Sigh…
Three reasons why this show was a bad idea.
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What people have already said: the writing, pacing, acting, and so forth are sub-par.
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The movie was not a hit because it was so incredibly innovative. There have been plenty of movies about weddings that get f’ed up because the bride’s family is humorously dysfunctional, or the bride’s family clashes with the groom’s family. Remember Betsy’s Wedding? Remember Love Hurts? No, neither does anyone else…because those movies were poorly executed. Wedding movies tend to get greenlighted because studios figure, everyone gets married, or at least has a wedding in their family at some point, and people will be able to relate. MBFGW just happened to be well written, paced, acted and so forth, so it gained an audience through word of mouth. But a series shouldn’t automatically follow because…
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Some movies don’t translate to a series. In the fall of '89 (I think, or maybe it was '88) there was a spate of TV series adapted from movies that had had a linear plot. Dirty Dancing? WTF? Summer is over, but they’re still dancing, woo! Working Girl? Instead of watching someone scam her boss and the company, we’re watching a corporate drone trying to make her way in the corporate world. Yawn. Married to the Mob? Well, it’s a sitcom, so nobody gets killed, or curses, or carries a gun. Cripes. And now this. Gee, they’re married…but they live next door to her family, who haven’t eased up. Hilarity does not ensue.