already previewed the Go On pilot prior to the official Tuesday night premiere.  The preview of the pilot was first broadcast in a post-Olympics spot on August 8th.  The show attained a robust sample viewing audience of over 15 million viewers.  The pilot was re-broadcast on Monday night.  After seeing the first episode, I was willing to give the show another shot.   It will be interesting to find out how many people decided to do the same (the ratings for last night will be posted this afternoon).

A Soft Start for Fall Begins Today

A Couple of Networks Get the Fall Season Going

Returning Shows

The Voice--Season 3 (NBC) @8pm.  Premiered Monday.  Continues on Tuesday.
Parenthood--Season 4 (NBC) @10pm

Sons of Anarchy--Season 5 (FX)10pm

I didn't include any of these shows in the partial calendar I posted a few weeks ago.  That's because I've never watched them.  I will never watch The Voice out of principle.  On the other hand, I've heard good things about Parenthood and Sons of Anarchy in the past.  Both those shows are available on Netflix. So the opportunity to sample those two dramas is always there.

NBC's Future: Comedy Night, Done Right?

30 Rock and The Office are Closing.  More to Follow?

For over two decades, Thursday nights on NBC was the place for "Must See TV."  Some of the most popular sitcoms in history made their home from the 8-10pm time period.  "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers" got the ball rolling in the '80s.  "Frasier" and "Friends" led a still thriving NBC into the 21st century.  Those four shows, along with "Seinfeld" and many others, garnered mass audiences for a reason.  The were broad.  People of all demographics could relate to the stories that were being told week after week.  I was barely a teenager when I first started watching reruns of "Frasier" and "Friends" and I never had a hard time understanding most of what was happening.  Sure, there was some minor adult humor that may have went over my head but those jokes didn't exclude someone of my demo from enjoying the show.