What's it about?
Marty Weaver just wants the best for his wife Debbie and their three kids. That's why he's moving them to Hidden Hills, New Jersey, a gated community complete with its own golf course. Marty is certain that their new home will be a dream come true. And then, they meet the neighbors. The residents of Hidden Hills are a little... different. Larry Bird introduces himself as the "leader" of the community. Then, he presents his wife, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and their two sons (yes, they're named after famous athletes -- Dick Butkus and Reggie Jackson). After Debbie and Marty frantically try to make sense of the weird neighbors -- very European? A cult? Amish athletes? -- they discover that the entire Hidden Hills community is comprised of aliens from the planet Zabvron. Turns out the Zabvronians have been holed up in Hidden Hills for the past 10 years, awaiting instructions from back home. And the Weavers are the first humans who have ever lived amongst them. At first, the Weavers are ready to cut and run. But the aliens seem harmless enough. And there is a lot of closet space... So, they decide to stay and help their new neighbors adapt to life on this confusing planet we call home. As the Weavers and the aliens face the struggles of everyday life together, they discover that some things -- the ups and down sof marriage, the desire to be a good parent and raise a happy family -- are universal. Intergalactic, even. And the Weavers realize they've found an ally in the family next door... even if they do cry out of their ears.
(from ABC.com)
You should watch if...
• ...you enjoy non-sequitur bizarro humor.
• ...you're six years old.
• ...you have absolutely nothing better to do while you're waiting for MODERN FAMILY to come on at 9.
So, how was it?
For the network that airs the show that has won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series three years running, ABC has sure had some of the biggest sitcom duds lately. Last year it was the horrific cross-dressing comedy WORK IT! and this year it's the bizarre, infantile alien comedy THE NEIGHBORS. Both are destined to be the long-remembered laughing stock of their respective seasons -- but whereas WORK IT! definitely earned that title, THE NEIGHBORS is actually a better show than that politically incorrect mess (though that's not saying much at all). It's not offensive, it's just... not a good show.
Much derided before its actual premiere for its low-brow, high-concept premise, THE NEIGHBORS never really stood a chance. It boggles my mind that the series ever even made it to the air -- how many people along the the chain of command had to think it was a good idea? Imagine the pitch: A suburb populated entirely by extraterrestrials with the names of famous athletes. I'm sorry, what? Unlike the other famous alien sitcom, THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN, which used aliens assimilating into human society to actually, you know, say things about human society, THE NEIGHBORS seems aimed more at sight gags than social commentary. The aliens in this show aren't trying to assimilate into society, they're living isolated, which means they let their freak flags fly.
What passes for humor in this show is pure randomness: aliens walking llamas instead of dogs, trimming hedges with chainsaws instead of clippers, throwing dirty dishes out of the window instead of washing them, etc etc etc. I guess there may be some people out there who actually find these things funny instead of weirdly mystifying. The only time the show tries to delve into human concerns, it's disappointingly simplistic and cliché: both the aliens and the humans learn a Very Important Lesson about marriage and what it means to be in a true partnership. Awww. Warm fuzzies all around.
The only performance worth writing about is that of Jami Gertz (STILL STANDING) as the mother of the human family that moves to the alien subdivision. She's clearly an actress of a pedigree way beyond the material, and she strives nobly (but vainly) to elevate every scene she's in with a grounded sensibility the rest of the show could desperately use.
And the verdict is:
* Atrocious. I will never watch this show again. Ever.
As the review for Time put it: "THE NEIGHBORS' problem [...] isn't that it's about aliens. It's that it has nothing interesting to say about people." Amen.
Take it away, Fellow Addicts! Did you find something to like about THE NEIGHBORS? Or did you just find yourself scratching your heard in bewilderment? Vote in the poll below and then hit the comments!
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