horrorflicklover
I had a different review of this show before. But I think that wanting to like it led me to be more lenient on it than it ever deserved. It was a bad show. A great premise that failed due to absolutely wretched writing. Which shows you how much CBS cared about it in the first place.It can't be that hard to work with the material that the Twitter/Facebook page provided. At least not if you're a WRITER. Sure, I probably couldn't have been much funnier. I'm also not in that career path, employed by a television network no less. This show WRITES ITSELF. The problem might be that the writers took that statement too literally. Is it really that hard to make a caricature of a cantankerous, witty old man when you were gifted numerous insights in to his personality? The failings of this show were the flimsy plots and mediocre jokes. Provided, each episode might give you a couple of solid laughs. However, that means little, especially when you consider what we SHOULD have gotten from it. It should have been the breakout hit of the season.If you didn't catch $#*! My Dad Says during its brief run, you didn't miss much at all. Just a lot of wasted potential. It tried to be edgy in certain avenues, but ultimately came across as a watered-down blow off.
LadyBlanc
...but I can't. After six episodes, it still really feels like it's scrambling to get its feet under it. The actors are mostly OK; Shatner is an old pro and delivers his lines as Ed with understated ease and great timing. Nicole Sullivan and Will Sasso are TV comedy veterans and clearly know what they're doing. Sadly, Johnathan Sadowski does not seem to be a strong enough actor to handle the anchoring straight man position on the show.Then again, it might be the writing, which is quite uneven; Shatner is getting 85% of the good lines, while the writers don't really seem to know what to do with the rest of the cast. The subplots involving son Vince and his wife Bonnie are weak, strange, or both, for the most part. Henry just seems to be directionless and whiny, which makes it hard to like him as one of the two main characters. The supporting characters are probably meant to be quirky but come off as just sketchy and weird. The plots often moves in jerks and starts, without smooth flow or transition.This show could be good, if the focus was clarified and the characters made more three dimensional and consistent. It would clear up a lot of the plot problems if these guys were presented as real people with clear motivations. I hope they can get this worked out, because I would like to see this show succeed, if only because I am such a long-time fan of William Shatner.
neeeche
The TV adaptation of $h*! My Dad Says fails miserably with wrongly casting the dad and son. William Shatner is over the top and doesn't come off as effectively funny. He often comes across as an old man with constant constipation. There is no ease in the character that it creates more tension with the actor. Jonathan Sadowski as Henry is really not doing any magic for the character. Really, Justin Halpern, is that how you want to be portrayed? Lackluster and corny. Writers are very interesting people, Sadowski on the other hand is a complete blah, whose character never shows his wit. And seriously KoMut? The creators of the great Will & Grace. What happened? Terribly disappointing. You should have just made a show with an original concept rather than duplicating and overly written piece.This is what happens when you exploit witty lines. The dialogue doesn't come out naturally. The whole thing becomes a glued project.
CaptainCraig
Based on the Twitter feed which often contains vulgar language one might right away wonder how or why this is on network TV. The twitter feed isn't always vulgar though, often times the humor is in the raw unabashed truth of the non-PC, non-conformist, slightly behind the times father. While some colorful language might at times make some lines come across funnier its the situations thus far shown,through 4 episodes, that allow the cast to shine.The show started off rocky I'll admit, maybe due to re-shooting for the recast role of Henry. However, each subsequent episode has shown the cast gelling and the show laying down roots to make a truly modest show into a good one.Shatner owns the show. If you enjoyed how Shatner's Denny Crane refused to be bossed around on Boston Legal you'll right away understand Shatner's Ed Goodson on $#*! My Dad Says. You have to try a few helpings of the show but once you do I think you'll like it.