Review: 'Dads'

For all of the talk of this being the "Golden Age" of television, it's a golden age with some restrictions. Cable networks have pushed the boundaries of sex and violence and the broadcast networks have loosened language restrictions to the point where mainstream comedies use "douchbag" as just another verb.

But when it comes to politically incorrect language and behavior, critics and audiences seem to have difficulty distinguishing the actions of characters from the intent of the show's writers. There was a time when Archie Bunker could be seen on television as a racist, because it was behavior that was honest and coming from a real place in America. Audiences could both hate some of his actions and still have a warm spot for a guy who was both hateful and loving.

Even when it came to a surreal and goofy show such as "Hogan's Heroes," audiences were able to distinguish between the intent of the show and real life. No one protested the show arguing that showing some Nazis as idiots was somehow a slap in the face of Holocaust survivors. There were lots of reasons not to watch the show, but some misplaced feeling that it apologized for the Third Reich was not one of them.

In some real way, America seems to have lost its ability to laugh about certain subjects and that's too bad because it means that we end up just ignoring some very real social issues. It also has an impact on what writers and producers can do on a mainstream show because of the fear that somewhere, someone won't get the joke.

"Dads" is a new comedy from Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, who are also the team behind "Family Guy." And while critics at least overlooked some of the insanely inappropriate comments on that show (perhaps because it's animated?), they have argued that "Dads" is homophobic, racist, sexist and not funny.

I'll deal with the funny part last, but here's the general premise of the show. Childhood friends Eli (Seth Green) and Warner (Giovanni Ribisi) run a successful gaming company and have personal lives that make them happy. Green is happily single (though with a girlfriend) while Ribisi has a domestic home life complete with smart, sexy wife Camila (Vanessa Lachey) and a beautiful home.

But they both have Daddy issues, specifically the problem that their Dads are more a part of their lives than they would prefer. Ribisi's father (played by Martin Mull) lives with him while Green's (Peter Reigert) turns out to have lost his townhouse and is hoping to move in with his son.

The pilot centers around Green and Ribisi's attempts to close a deal with a large Japanese company while juggling the problems with their respective Dads. They convince one of their employees (Brenda Song) to dress up like a Japanese school girl for the meeting and that turns out to be the least of their problems when Mull shows up and insults the visitors by arguing they can't be trusted "There's a reason that Shanghai is a verb," he yells through the conference door in one memorable exchange. Though honestly, that scene is as frightening as an earlier one in which we see a topless Mull standing in his son's kitchen.

Critics are correct when they complain the episode has a lot of language and stereotypes that are uncomfortable and insulting. But for the most part, they are also things that seem to fit the characters in the show. Yes, Martin Mull refers to "Orientals," but I've met lots of people over 65 who use the term with no concept of it being considered racist. Yes, Song is dressed like a Japanese school girl in a couple of scenes. But her character is written in a way that shows that she is doing it in part because she thinks the idea might actually work. And in an odd, assisted by blackmail sort-of-way, it does.

Not every comment is worthy of the talent behind the show and as is the case with many pilots, some of the characters seem more like a collection of one-liners than three-dimensional people. But the core of a funny show is there and the road to making the right changes doesn't involve watering down its sometimes tasteless approach.

The ensemble also has a lot of moving parts and the pilot doesn't fully utilize all of them. Vanessa Lachey's character is pretty much wasted in the premiere episode and there's no real reason for Eli's Hispanic maid Edna (Tonita Castro) to exist, except that I suppose the writers felt they needed another voice in the home scenes between Eli and father David.

The biggest challenge for the show (at least based on its pilot) is that it needs to be 50% funnier. It's fine to set up some confrontation that is supposed to be cringeworthy, but the scene still needs a solid footing of comedy to build on. The producers and writers of "Dads" are certainly capable of tightening the show's writing and sharpening some of the characters in the way it requires if there's any hope of lasting the season.

Fox executives also need to resist the temptation to note the show to death after the initial round of criticism. While there's something to be said for going back in and reshooting some scenes to make them funnier, any reshoot at this point would just seem like a capitulation to critics. And in the end, "Dads" will only work if everyone involved is able to stave off the complaints until the show can find its creative groove.

I spent ten years as a stand-up and I always liked a creative challenge. I loved it when I walked out onto a stage knowing every act before me had struggled. It's exciting to confront a tough crowd, even if you ultimately go down in flames. And I suppose that's part of what makes me root for "Dads." It's a talented group of people and I'd like to think that they can make this challenging premise work in the long run. But even if they don't, it's going to be fun to watch along the way.

"Dads" premieres on Fox on Tuesday, September 17th at 8:00 p.m. ET.