Uncle Buck Advance Review – “Pilot.” A Third Try.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016, 9/8c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“The kids are all right; Buck is on the job.” – Will

Mike Epps is funny, but no John Candy.

Hours before heading out of state for business, parents Will (James Lesure) and Cindy Russell (Nia Long) find themselves without anyone to watch their kids, Tia (Iman Benson), Miles (Sayeed Shahidi), and Maizy (Aalyrah Caldwell). Desperate to find someone to stay with the kids, Will asks his fun-loving but irresponsible brother Buck (Mike Epps) despite Cindy’s objections.

When I think of Uncle Buck as portrayed by John Candy in the 1989 comedy Uncle Buck, many words come to mind to describe the character — heavyset, man-child, cigar smoking, trench coat wearing slacker. One of the words I didn’t consider necessary was Caucasian. So when ABC announced a remake of Uncle Buck would feature a black cast, the news didn’t bother me—until the network announced Mike Epps would be playing Buck. Don’t get me wrong, Epps is a very entertaining performer and comedian. But his tall lanky figure doesn’t fit the mental image I have of what Buck should look like. Frankly, if it were up to me, I would have gone with someone like Cedric the Entertainer or Faizon Love.

This isn’t the first time the classic movie has been turned into a TV series. In 1990, CBS aired 16 of 22 episodes of Uncle Buck before canceling it. Will ABC be able to succeed where CBS failed? Based on the pilot, it’s too early to tell.

Kid friendly bar?

Besides the casting of Epps, what confuses me about Uncle Buck is the comment ABC President of Entertainment Paul Lee made during a recent Television Critics Association (TCA) panel. “The reality is Mike Epps’ performance could not be more different and his world cannot be more different.” If that’s the case, why even call it Uncle Buck? That’s like taking the show Lost and calling it a reboot of Gilligan’s Island.

Uncle Buck does take several cues from the movie but those moments feel rushed. The paint-by-numbers script flows as if the writers had a checklist of must have scenes from the film they had to fit into the 22-minute “Pilot.” With a whole season ahead, what’s the hurry?

While Epps wasn’t my first choice for Buck, he is entertaining to watch. Much of the humor comes from Buck’s interaction with the other adults in “Pilot.” As a fan of Lesure’s humor ever since his days as Mike Cannon on Las Vegas, I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the role of Will. Besides looking absolutely gorgeous, Long has terrific comedic timing. Watching Cindy butt heads with Buck is just hilarious. I hope we see many more scenes between Cindy and Buck throughout the season.

When you don’t have a key, use a chainsaw.

I’m still on the fence when it comes to the kids. It’s hard to tell from “Pilot” if the lack of chemistry between Buck and the kids is a casting issue or simply because Buck is written to be an outsider to the kids. The kids are cute, especially eight-year-old Caldwell who steals every scene she’s in., After watching ”Pilot,” though, I couldn’t remember a funny scene that wasn’t taken from the movie. Making matters worse, the bonding between Buck and the kids comes across as forced and unbelievable due to the fast pace of the series premiere. As the season progresses, I hope their relationship will evolve more naturally.

Anytime you take on a cult classic, regardless of whether it’s a reboot, remake, or an homage, it’s impossible not to compare it to the original. When set against the backdrop of the film, ABC’s Uncle Buck falls short, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it.

Despite the rush through the film’s memorable plot points, ABC’s Uncle Buck has some entertaining moments. Its success hinges on what the writers do next now that the storyline has passed the point where the movie version ends. Free of the restraints of its predecessor, the writers have the opportunity to make the show their own, giving us new characters and storylines to connect with, and want to follow each week.

Tune in to Uncle Buck Tuesdays at 9/8c, only on ABC.

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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.