<![CDATA[Josh Gad]]>http://www.sheknows.com/ Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:57:00 -0800 <![CDATA[<em>1600 Penn</em> recap: The Skiplantic Ocean]]> http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/981857/1600-penn-season-1-episode-2-recap In the words of Chastity, from 10 Things I Hate About You, "I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?" 1600 Penn cast

The new 1600 Penn left me feeling, like, whelmed. It was neither a complete disappointment nor very stimulating. It existed and for 30 minutes I watched it. When it ended... it was over.

Here's what happened:

Becca's surprise pregnancy becomes front-page news when someone leaks a recording of a conversation she had with her stepmother (Jenna Elfman) after an interview when they thought the mics were off. Whoops. The used-to-be-perfect daughter goes into freak-out mode. Ultimately, though, she's saved when her hapless brother, Skip, suckers her into a day of relaxing in the pool (hence the episode's title, "The Skiplantic Ocean").

While Becca falls apart, her stepmother, Emily, is in charge of keeping the news from Becca's two younger siblings: Marigold and Xander. Emily pulls the kids out of school to keep them from hearing the news from someone in class. It's not long before they're on to the fact that Emily is trying to keep a secret and the white lies she tells to earn Becca's trust quickly spiral out of control.

Bill Pullman as POTUS

How does Becca's dad (Bill Pullman) deal with all of it? By pacing down to the sit room and having a heart-to-heart with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Everyone has parenting advice that ranges from hugs being the greatest weapon to following the lessons of Buddhism. 1600 Penn's POTUS takes it all in stride and, somehow, manages to learn from this advice. Oh, and he takes out a small terrorist cell.

In the end, everyone rushes to her aid. Skip does so in his usual idiot manner by trying to explain away her mistake with the whole embarrassing truth. When she's called the "First Slut" on a news program, her dad takes off for the briefing room and kindly, but sternly supports his daughter. It's touching, I guess.

Basically, there was nothing particularly wrong with 1600 Penn. It had its funny moments: Skip's water guns filled with tea and lemonade, how the president handles his press secretary coming out of the closet, and almost all the lines that are spouted while in the Situation Room. It also had a lot of over-the-top, trying way too hard moments, too... like nearly everything with Skip. No one who can get into college is that stupid.

1600 Penn has potential. It just needs to work on being a show about a normal family in the White House and not about one idiot ruining a normal family's life in the White House.

Images courtesy of NBC

More on 1600 Penn

1600 Penn: Promo-palooza
1600 Penn: Bill Pullman for President

http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/981857/1600-penn-season-1-episode-2-recap Entertainment Television Deirdre Kaye
Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:18:00 -0800 <![CDATA[<em>1600 Penn</em>: Promo-palooza]]> http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/979055/1600-penn-promo-palooza Just in case you're not quite sure what <em>1600 Penn</em> is all about, we're here to help. We've got the low down on some of the characters, as well as a few sneak peeks. 1600 Penn key art

The first couple teasers for 1600 Penn were so over the top, they seemed to try too hard. While the situations involved in NBC's new show are still sometimes a little farfetched, the humor has grown on us.

Take a look at the most recent promo:

Until now, the previews have all been very Skip-centric. The show was beginning to look more like a comedy about a hapless idiot who accidentally finds himself living in the White House than a comedy about a normal family that moves into the White House when the dad (Bill Pullman) is elected president. The new promo adds two new ingredients that tone down the absurdity and add to the humor.

First, we meet Becca Gilchrist, the oldest of the two Gilchrist girls and a seemingly normal and not entirely dysfunctional human being. She's just your average young adult... who happens to end up pregnant.

More importantly, we see more of Marshall Malloy (Andre Holland). He appears to be some sort of White House aid, and it's his ability to see the insanity and try to correct it that shines. When first lady Emily Gilchrist (Jenna Elfman) is told by a grade-schooler that her father referred to the first lady as a trophy wife, she looses her cool. It immediately feels unbelievable. Americans have had the privilege over the last few decades to be graced with eloquent, charming and levelheaded first ladies. Even when their husbands are making mistakes, our first ladies come off rather flawless. When Emily begins to launch into a cutting remark, it's Marshall that dives in and cuts her off, and it's Marshall that saves the scene from seeming too unbelievable.

Now we'll introduce you to Skip (Josh Gad). He's the oldest Gilchrist kid who, in a normal situation, would be off at college and out of the White House. Skip is far from normal, though. He's loud, accident prone and oblivious. If the guys from The Hangover were to ever raise a child, it'd probably turn out a lot like Skip Gilchrist. Here's what we mean...

So, Skip's an idiot. But, he definitely means well. For whatever reason, there's a bit of a disconnect between he and his family, and he continues to try to repair it. He does so most notably in the slightly touching (but quickly turned humorous) moment in the first promo we showed you, when he tried to cover for his sister.

It's certainly funnier and less ridiculous than one of the first previews we were shown, that's for sure.

All in all, we're excited about 1600 Penn. If the show turns out more like newer clips suggest, it looks like a funny show that might actually stick around for a couple seasons.

1600 Penn premieres January 10 at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.

Image courtesy of NBC
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/979055/1600-penn-promo-palooza Entertainment Television Deirdre Kaye
Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:50:00 -0800 <![CDATA[<em>1600 Penn</em>: Bill Pullman for president!]]> http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/951395/1600-penn-bill-pullman-for-president Bill Pullman can't shake the presidency. The actor best known for his roles in Independence Day and While You Were Sleeping is heading to the White House. He'll star in a pilot for NBC called 1600 Penn where he'll play the leader of the free world. Bill PullmanVeteran actor Bill Pullman is returning to familiar territory. He's landed the lead in a new NBC comedy called 1600 Penn.

On the show, the actor will play a role he's already tackled in the past -- the president of the United States.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 1600 Penn will center on a very funny and very dysfunctional first family. Pullman will play the head of state and father to "Brittany Snow (his overachieving, perfectionist daughter) and Book of Mormon star Josh Gad (his gregarious and clumsy son)."

Side note: Brittany Snow is no stranger to NBC. She previously starred on two of the network's shows: Harry's Law and the defunct period drama American Dreams.

1600 Penn will be executive produced by Jon Lovett, a former speechwriter for President Obama. We're sure his insight will give new meaning to the show's political humor.

Speaking of humor, the pilot episode will be directed by none other than Modern Family's Jason Winer. That's a huge grab, considering Modern Family's one of TV's biggest comedies.

As we previously stated, this isn't the first time Bill Pullman's entered the Oval Office. In 1996, he played President Thomas J. Whitmore in the blockbuster film Independence Day. Considering its box office success, it's easily one of his most memorable roles. The film went on to gross over $817 million worldwide. That's huge!

Most recently, Pullman has appeared on the small screen as Oswald Danes on the sci-fi show Torchwood: Miracle Day.

What do you think of NBC's first family? Will you be tuning in?

Photo credit: Amanda Leddy / Splash News
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/951395/1600-penn-bill-pullman-for-president Entertainment Television Krystal Clark