Modern-esque Family.
CBS’s single-camera comedy Life in Pieces, premiering Monday night, has three things going for it: a great cast, a unique format, and the fact that it’s a single-camera comedy. Beyond that, the new series is hit-or-miss, but the pilot immediately hooks you with its deceptively simple tag line: “One big family. Four short stories. Every week.”
Basically, Life in Pieces is like ABC’s Modern Family, but without the intercutting. Over the course of the premiere, we meet each member of the Short family, which includes an eccentric patriarch (Marcus Welby, M.D.’s James Brolin), his devoted wife (Edward Scissorhands’ Dianne Wiest) and their three adult children played by Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom), Colin Hanks (Orange County) and Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad).
The series begins with “Story One: First Date,” which follows Sadoski’s character and his awkward night out with an attractive woman (Enlisted’s Angelique Cabral). While the young couple make an instant connection, they can’t seem to find a good place to get “hot and heavy,” with neither of their homes being a viable option. (The segment also includes a humorous cameo from comedian Jordan Peele, who plays Colleen’s distraught ex-fiancé/roommate.)
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The next two stories, “The Delivery” and “The College Tour,” center around Hanks and Brandt’s characters and their own respective families. As you might have guessed, Greg and his wife Jen (New Girl’s Zoe Lister Jones) have just had their first baby, while Heather and her husband Tim (Veep’s Dan Bakkedahl) take their oldest son to look at colleges. Here, we get a sense of what each of these characters is like before they converge in “Story Four: The Funeral,” as Brolin’s character throws himself a funeral-themed 70th birthday party.
Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt and Colin Hanks in Life in Pieces
The comedy here is kind of piecemeal, with some jokes landing and others not. The characters are also pretty typical, and not one of them really stands out. Overall, I would describe it as “harmless.” But the show never feels dragged-out, since the stories are only about five minutes a piece, and the performers are really strong. Brandt and Bakkedahl in particular share some very funny moments with their own three kids in “The College Tour.”
While not gut-bustlingly funny, Life in Pieces is nevertheless entertaining, and the “four short stories a week” idea is very promising — especially if the segments start crossing over. It’s also one of CBS’s most enjoyable comedy entries this year, if only because it forgoes a studio audience and laugh track.
CBS’s Life in Pieces presents an interesting idea whereby a typical half-hour family comedy is split into four segments, à la short films. While the jokes and characters are pretty standard, the onscreen talent and premise show great potential.
Life in Pieces premieres Monday, September 21st on CBS.
