# My Big Fat Greek Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399 "2003-02-25T14:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vixenation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@Vixenation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vixenation)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/1 "2003-02-25T14:48:01Z")
Did anyone catch this on CBS last night? I thought it was a great show, despite the fact that details from the movie were changed around, new actor for the husband, etc. I’ll definitely be watching next week, if not for the storyline, then for Michael Constantine’s hilarious portrayal of the father. ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/2 "2003-02-25T15:08:12Z")
I watched it last night, too, but I didn’t think it lived up to what it was supposed to be. Most of the jokes seemed so forced and Nia and the guy who plays her husband have zero chemistry. Or maybe it just seems like that because her and John Corbett had loads of chemistry together. In any case, I was very disappointed and unfortunately don’t plan on watching again ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/3 "2003-02-25T16:03:16Z")
I watched a little bit of it and Nia didn’t have any chemistry with the guy playing her husband. She had more chemistry with the guy standing next to her at the luggage claim and he didn’t have any lines. I probably won’t tune in. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/4 "2003-02-25T16:07:29Z")
Moderately funny. I may be the only person in North America who hasn’t seen the movie yet, but I found it interesting that Andrea Martin stole every scene she was in from Michael Constantine, who stole every scene he was in from Lanie Kazan, who stole every scene she was in from Nia whatsername. No wonder there was no chemistry between Nia and her new husband. There wasn’t anything left. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/5 "2003-02-25T16:20:14Z")
Watched about five minutes until the phony and forced ethnic “humor” drove me away. I won’t be coming back. ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/6 "2003-02-25T16:26:07Z")
I’ll give it a chance again sometime, but I agree it wasn’t nearly as funny and charming as the movie. Expectations may have factored in, too. My expectations for the movie were low, and my expectations for the series were high. Might hit its stride yet. Have to wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/7 "2003-02-25T17:06:07Z")
I thought the show was pretty bad, well. not funny. She seems like she can’t act! I also was disappointed by the movie… I just rented it this week-end, I guess I just had heard too much about it, I didn’t think it was that funny. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/8 "2003-02-25T17:31:47Z")
Rarely does a sitcom pilot really reach its full potential. Seinfeld was almost cancelled (I know, there are a lot of Seinfeld haters on this board who wish it had been) and many other sitcoms like Cheers started at the bottom rung of the ratings. It certainly wasn’t the funniest sitcom I have ever seen, but it has the advantage/disadvantage that 90% of the audience had seen the film and knew the characters. There were some pretty high expectations going in and that isn’t easy to overcome in 20 actual minutes of airtime…plus they had to design a pilot that could be understood by the 16 viewers who have not yet seen the film. Give them some time…the show could very well bomb, like most new sitcoms do, but there is enough talent on that show that I personally think they will eventually find their stride. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/9 "2003-02-25T17:57:52Z")
I’m also in the camp of those of you who were disappointed, although I only watched the first 10 minutes. I _wanted_ to like it. I saw an interview with Nia and liked her immediately. Unfortunately, I thought her acting was stilted, especially compared to the old pros in the show. And the show just . . . wasn’t . . . funny. To me. Not even chuckle-funny. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/10 "2003-02-25T17:59:03Z")
Yeah, the early Seinfelds are horrible. No rhythm, weird laugh track, no timing, no chemistry. You could never have guessed how good it would become. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/11 "2003-02-25T18:19:33Z")
I didn’t see the movie, but the show seemed a bit off, but it was a rushed pilot. At worst, Nia Vardalos picked up a lot of money for this. I believe she didn’t receive much for the film and has a sizeable piece of the action for the series, so I suppose she’s happy that way. The sitcom also wasn’t written by Vardalos. It’s on opposite “The Simpsons” in its regular slot, so that clinches the deal for me. I can’t watch. And my VCR is already spoken for at that time. ---
**Author:** ![AmbulanceChaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@AmbulanceChaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbulanceChaser)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/12 "2003-02-25T19:16:25Z")
Greek here, so I guess deep down I probably root for it, although I really don’t care. I thought: 1. It wasn’t particularly funny, though that’s entertaining for a sitcom these days; 2. The tone of the show (super-confrontational) is a 180% from the movie. The fiance was intrigued by the girl’s culture in the movie; now he’s fearful of it (although much of it is from the family’s intrusiveness I suppose); 3. They’re trying to cheat. There’s tons of meta-references in there (“We would have made a good movie” etc), but they also want to change the rules, totally. In the movie, they were overjoyed the father bought them the house, and appreciative too. In the sitcom, the house is just a tool to create tension. And so forth. They should have left a good, charming, innocent movie be, imho. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/13 "2003-02-25T19:42:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\*Moderately funny. I may be the only person in North America who hasn’t seen the movie yet \*\* You’re not alone. I haven’t seen it yet either, and I have no desire to. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/14 "2003-02-25T19:46:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stolichnaya \* > \*\*Yeah, the early Seinfelds are horrible. No rhythm, weird laugh track, no timing, no chemistry. You could never have guessed how good it would become. \*\* Seinfeld became good? I never saw it approach anything higher than dreck. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/15 "2003-02-25T22:00:55Z")
I thought the sitcom was awful. As mentioned before, there was no chemistry between Nia and her husband. Also, both of them have absolutely no sense of comedic timing. She seemed to have it in the movie, probably from the familiarity with the material. They’d be better off using her family and not making Nia and hubby major factors of the show. Like ‘Momma’s Family’ used a few characters from the ‘Carol Burnett Show’ ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-big-fat-greek-life/157399/16 "2003-02-25T23:23:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Seinfeld became good? I never saw it approach anything higher than dreck. Congratulations on your no-doubt superior taste and edgy departure from the mainstream.