ABC | 13 episodes (8 unaired) | Sitcom
WHO'S IN IT? Dave Chappelle, Christopher Gartin
SYNOPSIS: Buddies, which was touted as “the new comedy from the creators of Home Improvement” (as if that’s going to get people to watch), starred Dave Chappelle and Christopher Gartin as friends who start a film company against the protests of their elders, who worry about their racial differences more so than their ability to start a business.
VERDICT: ★☆☆☆☆
Following his hit
appearance on Home Improvement alongside fellow comedian Jim Breuer, ABC
executives fast tracked the series to capitalise on the chemistry between the
two stars and Buddies became a reality almost one year to the day of that said
appearance. At some point during rehearsals, ABC decided that the chemistry just
wasn’t working and fired Breuer and replaced him with another comedian, Christopher
Gartin, but still playing the same character. Apparently, Breuer just couldn’t
act and hammed up every scene he was in. Chappelle and Breuer were real-life
friends at the time and Chappelle was so upset over Breuer's firing that he
wanted to quit the show. Thankfully he didn’t have to – the show was cancelled
after five episodes had aired. Chappelle later commented about the show: “It
was a bad show. It was bad. I mean when we were doing it, I could tell this was
not gonna work.”
Watching the episode “A Room with a Pyew”
it comes across as another one of those early days of FOX, UPN, WB, etc shows –
just too forced and very much a sitcom by the numbers. In the episode,
concerned that their neighbour “old man Ramsey” has died, Maureen, the trailer
trash mother of Lorraine, John’s girlfriend, attempts to catch his attention by
flashing at him through the window: “aww god bless him! He’s toast!”. Most of
the episode is about how Maureen is excited to find an apartment so close to
her daughter so she can make up for lost time, and of course that she’s finally
able to move out of her trailer. Meanwhile, John and Lorraine try to find ways to
put Lorraine off because they don’t want her to move in. Maureen has the
apartment by the end of the episode, much to the chagrin of Dave’s father,
Hank, the owner of the property: “You promised me that you had the perfect tenant!
Are you telling me that this crazy bourbon-swilling white woman went to
university?!”
The only thing I liked about the show was the
main apartment set which had a kind of “Friends” vibe about it. Outside of their
window was a small courtyard, with the “Buddies” using the window as an
entrance. Would have been perfect on “Friends”!
CANCELLED TOO SOON? I'd say no - but all episodes were available on DVD, for some reason. Other episodes are on YouTube, linked above.
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