Dinner with the Parents

Don't waste your time on this pile of soft sh**e, just watch Friday Night Dinner. In the middle of the first episode and I didn't laugh once. No charm, no acting or, I suppose just impossible task - adaptation of almost perfect British comedy. Miscast on almost everyone, great otherways actors just don't "work" here. It will not be the next "Office", I honestly doubt it will become something like US version of "The Bridge ".

Why the hell they put grandma on the 1st episode?

Why people behave "normal"? .... and so much other why's.

Really people, it looks like it was made for Netflix, dumb and bland.

Sorry to disappoint.

This is based off of the brilliant Friday night dinner but lacks any of what makes Friday night dinner a great show. The original is one of my favorite shows and one I've watched several times and this version is criminal. Some things don't need to be remade especially if not done right and this is one of them. It lacks the dry humor and fun of what the original one was. Also there's no way either of the boys are anywhere in their 20s or pass for 20s whoever did the casting needs a career change. All this made me do was wish that prime hadn't taken the original off their free streaming. Nothing good I can really say about it.

I love Michelle Watkins as the mother but I feel she needs to play the part 15% more serious. The father is to much of a goofball and mis cast, the dad should be more aloof then silly. I normally love Carol Kane but her character is an odd fit for the show, this is a case of less is more.

The show obviously has some big shoes to fill from the British version, I just hope they can fix it before it dies on the vine. I'm ok if they have to recast and slim down, and give the characters some more depth, they don't feel real they way they are being played. I truly hope they can make this work because there is nothing else on tv.

I would say friday night dinner (FND) is one of my fave sitcoms ever.

So naturally i heard of this and wanted to see what it was about - now i admit i have a low expectation of US remakes of UK shows. They are generally not good and don't translate well (ahem, the inbetweeners, IT crowd and more).

I got 5 mins into the first ep and was crushed. The characters have nothing like the chemistry of the original and the casting is diabolical - eg the ages are all over the place.

Also the neighbour character is plain not funny and you wouldnt notice if he werent there.

The grandma, adds no charm to the family and in fact is worse off for it.

All in all (i've took one for the uk / fans of the show) and watched them all.. and frankly i feel glad to never see it again.

As a fan of the REAL Friday Night Dinner, I had to give this one a try.

Unfortunately, I lasted a little more than 10 minutes, though I could immediately tell, actually from the first scene when one of the sons arrives, that the acting is sub par, it is not funny or even amusing. The neighbor was way off, even his dog was not as funny as Wilson. Unfortunately, a few of the original show members passed away, including the father. The great Paul Ritter (who was sick for a long time) and both Grammas, so that was the end of the show.

So, if you want true comedy, look for Friday Night Dinner wherever it's available and laugh your heart out.

I think the only other reviewer here was truly generous giving the show 2 stars.