Alright, so, apparently good ratings and being one of the first series to get a full-season order this season is no indication as to whether or not CBS will keep a show around. Because their comedy, The Crazy Ones is looking very likely to be cancelled. Which is stupid! Yeah. I said it. I’m not a fan of this potential decision, higher-ups at CBS and people at home reading this — and I’m here to tell you why.
The Crazy Ones is a delight, plain and simple. It’s charming, fun, and the actors are wonderful. Watch 10 seconds of Robin Williams and James “Not Great, Bob!” Wolk riffing and improving together and try to not feel an overdose of glee. Watch Sarah Michelle Gellar and Hamish Linklater’s chemistry slowly build and get not-always-overtly teased at and not get flashbacks to some of the better TV will-they-won’t-they couples out there (Josh Lyman and Donna from The West Wing, anyone?). Listen to Amanda Setton’s devious mind go darker and nuttier with each passing day and try to not cackle (even just a little bit). It’s pretty hard — I’m telling you. It’s a show you watch and you know everyone on it is having fun, and that fun and joy translates into the funny, heartwarming bits in each and every scene.
Now, there are reasons why a show that’s as enjoyable as The Crazy Ones would be cancelled, many of which would be speculative conjecture at best if we printed them here. But there’s one that feels a little bit obvious — and likely — given the players involved. And that reason is: money. Ah, that almighty dollar, rearing it’s ugly head, ruining everything that we love. It’s fairly likely that The Crazy Ones isn’t cheap to make, even if 95% of the show’s action takes place in one room. When your main creative team includes heavyweight actors like Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar, chances are the cost is up there. And there’s also the issue of the series’ creator, David E. Kelley. You, uh, might better know him as the known as the creator of such teeny, tiny, itty bitty shows like Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Boston Legal, and Harry's Law? Yeah, he’s also written a few movies, too. So it seems very, very likely that Mr. Kelley’s work ain’t all that cheap, either, meaning bankrolling a production like The Crazy Ones is probably a heftier burden than some of the other series on the network.
But there’s something fun, exciting, and — most importantly — different about The Crazy Ones than a lot of the other comedies on CBS. And that’s a good thing: too much of the same stuff (do you want Chuck Lorre to program every day?) can not only pigeonhole your network, but it removes diversity and the chance to reel in new viewers and different demographics.
Plus, The Crazy Ones is just fun to watch. Gellar’s character is uptight but seemingly unaware of that fact, and she tries hard every day to change her ways (and accept those that she cannot). Her relationship with her father (Williams) is endearing and doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness that comes with having an addict as a parent, while still evolving every episode. And the comedic timing of Wolk and Linklater is delightful, particularly when peppered with Setton’s unexpected darkness. It’s a workplace comedy that has a little bit more than that, and that’s something worth supporting — at least in our eyes.
Call us an idealist (since we totally are), but shouldn’t — at least sometimes — quality win out? I won’t name names but… to not renew The Crazy Ones over some of those other series CBS said yes to? It raises an eyebrow, is all I’m saying.
So think about it, CBS. Please?
