- Network: NBC
- Series Premiere Date: Dec 23, 2023
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Critic Reviews
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A network situation comedy that is genuinely funny doesn't come along every weeknight at 8:30, or most weeknights at 8:30, and even if the producers passed on the most obvious title—"Post-Modern Family"—their new "Extended Family" has legs. Jokes. Jon Cryer's scrupulous comedic timing. And a premise that even 20 years ago would have had the old Legion of Decency writhing on the floor: happy divorce.
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Very 1980s in his approach to storytelling. .... O’Malley has a bunch of balls in the air (we still can’t figure out why the washer/dryer combo is in the kitchen) and a nimble cast to juggle them. Spencer is the real surprise, able to volley jokes just as well as Faison and Cryer. The kids are pretty sharp, too.
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Extended Family has the bones to be a memorable sitcom, but only the desire to be something generally relatable — even for divorced families with, perish the thought, only the finances to have a maximum of two residences — and likable. There’s enough here to possibly check back in on Extended Family in the future, but I probably won’t remember to.
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The central trio does what sitcom stars are supposed to do, following Cryer’s lead and keeping to the family-comedy task at hand. Too often, though, it’s the show that appears to be powering through—enduring the potentially interesting or offbeat stuff so that it can get back to its creaky familiarity.
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Despite game efforts by Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”) and Donald Faison (“Scrubs”) “Extended Family” is the kind of sitcom that gives multi-cam comedies a bad name.
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Is there a chance that Extended Family can transcend its awful first three episodes? Sure; sitcoms take time to find their comedic footing. But when you’re starting with tired plots, scattershot storytelling, lame gags and stars who don’t use the skills we know they have, it’s an awfully steep hill to climb to get to mediocre.