What did you think of Jezebel James?
Cr: Eric Liebowitz/FOX
© 2008 Fox Broadcasting Co.
Have you seen the first two episodes of The Return of Jezebel James, as they premiered on FOX on March 14th? You can read my recap of the episodes here.
I have to say that it is better than it was at the screener stage (my screener review was here). The first episode was very little changed - only a couple of small plot lines - and still mostly bad. But the second episode was entirely re-written and re-shot. Parker Posey was much less annoying in this second version - less forced.
It is interesting to observe just how much of the plot they changed in the second episode. In the screener version, Marcus was told about Sarah’s decision to have a baby, and was having to deal with that. There was, altogether, more Marcus in the screener version. In the on-air version, the bedroom scene where we originally had Marcus admiring himself in his boxers, we now have Sarah in a jersey. Also new: the Hello Kitty phone, where Marcus works, the room being under construction, and the visit from the parents. We are not as far along in the script as the screener versions were, so I won’t spoil scenes that will probably re-appear further along.
Although some scenes are sad to lose, overall this was a good choice. I think the screener gave too many problems to too many characters at once, and it was not as easy to connect. I believe it was a good idea to give a face to Coco and Sarah’s parents, who have influenced so much of what is wrong and what is right in their relationship. Overall, I am more looking forward to the series now than I was before.
Issues I still have with the show: Parker Posey, obviously. The laugh track. The aim to make this just a comedy, not a dramedy. The number of characters, making it hard to flesh out relationships. The lack of emotional ties between any characters thus far. The single plot line revolving entirely around Sarah. Doesn’t anyone else have issues or aspirations?
Here are some other reviews:
- Screener review from TheStar.com - "Return of Jezebel James ain’t the Gilmore Girls" - they even go so far as to suggest that Amy Sherman-Palladino change her name, as it will lose weight in the industry from this "mutant evil."
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Screener review from Bostom.com - "This ‘Jezebel’ is a mess" - they call it a flop, and say Parker Posey is not a laugh and not the least bit subtle. The chatter is charmless.
- "After watching Posey here, I admired "Gilmore" stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel all the more for their ability to remain human through all the words they had to spout."
- Review from the Globe and Mail - "The talk comes quickly, but it’s no Gilmore Girls" - that Lauren Ambrose is too serious to be a hippie and Parker Posey is to endearing to be a shrill executive.
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Review from Reuters - ""Jezebel James" an ill-conceived sitcom":
- QUOTE: Amy Sherman-Palladino established her reputation for clever banter, off-center but charming characters and heartfelt drama with "Gilmore Girls." Her mother-daughter dramedy was so relatable and universal that her characters transcended the small screen. Watching it, you wished you could hang around with them.
Shows like that are something rare, as Fox’s "The Return of Jezebel James" amply demonstrates. In this new sitcom, the stories are exaggerated, the premise is incredible and the chemistry is almost nonexistent. You want to run if you see these characters coming. The only thing they have in common with "Gilmore Girls" is a penchant for speaking at breakneck speeds. /QUOTE
- QUOTE: Amy Sherman-Palladino established her reputation for clever banter, off-center but charming characters and heartfelt drama with "Gilmore Girls." Her mother-daughter dramedy was so relatable and universal that her characters transcended the small screen. Watching it, you wished you could hang around with them.
I have yet to find a single luke-warm review, let alone a good review. Many reviewers are in fact begging for the show to be cancelled.
So, how do you feel about The Return of Jezebel James? What is right? What is wrong? Will it last?
Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls creator, jezebel james, the return of jezebel james, comedy, comedy shows, new tv, new to tv, reviews, parker posey, lauren ambrose, lauren graham, amy sherman palladino
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POSTED IN: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Television Shows, The Return of Jezebel James, Where are they now
17 opinions for What did you think of Jezebel James?
laura
Mar 16, 2008 at 1:01 pm
i totally agree with everything arienna said.
a few things i noticed:
1. i really struggled to get through the pilot. i was really tempted to just stop watching, but i pushed through. i felt as though there was no chemistry whatsoever between scott cohen and parker posey. maybe i just couldn’t get the charming max medina out of my head and how great he and lorelai were together (and yes, they did have definite chemistry).
2. parker posey. i don’t know what to say. she is just shrill and unlikable. i know the dialogue is quick, but she just rushes through it. whereas lauren graham was a master of the quick dialogue, parker posey just seems like she has had too much coffee. i feel like in a show like this it is a must that the main character is likeable. plus, i needed another moment (besides her giving a longing glace at the young girl) to make me really believe that she wants a kid.
3. i felt like the 2nd ep was definitely an improvement. i liked the scenes between parker posey and lauren ambrose. probably because i like lauren ambrose. i think her character is MUCH more likeable…well, i think that someone else (lauren graham, anyone–but i don’t want her wasting her time with this) would make parker’s character more likeable.
4. in general, everything felt forced. although the booth shifting (from ep 1) was a good idea, it was just too much. perhaps because it is a sitcom amy s-p feels as though she has to have in more stupid stuff for laughs. well, i just feel like a lot of the stuff (for ex, the man at the diner who wouldn’t serve out of her zone, their mother not wanting to come in the house until she’s asked) didn’t work and was not funny.
still, though, it was nice to hear a script penned by amy. i agree with what some critics have said, that the rhythm amy is known for is there but the tone is just off. and although i smiled when a few references were used (for ex, ava gardner) i got so used to the obscure academic/pop culture references with gg that it feels empty without them.
maybe they show will improve. in my opinion, though, for me to really enjoy it parker posey will have to improve. maybe she should watch some gg and try to pick up some techniques from lauren graham. it wouldn’t hurt her to be more lorelai because…c’mon, who didn’t like lorelai/ want to be her daughter/have her as a mother/ date her/befriend her.
Kristen ^_^
Mar 16, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I totally agree that Parker Posey should try and watch some episodes of Gilmore girls to get sort of the quick witty banter that Amy writes into her shows, and I think by her getting a feel of how well Lauren Graham pulls off the quick witty banter will help her get the timing and full grasp on the writing, because to me, while watching the first two episodes, Parker Posey also seemed a bit out of breath to me, it also seemed like she was rushing all the dialogue out like she was trying to beat her wpm lol. But all in all I think it was a nice feeling watching another unique show created by Amy and Dan ^_^ I will for sure be watching The Return of Jezebel James in hopes that it will let go of its laugh track and not so hilarious jokes (in my opinion ^_^ I think that the whole hello kitty thing was very Lorelaish)
cheri
Mar 16, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I agree with everyone, it was all just too forced and very annoying to me. I didn’t like any of the characters, how the show was filmed, the laugh track, nothing. There is no way that this show can even be compared to Gilmore Girls. I have read on other sites that people wish that Lauren Graham would be playing the part of Sarah. I am glad that she doesn’t have anything to do with this show. She is to great of an actress to be attached to this show in any way. I really liked Amy’s and everyone elses writing on Gilmore Girls and was kind of excited when I heard about this show. That Amy created it and was writing it, but it just isn’t doing anything for me. I noticed that there were several things that seem like Amy was trying to put a GG touch to it and I didn’t like that. This show should have its own feel to it, not be a different variation of another show. I might give it another chance next week, but it will really have to be a lot less annoying and more of it’s own feel to make me want to come back again after next week. I am really disapointed. I really expected more from Amy. The only thing that I liked about the show was Rose Abdoo (Gypsy) playing the pregnant woman at the doctor’s office.
TimK
Mar 16, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I thought it was wonderful, 127 Laughs in 44 Minutes, with a classic ASP story. I’m already looking forward to the next episode.
-TimK
Paige
Mar 16, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Bad.. i vote it off the island but hey more time for a movie script!!!
Wonder Y
Mar 16, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Bad first:
1. Posey didn’t do it for me. Even when she stopped talking absurdly fast, I never actually liked the character.
2. Laugh tracks should be banned from TV. They are so distracting. How can TV people not see this?
3. How many times is ASP going to try to force a young geeky girl into her story? Give it up. It isn’t entertaining!
Good:
1. I did laugh a number of times.
2. It got better as it went along - I was about to turn it off by the end of the first commercial break, but by the end, I didn’t feel that way.
3. Lauren Ambrose helps bring some genuine sweetness in the middle of all of the chaos.
em
Mar 16, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I agree with Parker Posey not being right for the role and the laugh track being annoying and the first to episodes being….not good. But there were jokes that I did laugh at, and I think it has potential. It was only the first two episodes, and if I remember right, the show is signed for 13 episodes. There is still time left for improvement.
I also think that the critics have been very hard on this show. I have read review after review saying that the show sucks and should be canceled. Like I said before, it was only the first two episodes. Give it time. No doubt the pilot was bad. Honestly, if I had only seen the pilot of Gilmore Girls, I would have been only slightly interested. I was lucky in seeing an episode from the second season when I first watched it, because in my opinion, the second season was one of the best Gilmore seasons. I think every show’s pilot episode is at least a little awkward, with all of the people on the show just starting to figure out how everything is going to work, the actors discovering their characters, etc.
I am definitely looking forward to the next episodes.
b
Mar 16, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I agree with paige.
XD
em
Mar 17, 2008 at 8:09 am
This is a tad off topic, but did everyone forget that it was Lauren Graham’s 41st birthday yesterday?
Arieanna
Mar 17, 2008 at 9:27 am
em - although 13 episodes were ordered, we’ll only see 7. The strike is partly to blame for that, but also as a midseason show, they decided to go not back to film more. So, if the first 7 don’t sell it, I am not sure if we’ll see as season two.
lola
Mar 17, 2008 at 9:28 am
I agree totally.
I watched the show after its origianl air date. Parker Posey is not a favorite of mine. I dont know if it is the quality of her voice or her in general.
It’s hard for a show to take off and I am hoping this one will get better. I am not going to give up yet.
Is it too late for a character switch?…
obtw:
What happened to Lauren Graham getting her own show?? I thought I heard rumors…
shayna
Mar 17, 2008 at 11:19 am
honestly, i was expecting ALOT more because it was amy sherman palladino, you know, gilmore girls was unbelieveable and this was a disappoinment, but that doesnt mean i’ll stop watching it
Emily
Mar 17, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I think the only thing I really found to be funny and memorable was the Hello Kitty phones. Though I was a fan of Parker Posey from the Christopher Guest films, I didn’t really care about or like her character in this show. I found myself to be more interested in Lauren Ambrose’s character. Overall, I would be happier watching my DVDs of Gilmore Girls instead of new episodes of Jezebel James.
Nicole
Mar 17, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Well I didnt think that the show was great and I didnt think that it was awesome!! I personally think that once the show gets started it will get better and better! One thing that i dont know how it will work out is what happens after the sister has the baby…I just dont see what the main part of the show will be, but i really dont think that people should allready be demanding a cancellation and allready shortening the season by 6 episodes and allready saying that there shouldnt be a second season…
Also did anyone else notice that they had jipsey from gilmore girls in a small part of the show?? she was a pregnant women at some part…also is Max Medina(rorys teacher and loraleis almost husband earlier in gilmore girls) Posley’s boyfriend in this show?? I dont kno but he atleast looks like him!!
8 o clock
Mar 18, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I made myself sit thru the whole 1st episode. The 1st laugh track I heard just about did me in. I like shows that ASP has been associated with and will continue to watch this show just in case it turns a quick corner and into a gem.
It was fun seeing “Max” and “Gypsy”. Oh boy do I miss GG.
a mother and daughter
Mar 18, 2008 at 3:22 pm
This show was ok. Too many people are comparing it to Gilmore Girls just because it’s an Amy S-P and Dan P written/directed show. They’re two very different types of shows. Since it’s billed as a comedy, may be that’s why they had the laugh track. Since we know Amy and Dan are great writers, may be we should give this show a chance. GG didn’t take off immediately until several episodes later. I don’t think Parker Posey’s character is that likeable. But PP is definitely not as adept as Lauren or Alexis in delivering her lines. While GG is one of my favorite shows of all time, it was a great dramedy with talented actresses (Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel) who were able to incorporate break-speed speech seamlessly with great acting while making their characters believable and likeable. We in turn cared about Lorelai and Rory and the rest of the characters GG. May be Amy and Dan can now concentrate on a GG movie for TV.
Kate
Mar 18, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I didn’t find Jezebel James funny at all. I mean, at first I didn’t realize that it was a laugh track. I was just sitting there, staring at the TV, thinking “What are these people laughing at!?” Wow was I stupid.
The only part that I found mildly funny out of either of the two episodes was the Hello Kitty phones. My thoughts immediately went to Gilmore Girls, and I thought of all the wierd, but awesome things Lorelai and Rory had. The monkey lamp, the fuzzy alarm clock…
The Returen of Jezebel James will never compare with Gilmore Girls. Heck, nothing will ever compare with Gilmore Girls! But, I do think that people should give Jezebel James a chance. It only had two episodes, there’s a chance it will get better.
And if they lose the laugh track, and develop the characters more…it could be a good show.
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