FOX’s new show ‘Mulaney’ sets out to revitalize the sitcom

| Staff Writer

John Mulaney is stepping into a massive tradition with his new sitcom, “Mulaney,” which premieres on FOX Sunday, Oct. 5 at 9:30/8:30c. He’s a successful standup comedian who has now turned to creating his own sitcom with an eponymous title and character, as well as a multi-camera format (meaning several cameras are used simultaneously to record). That’s a lot of pressure to take on, especially with so many eponymous sitcoms featuring standup comedians as examples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZSe7V02oLI

There are only a few hugely successful examples, namely “Seinfeld,” “The Cosby Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Louie,” while plenty of others fall into the mediocre range. Still, there’s no denying the strong tradition Mulaney is trying to follow. “Mulaney”’s pilot episode alone won’t determine its place in sitcom history. After all, “Seinfeld” didn’t hit its stride until its second or third season. The pilot will be important in setting a style that the show can work with in the future.

The core premise of “Mulaney” is based on a fictionalized John Mulaney, a television writer who works for a crazy game-show host boss (Martin Short) and all the while deals with his roommates, friends and neighbors. It’s a pretty standard setup, which could inspire some doubt in viewers. There’s an ever-present, annoying trust-fund baby in Andre (Zack Pearlman) and a wise old neighbor in Oscar (Elliot Gould). Besides that, “Mulaney” has two best friends in Jane (Nasim Pedrad) and Motif (Seaton Smith).

If it’s not already obvious, “Mulaney”’s cast is stacked with fantastic comedians. Short and Gould are legends, and the fact that Mulaney was able to get both of them on board with his idea is a vote of confidence for the show. Pedrad, meanwhile, was fantastic on “Saturday Night Live.” It will be exciting to see how she plays a long-term complex character.

“Mulaney”’s multi-camera format is one of its most daunting features. In a time when most critics and fans are championing the single-camera format (meaning one camera records each shot), a la “Louie” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Mulaney looks to the older style. Given the sensibilities present in his standup comedy, it’s not surprising. He loves exploring the banal in life, while giving new energy to over-used tropes with his genuine yet naive tone. In a recent interview with Paul F. Tompkins, he talked about his “old soul” and his love for Gould movies and “I Love Lucy,” despite being several generations younger than them.

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Although observational in nature, Mulaney’s comedy is still absurdist. While working at “Saturday Night Live,” he created the infamous Stefon character with cast member Bill Hader. If Mulaney can bring half the absurdity and joy of a Stefon bit to his new sitcom, it will be successful.

The show’s other big challenge will be stepping out from the looming giant of all sitcoms, “Seinfeld.” The two shows share a lot of similar elements, such as isolated standup segments, New York City locales, crazy neighbors and a small group of friends. It’s hard to tell just how much “Mulaney” will match up with “Seinfeld” from the preview trailers alone. Most of the footage features out-of-context jokes which, while funny, don’t fully display a show’s voice. The balance between sentimentality and detachedness, character and joke will be key in determining the show’s success.

Regardless of format and style, the greatest sitcoms have good stories to tell and characters that viewers want to come back to time and time again. John Mulaney certainly has the humor and cautious optimism to say that he just might be able to pull off a great sitcom, too.

Tune in to FOX next Sunday at 8:30 p.m. to see how “Mulaney” fares.

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