New American comedy "Dads"

I just thought I'd share this:

The other day I was walking through Leeds when a market researcher asked me if I would like to volunteer to view a new TV program. So I agreed and took the video home.

It's the pilot for a comedy (American) called "Dads". The comedy focuses on divorced parents sharing childcare, and the main characters are three dads, the central character being a likeable guy called Tom, with a young son of about five. In this particular episode he is upset to find that he has been invited to his son's birthday party at what was once his home. He is upset firstly to be given a formal invitation to his son's party, and secondly because he has not been included in the planning and organising of the party. So he rashly announces to his ex-wife, the lovely Lauren, that he had actually already planned a party for their son. So Lauren caves in and agrees that he can organise the party. So he has to make very last-minute arrangements, and needless to say it all starts to descend into chaos, but somehow the day is saved and it all comes right at the last minute. One of the strong support characters is the schoolteacher, a stout, determined and witty lady.

I thought the concept of the comedy to be quite good, though it was a little short on seriously funny laughs, but that may be because it does take time for characters to "grow" on an audience. It was just a little bit too twee for me personally, but I'm sure it could grow to be quite popular family viewing.

I am a little intrigued as to why an American comedy would be tested out on a British market.

Anybody else seen "Dads"?

It was the ads!!

Thanks for your comments, xhouseboy.

Well, as luck would have it, it turns out that what they really wanted comments on was the ads that ran in the commercial breaks! So I ended up giving my opinions on ads for Pringles and Fairy fabric conditioner! I think that Dads was just a red herring. So whether it really exists, or will exist, as a sitcom, I do not know.

However, all was not in vain - for this I earned the grand sum of five pounds.

Dads and ads.

Perks said:

Ha! I've seen the same thing for the same reason. All the way over their in the UK, huh? It was several years ago for me.

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Hi, Perks! So you've done the same thing as well! Dads is really not that funny, is it?

I'm mildly interested in advertising, and the effect that it has on people. So the fact that it turned out to be about ads was not too disconcerting.

I'm also interested in advertising and brandnaming in an international context - there have been some howling errors made in the past due to cultural misunderstanding.

Perks said:

Yes, I'd have to say that 'Dads' could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.

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What a great expression! We don't really hear ones like that in the UK.

Perks said:

Like real American sitcoms aren't embarrassing enough. I'm sure it did wonders for your impression of Americans.

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It's OK - I've been to the States, so I can base my opinions more on reality than TV. Also, some Americans were at my university, and I knew some when living in Japan.

Perks said:

I'm going to Fiji.

As far as the commercials went, they were all sad mock-ups. I hate advertising. I run away when the commercials come on and I can't listen to the radio for that very reason. I just want to scream, "But I don't WANT it!!!"

I seem to remember, although it may have been urban legend, that back in the 80s the Coca Cola slogan 'Coke - It Brings You Back To Life' was bastardized in its Chinese translation and worked out to more-or-less 'Coke - It Brings Your Ancestors Back From The Grave'. I really hurt myself laughing over that one.

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I don't like ads that much either, though some UK ones are quite funny, or obscure even.

In Sweden there were some brand names that sounded very funny, or even rude, to the English ear.