I had high hopes for this show after seeing the promos. The writing and performances were decent enough but the situation doesn't seem to have anywhere to go. After all, how many different ways can you redo the "fish out of water style hotel manager surrounded by a bunch of misfits" gig? Bob Newhart set the bar pretty damn high some 21 years before this show; unfortunately some people in Hollywood still think they can do better.
Whoopi Goldberg is a great contemporary talent and she gave a respectable performance in the show opener, but she needs to cut back on the over-acting that was transparently intended to compensate for the shortcomings of the script.
Omid Djalili has a great style and hopefully will be around for years to come. If Omid can find the right vehicle, I predict his comedic talent to eventually reach the same level of success as Ray Romano. He did a very fine job in the first episode of "Whoopi" and unquestionably stole the show. If this show survives mid-season, Omid will undoubtedly deserve most of the on-screen credit.
As a whole, the cast did a reasonably good job with the opening script but I'm afraid the only way this show will continue past the first 6 weeks is to add some writing talent and provide a little depth for the scripts. It seems obvious that NBC started this weak first show of the series early enough to grow some roots in the audience before the competition strolled in for the season. I hope they give the show a chance to correct its short comings but I have my doubts.
On a more personal note, I found a few jokes in this show to be a little too edgy; if we can ever find humor in comments about the number of Middle Eastern people on airplanes, two years after September 11th, 2001 is quite a bit premature. If you don't agree with me, ask yourself how long it took, or will take, the U.S.A to find much humor in the events of December 7th, 1941. Some topics are permanently ingrained close to our patriotic nerves and "Whoopi" reveals some hints that Hollywood still hasn't learned that lesson.
Whoopi Goldberg is a great contemporary talent and she gave a respectable performance in the show opener, but she needs to cut back on the over-acting that was transparently intended to compensate for the shortcomings of the script.
Omid Djalili has a great style and hopefully will be around for years to come. If Omid can find the right vehicle, I predict his comedic talent to eventually reach the same level of success as Ray Romano. He did a very fine job in the first episode of "Whoopi" and unquestionably stole the show. If this show survives mid-season, Omid will undoubtedly deserve most of the on-screen credit.
As a whole, the cast did a reasonably good job with the opening script but I'm afraid the only way this show will continue past the first 6 weeks is to add some writing talent and provide a little depth for the scripts. It seems obvious that NBC started this weak first show of the series early enough to grow some roots in the audience before the competition strolled in for the season. I hope they give the show a chance to correct its short comings but I have my doubts.
On a more personal note, I found a few jokes in this show to be a little too edgy; if we can ever find humor in comments about the number of Middle Eastern people on airplanes, two years after September 11th, 2001 is quite a bit premature. If you don't agree with me, ask yourself how long it took, or will take, the U.S.A to find much humor in the events of December 7th, 1941. Some topics are permanently ingrained close to our patriotic nerves and "Whoopi" reveals some hints that Hollywood still hasn't learned that lesson.