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<i>Dr. Ken</i> Series Premiere – “Pilot” Review. Dr. in the House.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Friday, October 2, 2015, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

Dr. Ken

ABC’s new comedy Dr. Ken revolves around the life and times of physician Ken Park (Ken Jeong) as he tries to find a balance between work and life at home with his wife Allison (Suzy Nakamura) and their two children, Molly (Krista Marie Yu) and Dave (Albert Tsai). Dr. Ken’s heart may be in the right place but his unorthodox approach to patients and parenting constantly get him in trouble.

With the show featuring Dr. Ken’s personal and work life, at times it feels like two different shows, each with its own personality and brand of humor. The comedy feels distinctively different depending upon which portion the audience is viewing; however, the writers do an excellent job overall balancing environments, allowing equal time between the two. This has some drawbacks as some of the minor characters, like hospital staff members Julie (Kate Simses) and Damona (Tisha Campbell-Martin), have very little by way of an introduction. Given time, this will hopefully change and we will learn more about these characters and their backstories. After all, this is  only the pilot.

Despite being a family show, Dr. Ken keeps the comedy edgy without parents having to wonder whether it’s safe for the kids to be in the room. At times, the humor is suggestive with references to sex but there’s nothing too extreme. The jokes are amusing but what make them really stand out are Jeong’s facial expressions, mannerisms, and comedic timing.

Two great comedic talents.

As a fan of the show News Radio, it’s great to see Dave Foley in the entertaining role of Pat, the hospital administrator. Pat seems to have a personal vendetta against Dr. Ken; as the series progresses, hopefully we’ll learn why. Jonathan Slavin also joins the cast as Dr. Ken’s nurse Clark. While Slavin has been an actor for quite some time, I will always remember him as the quirky scientist Phil from Better off Ted. Scenes where Jeong and Slavin play off each other are some of my favorites.

While Jeong is the star of Dr. Ken, the casting of Albert Tsai as Dave is superb and has me enthusiastic about watching the show each week. I loved Tsai’s character Bert on the short lived series Trophy Wife. Tsai’s innocent personality on Dr. Ken quickly makes him a fan favorite and, certainly, that love will increase as more fans get to know the young star.

I love seeing Albert Tsai back on TV.

Often when a show features a particular profession, people in those fields let out a collective sigh, pointing out the people on the screen are just actors going through the motions; until now, that is. Born in Detroit, Jeong went on to get his M.D and is a licensed physician in the state of California. But the acting bug bit him and after filming a role for the 2007 comedy Knocked Up, Jeong quit his job as a physician to pursue acting full time.

It often surprises me how quickly we break things down racially. With shows like The Goldbergs, Black-ish, and Fresh off the Boat, some have questioned whether we need Dr. Ken. The answer is, why not? While there may be some ethnic moments, each of these series has the same foundation—family. Dr. Ken going a tad overboard when his daughter stays out late, his son needs help with a project, or even his wife dreading the in-laws’ visit are plot points everyone can relate to.

It is often tough to get a good read of a new show based on a pilot that is filmed months ahead of the premiere of the series. And oftentimes, what a critic sees in the first screener made available to online media sites isn’t always what makes it to the viewers’ TV screens. Such is the case with Dr. Ken. When I saw that initial screener, I made a huge mistake based on a personal experience. Let me explain. For those who don’t know me, I became homeless as the direct result of an accident I sustained during the course of my employment at a major airline. Because the airline’s doctor judged me to be overweight, any injury was deemed my fault. While a court later found in my favor, I still lost my job and ended up homeless for three years.

Thankfully, I picked myself up, eventually landing this job where I’ve interviewed such noteworthy actors as James Spader and Billy Bob Thornton, among others. But that experience, and being shamed for being overweight, clouded my judgment, leading me to judge Dr. Ken unfairly. Initially, “Pilot” opened with Dr. Ken examining an overweight patient.

Patient: “What’s the diagnosis?” 

Dr. Ken: “You’re fat.” 

That scene struck a nerve and my resentment carried through the show, leading me to tweet that Dr. Ken was one of my least favorite of the new fall shows. That prompted a response from Ken Jeong, which, honestly speaking, surprised me.

Around the same time, ABC released an updated pilot and I decided to give it a second chance. Much to my surprise, the offensive scene wasn’t there. I found out the scene had been removed long before the series premiere of Dr. Ken was scheduled to air. As TV critics, it’s easy to toss out statements for which we are never held accountable just because they are our opinion. I felt compelled, though, to post an apology on my personal blog.

Jeong not only saw my apology, he responded with a very supportive message. My post was a very personal one based on my own experience. Surprisingly, both my apology and Jeong’s response quickly reached over 6,000 views. I was amazed by the positive feedback. I applaud Jeong for not only engaging with fans and TV critics but for being a class act.

That said, Jeong has a lot riding on Dr. Ken as the show creator, star, writer, and executive producer. Discovering the comedic timing between cast members doesn’t always happen overnight. I’m happy to say Dr. Ken finds its groove and is quite enjoyable to watch. Do yourself a favor; go check it out.

Tune in to the season premiere of Dr. Ken Friday, October 2, 2015 at 8:30/7:30c, only on ABC.

For more on Dr. Ken, go to http://abc.go.com/shows/dr-ken

Follow Dr. Ken on Twitter @drkenabc

Like Dr. Ken on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Dr.KenABC.

 

Photos ©2015 American Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.