Ghosted Roundtable: Pilot

The premier of Ghosted is obviously drawing on its sci fi and buddy cop predecessors, but not taking anything too seriously. Craig Robinson plays Leroy Wright, a former LAPD cop, and Adam Scott plays Max Jennifer, a disgraced former professor of astrophysics.

Though both are prominent comic actors, I don’t remember Craig Robinson and Adam Scott being in anything together. What do you think of the dynamic between Leroy and Max?
Cara: Craig Robinson and Adam Scott are two of my favorites, so I went into this expecting to love them. I wasn’t disappointed. Neither is really doing anything outside of their normal schtick, but that’s what I came for, so I’m down for it.
Lisa: I was excited to see that they were working together and had high hopes. That being said, I was a little disappointed. They were funny individually but their chemistry wasn’t strong in my opinion. I hope as time goes on, it gets better because they could be comedy gold.
Leah: I’m with Lisa. I was super excited to see them together. There is a lot of expectation on my part because they are both so great. I also always always say pilots are hard. There is a lot of information to get out in a short amount of time. So I’m giving them a little leeway to get it together. Because while I liked it I wasn’t 100% sold on their dynamic.
Karen: They have something in common. Michael Schur. He was a big part of “The Office,” and he co-created “Parks & Recreation”. And yes, they’ve been in some interesting things together. “Knocked Up,” and “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”. There are a couple of other small things where they most likely didn’t share screentime, but those are the big ones. I love them both, and I think “Ghosted” has a lot of potential. Pilots are notorious for being the worst part of any series, so I’m more than ready to give the series a chance. Great provenance behind it.
Roz: I have a deep love for Adam Scott going back to Veronica Mars – and later Party Down – and I find Craig funny when I catch him in movies. They feel like an odd couple and I’m always here for that in a team that is forced to work together.

What made you laugh, and what didn’t?
Cara: There were a lot of great little humorous moments, but my favorite has got to be Leroy’s “Hey, when I left you back at the car, did you get super high? Because you sound stupid.”
Lisa: I thought the bit about car was funny too. the part I didn’t laugh at was the copy machine bit. It went on a little long to me.
Leah: Me three! The car bit was funny.
Karen: Leroy asking for a PB&J, no crusts, extra J, no PB. So a jelly sandwich with no crusts. Max saying “Hey, what’s up?” to the bald head.
Roz: “The Higher Love” being a theme all through the car scenes and the button.

How well did this pilot introduce the characters and establish the team? What are your initial impressions of the supporting team members?
Cara: My favorite by far is Adeel Akhtar’s Barry. His introduction was great and established a baseline for the character right off the bat. Ava and Annie are off to a slower start though. Let’s hope they develop a little next week.
Lisa: The supporting cast seems interesting and I do want to know more about them, it’s hard to establish that many characters in a 30-minute show so I look forward to seeing more of the team next week.
Leah: Supporting casts usually make the show. You need them for the main characters to have someone to bounce their lines, looks, etc…off of. The pilot is usually more about the main characters so it’s still up in the air for me but I can see the support players working in the long run.
Karen: I would’ve liked more backstory on Max and Leroy. An hour-long pilot could’ve allowed that. We literally got a minute to explain why Max has issues, and how Leroy has issues with the LAPD. They got some great actors to surround Adam and Craig, so I think when they start gelling, we’ll see a really cohesive cast. I’ve always liked Ally Walker. I was super sad when they cancelled “Moon Over Miami,” although I’m probably the only one who was watching it. If Kulap Vilaysack or Sarah Baker recur, that would be awesome as well. Super funny ladies. I tend to appreciate the tiny roles.
Roz: I’m with Karen here. I want to know more about everyone, which is hard to do in twenty-two minutes.

What’s your overall first impression of the show?
Cara: I like it. I was entertained and the humor was sustained throughout the episode. I especially liked the way the soundtrack added a nod to the show’s predecessors. I’m sure I heard some Ghostbusters and Beverly Hills Cop inspired riffs. I’m looking forward to seeing what the show can do once it’s established itself a little more.
Lisa: I liked it but didn’t love it. I’m sticking with it because I think it has potential and I like the cast.
Leah: I am going to continue to tune in because of the actors but hopefully they can do a few tweaks here and there to make it truly funny.
Karen: I’m in 100%. I’m hoping it gets better from here. The pilot was entertaining enough, and it definitely has potential. I also dig that it’s got some serious moments along with the light ones.
Roz: I need more laughs in my life and this one got me good!

Ghosted airs Sunday 830/730c on FOX