Surviving Jack

Finally a new TV show that combines various facets of old fashion simple humor we all wished we were that open about in family situations with current bold humor on things parents deal with everyday when raising children.

Its been a long time since I've enjoyed a show and actually laughed throughout the entire episode. Most shows today are either about zombies, crime, vampires or drama. I am a fan of TV shows that make you laugh and relax, not the types that make you tense and tired.

The actor that plays Jack is great, he has always played serious roles and this new father role is perfect for him. Great show.

NOTE: This review is based solely on the pilot episode.

The basic formula for the show seems to be that you take the wistful 'looking backwards at my youth' narrator from 60's nostalgia show The Wonder Years and the family that was at the center of That 70's Show, and then set them down in the 1990's with a Top 20 period soundtrack. Then you cast Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU and Oz) as Red Forman and force him to step up his parenting of his son (the narrator) and daughter while his wife goes to law school.

Surviving Jack is based on the book, I Suck at Girls, by Justin Halpern, so the titular Jack wasn't actually inspired by the character Kurtwood Smith (currently starring in Resurrection) played on That 70's Show. Of course, that wouldn't have been a bad thing, given that he was one of the best things about the show and was woefully underutilized in the early seasons. No, the character of Jack Dunlevy is based on the real life Samuel Halpern, M.D., who is Justin Halpern's father.

This is the second time that the relationship between Justin Halpern and his father has been adapted for the small screen. $#*! My Dad Says cast William Shatner (Star Trek and Boston Legal) as the father, and depicted the time when the adult Halpern was forced to move back into his father's home. Surviving Jack focuses on Halpern's high school years.

As Frankie Dunlevy, the Topher Grace role, Connor Buckley is appealing, but as with $#*! My Dad Says, it's really the father's show. Meloni's turn as Jack is closer to Smith's deadpan than Shatner's over the top hamminess, and that bodes well for the series. The writing is crisp and pretty funny. The supporting roles are all played adequately, with Rachael Harris doing an excellent job as the mother. It looks good so far, and I'm planning to watch again next week.

Finally something that is absolutely funny and completely identifiable, and they decide to cancel it! I loved this show...it took me back to my HUMMMMM parenting days where i thought I was doing a great job,,,First time I laughed out loud while watching great TV in a long time. What a shame. I guess not enough blood and gore for the TV decisions makers.... Totally believable, Frankie's friends are kids that I grew up (or like the ones I grew up with) OR were friends of my children's (scary but true) . The writers are in total tune with the era and I am very sad to see it go. The cast of characters worked perfectly together and I could not wait for the next plot to see how Jack would instill a life lesson in his family.

Wow! this is great fun to watch... and boy, it's been a long time since I could say that about a TV show! The dialog between the parents is refreshingly realistic - with subjects and situations that feel everyday rather than contrived. I think they've captured, perfectly, the generation gap on a multitude of fronts... while showing that some things in parenting-world will always be the same, no matter WHAT the generation! Our kids are 35 & 33 now... but, still... we are roaring as we listen to some of Jack's commentary on raising teenagers - it could have been pulled right out of this household, or some of our friends! And so nice to see a set of "tv parents" who put each other first and want the best for their kids - but don't try to be their kids' buddy! The episode we just watched had us absolutely rollin' we were laughing so hard. Laughing so hard you cry, is GOOD for the heart!

I love Chris! I gobbled up every episode of this show and died laughing over and over and they took it away!!!! So, tired of getting into a show only to have them yank it.

Chris is one of my all time FAVORITE actors and this roll he got to do his strong menacing along with a very sexy funny man act that I loved and couldn't get enough of. Chris and Rachael Harris were awesome together. Perfect pairing.

I couldn't have been happier with this show and I wish they would bring it back!!!!