Info:
Premiere Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 (Warner Bros. Television)
Network: NBC
Time: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. et/pt
Cast: Starring John Lithgow, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Burns, Jake Sandvig
Introduction:
This high-energy, young-at-heart comedy follows the journey of two New Yorkers who come to
the realization that life doesn't last forever.
Mismatched buddies John Mason (Emmy Award winner John Lithgow, "3rd Rock from the Sun"), an
impulsive, admittedly self-absorbed, thrice-divorced surgeon recently forced into
retirement, and Jeffrey Pyne (Critically acclaimed multi Emmy-nominee Jeffrey
Tambor, "Arrested Development"), a widower judge who over thinks every situation, are polar
opposites in every way. The one area where they seem to find common ground is the supposition
that they have about 20 good years left.
With that in mind, both men vow to live each day as if it were their last, despite the
consequences, or what their friends, family and peers might think. After all, when age meets
anarchy, there's no time for regrets.
"Twenty Good Years" also stars Heather Burns ("Bewitched") as John's pregnant daughter
Stella along with Jake Sandvig ("The Story of Us") as Jeffrey's unmotivated son Hugh.
"Twenty Good Years" is produced by Werner-Gold-Miller and Marsh McCall Productions, in
association with Warner Bros. Television. Tom Werner (“The Cosby Show,” “Roseanne”), Eric Gold
("Scary Movie," “Scary Movie 2”), Jimmy Miller and Marsh McCall are the executive producers.
Cast Details:
Cast: John Lithgow as John Mason, Jeffrey Tambor as Jeffrey Pyne, Heather Burns as Stella Mason, Jake Sandvig as Hugh Pyne
John Lithgow has been refining his craft in films, television, theater, song, and writing for children for more than 30 years. He
has won enormous critical acclaim, as well as three Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, an American Comedy Award
and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his starring role in the hit comedy series, “3rd Rock from the Sun.”
Additionally, Lithgow earned 10 Emmy nominations over the years and is also recognized for his film credits, which
include “Shrek” (voice of Lord Farquaad), “The Pelican Brief,” “The World According to Garp” (which garnered him his
first Academy Award nomination), “Terms of Endearment” (which earned him his second Oscar
nomination), “Cliffhanger,” “Ricochet,” “Memphis Belle,” and “Footloose.” Most recently, Lithgow starred in “Kinsey” with
Laura Linney and Liam Neeson, and in HBO’s “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.”
Jeffrey Tambor’s credits span the full range of the entertainment world, from film to network and cable television to theater. As
a result, he has come to be one of the most well respected actors in the business by critics and actors alike.
On television, Tambor played Hank Kingsley in HBO's hit series, “The Larry Sanders Show,” for which he was nominated
four times for an Emmy Award, as well as for four CableACE Awards and an American Comedy Award. Most recently, he
co-starred in Fox’s critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning “Arrested Development.” Tambor received two Emmy
nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his portrayal of patriarch George Bluth Sr. on the series, which
was also nominated for two Golden Globes for Best Comedy. His other television credits include regular and recurring stints
on such series as “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law,” “American Dreamer,” “Studio 5B” and “Max Headroom.”
Heather Burns’ first major role was in Nora Ephron’s film “You’ve Got Mail.” Her other feature credits include both
installments of “Miss Congeniality,” “Two Weeks Notice,” and “Bewitched.” In the independent world, she can be seen
in “The Groomsmen” (written and directed by Edward Burns, and starring Burns, Brittany Murphy and John Leguizamo) and
“Kill the Poor” (produced by John Malkovich, directed by Alan Taylor). Additionally, she just wrapped production on
“Ashes,” which she wrote, produced and starred in, and is currently shooting “Watching the Detectives,” starring Lucy Liu
and Cillian Murphy.
On television, Burns starred in “The Beat” (opposite Mark Ruffalo), “The $treet,” and has had several guest-starring roles
on NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Jake Sandvig made his acting debut at the young age of 12, playing Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer’s son in “The Story
of Us.” On the small screen, he’s had guest-starring roles on “Once and Again,” “The Amanda Show,” “The Closer,” and
most recently, “Veronica Mars.” Additionally, he was a series regular on Fox’s “Cracking Up” (with Jason Schwartzman
and Molly Shannon) as well as several pilots, including “Father Can’t Cope” (with Scott Bakula) and “Pool Guys.”
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot"
Wednesday, October 11, 8:30PM ET/PT
In the pilot episode, John Mason (Lithgow) is forced into retirement on his 60th
birthday, which both bruises his ego and leads him to the epiphany that it is
time to grab life by the horns. With his new mantra, he convinces his overly cautious
best friend Jeffrey Pyne (Tambor) to join him in living life on the edge,
which prompts Jeffrey to breakup with his girlfriend of 3 years (guest star
Judith Light). In the meantime, John's pregnant daughter Stella (Burns) goes
into labor.
Guest Stars: Judith Light (Gina), Kevin Chamberlin (Bailiff),
Paula Cale (Annette), Mike Pachelli (Lawyer), Nora Paradiso (Catherine),
Sahar Bibiyan (R.N.), Tim Russ (Marty)
Analysis:
John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor have the potential to be a great comedic duo.
Even though they've never worked together, they have a lot of chemistry.
Lithgow was great on 3rd Rock From the Sun for 6 seasons. I enjoyed
watching Tambor on Arrested Development for 3 seasons.
This wasn't the best pilot that I've ever seen, but with 2 great comedic stars I
am willing to give it a chance for future episodes. The pilot sets the tone and storyline
for the series. Only so much character
depth can be given in 22 minutes. The supporting characters aren't featured
a lot in the pilot. Judith Light is funny, but I'm not sure if she will be
in any other episodes or be a regular. I'll expect upcoming episodes to be better and
funnier, as there will hopefully be more scenes of Lithgow and Tambor together when
they move into Pyne's place. When
you see the opening scenes, the laugh track seems a bit out of place, but it is more natural for
the rest of the episode. This sitcom was shot with multiple cameras
and in front of a studio audience. If you liked The Odd Couple,
there is a good chance that you will enjoy Twenty Good Years.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a series that is a mix of 3rd Rock From the Sun and Arrested
Development, this isn't it. It is a more formulatic sitcom like The Odd
Couple. This wasn't the best pilot that I've seen this season, but it is
only a pilot. I'll give it a chance for more episodes to see how it develops.
Twenty Good Years was originally scheduled to air Wednesdays at 9:00 PM. NBC wisely
moved it to a timeslot where it wouldn't have to face powerhouse Lost. 30 Rock seems
to have received more buzz and positive reviews, so that will start off the night.
I would expect Twenty Good Years to retain a good portion of the audience.
I think people will enjoy seeing John Lithgow again on a sitcom, and Jeffrey
Tambor has an almost cult following these days. There won't be a lot of initial pressure to perform
well in this timeslot. We should see twenty good episodes of this sitcom this
season.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 10/09/06
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