With the premiere of "The Crazy Ones" on CBS, Robin Williams is officially back on television. The new father/daughter workplace comedy featured plenty of Williams' patented ad-libbing, as he bounced off of "daughter" Sarah Michelle Gellar and his other co-stars, including James Wolk and guest-star Kelly Clarkson.
Williams portrays Simon Roberts, who built a successful ad agency with his manic energy, creativity and charm. Now that his daughter, Sydney, has joined the company, the father-daughter dynamic has been flipped.
“Dad, there’s a room full of McDonald’s executives waiting for you, and you’re playing with toys!" Sydney said, chastising her father.
“It’s not a toy, it’s an emotional surrogate. And I’m not playing, I’m hiding," Simon admitted. He was afraid that they were about to lose their biggest client. Luckily, thanks to a lot of hard work, and having one another's backs, they managed to land the aforementioned Clarkson for a new ad campaign, and the account was saved.
But is the show worth saving? HuffPost TV's Mo Ryan isn't totally sold, noting that the premiere struggled with a clash of styles. "There are moments in which the show just about works, but Williams' energy is very different from that of Gellar and that of James Wolk, who plays one of the agency's creative hot shots. Wolk appears to be the only one having fun ... but how all this will gel in the long run is anyone's guess.”
Over at The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman agreed, saying that we need more episodes to get a feel for the show. It feels like a David E. Kelley show -- it is -- but something's missing. "For some reason Kelley seems more reserved making this pilot (though it’s a good bet he’ll blow the whole thing wide open soon enough)," he wrote. "Maybe Kelley is just getting a feel for making a half hour sitcom instead of an hour-long dramedy, which he’s excelled at.”
Not everyone was stuck on the fence about the show. E! Online's Leanne Aguilera was on board with the new sitcom. "CBS has recruited the A-Team of comedic perfection and we can't wait to see what happens next!” she wrote.
"The Crazy Ones" continues on CBS's expanded comedy block every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
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