Guys with Kids
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Guys with Kids is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC, from September 11, 2012, to February 27, 2013, as part of the 2012–13 television schedule. The series was created by Jimmy Fallon, Charlie Grandy, and Amy Ozols, and stars Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford, Zach Cregger, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Erinn Hayes, and Tempestt Bledsoe. The series chronicles the lives of three friends, and their respective partners, as they raise their children in a modern environment.
Guys with Kids also aired on Global as part of the 2012–13 Canadian network television schedule. Guys with Kids also aired on Comedy Central India.
Cast
Main cast
- Anthony Anderson as Gary, father of Yoda, Clark, and twin boys, Robbie and GJ (Gary Jr.).
- Jesse Bradford as Chris Campbell, father to Ernie
- Zach Cregger as Nick Theyer, father to Violet and Freddie
- Tempestt Bledsoe as Marny, wife of Gary
- Erinn Hayes as Sheila, divorced from Chris
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Emily Theyer, wife of Nick
Children
- Brian Mganga as Clark
- Marleik Walker II as Yoda
- Mykayla Sohn as Violet
Recurring cast
Cast members appearing in at least two episodes include:
- Brian Posehn as Victor, the apartment building's maintenance man
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as himself
- Fiona Gubelmann as Sage, Chris's girlfriend prior to his relationship with Shelia
- Mark Consuelos as Andy, Ernie's nanny
Development and production
NBC placed a 13-episode order in May 2012.
It was announced in June 2012 that Sara Rue, who portrayed Sheila in the original pilot, would be replaced by Erinn Hayes, a change necessitated when NBC decided to pick up the comedy Malibu Country, which also starred Rue.
The series ran from September 12, 2012, to February 27, 2013. The series aired in Canada on Global, premiering one day early, on September 11, 2012.
On November 15, 2012, NBC announced it has ordered four more episodes, bringing the series to a total of 17 episodes.
On May 9, 2013, NBC canceled the series after one season.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Scott Ellis | Story by: Jimmy Fallon, Charlie Grandy & AmyOzols Teleplay by: Charlie Grandy | September12,2012(2012-09-12) | 101 | 6.25 |
| Chris stands up to his ex-wife Shelia when he wants to go on a date. | ||||||
| 2 | "Chris' New Girlfriend" | Michael Lembeck | Keith Heisler | September26,2012(2012-09-26) | 103 | 4.84 |
| Chris has a new girlfriend who used to date Nick. It is later revealed that Nick used the same first date for multiple women. | ||||||
| 3 | "Marny Wants A Girl" | Ken Whittingham | Courtney Lilly | October3,2012(2012-10-03) | 104 | 4.76 |
| Marny decides she wants another kid: a daughter. A fight breaks out during the CPR class that Shelia forces everyone to participate in. | ||||||
| 4 | "The Standoff" | Michael Lembeck | Story by: Charlie Grandy Teleplay by: Rick Wiener & Kenny Schwartz | October10,2012(2012-10-10) | 102 | 4.19 |
| Gary tries to discipline Yoda with unconventional tactics, including setting up a slip in slide in the middle of the apartment. Nick learns that there is more to a school project and gets competitive. | ||||||
| 5 | "Gary's Day Off" | Ken Whittingham | Matt Lawton | October17,2012(2012-10-17) | 105 | 4.41 |
| Shelia moves out of her old place with Chris, Nick and Gary's help so that Chris can have his Giants tickets back. Marny gives Gary a day off which results in her needing help from Emily. | ||||||
| 6 | "Apartment Halloween" | Leonard R. Garner, Jr. | Donald Diego | October24,2012(2012-10-24) | 106 | 3.83 |
| After the new co-op board president tells Nick he can't have his hall haunted house, Shelia and Nick set her up with Chris to get what they want. Meanwhile, Chris wants Shelia to become friends with Nick. | ||||||
| 7 | "The Bathroom Incident" | Michael Lembeck | Charlie Grandy | October31,2012(2012-10-31) | 107 | 3.62 |
| Freddie and Ernie lock themselves inside a bathroom causing Nick to realize he needs to be better prepared. Emily helps Gary organize his apartment. | ||||||
| 8 | "First Birthday" | Leonard R. Garner, Jr. | Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland | November14,2012(2012-11-14) | 108 | 3.91 |
| Ernie's first birthday arrives and Shelia and Chris fight over the birthday party. | ||||||
| 9 | "Thanksgiving" | Betsy Thomas | Keith Heisler | November21,2012(2012-11-21) | 109 | 3.47 |
| Shelia hosts a crazy thanksgiving as Gary waits on line for three days to get a new TV. | ||||||
| 10 | "Christmas" | Michael Lembeck | Story by: Charlie Grandy Teleplay by: Rick Wiener & Kenny Schwartz | December5,2012(2012-12-05) | 110 | 3.59 |
| Gary and Marnie get drunk and insult Emily and Nick's idea of a romantic date. | ||||||
| 11 | "First Word" | Leonard R. Garner, Jr. | Story by: Rick Weiner & Kenny Schwartz Teleplay by: Charlie Grandy | January2,2013(2013-01-02) | 111 | 4.39 |
| As Shelia sticks around due to waiting on Ernie's first word, Nick and Chris reminisce on the past, including the night that Nick got engaged to Emily while Chris was dating Sage (Fiona Gubelmann), the night that Violet was born and they met Gary and Marnie, Chris's wedding to Shelia, the night that Gary chipped his tooth, and the night that Chris had told his friends that he was getting a divorce. In the present, Nick and Emily try looking up Sage. | ||||||
| 12 | "Marny's Dad" | Betsy Thomas | Courtney Lilly | January9,2013(2013-01-09) | 112 | 3.97 |
| Gary learns why Marnie's dad doesn't like him when he comes to visit. | ||||||
| 13 | "Me Time" | Michael Lembeck | Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland | January30,2013(2013-01-30) | 114 | 2.93 |
| Marnie wants some alone time as Shelia, Nick, Chris, and Emily start competing in trivia nights at the bar. | ||||||
| 14 | "The Will" | Mark Cendrowski | Lauren Caltagirone | February6,2013(2013-02-06) | 113 | 3.20 |
| After suffering a health problem, Marnie and Gary decide whom to leave their kids to in their will. Chris becomes overwhelmed by Shelia's nanny, Andy (Mark Consuelos). | ||||||
| 15 | "Gary's Idea" | Leonard R. Garner, Jr. | Lauren Caltagirone & Donald Diego | February13,2013(2013-02-13) | 115 | 2.85 |
| With Chris deciding to change something in his life, he decided to pick up a new hobbie. Nick and Emily's babysitter Stacy (Sara Paxton) likes Chris. | ||||||
| 16 | "Rare Breed" | Leonard R. Garner, Jr. | Story by: Charlie Grandy Teleplay by: Rick Weiner & Kenny Schwartz | February20,2013(2013-02-20) | 116 | 2.83 |
| Gary tries to be a stay at home dad while working on his wrapkin. | ||||||
| 17 | "Divorce Party" | Betsy Thomas | Matt Lawton | February27,2013(2013-02-27) | 117 | 3.07 |
| Marnie's sister Bridget (Keshia Knight Pulliam) comes to town and Marnie hires her to work with Gary. When Nick learned that Shelia and Chris were thinking of having another baby, he decided to host a divorce party and invites Sage. Shelia and Sage meet when Chris stayed at the party. The show ends with a cliff-hanger. |
Reception
Critical response
Guys with Kids received generally negative reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the show received a score of 38 out of 100, from 25 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Rotten Tomatoes rated season 1 as 7% based on reviews from 30 critics, with an average rating of 3.4/10 and the critical consensus reads: "Worthless and abysmal, Guys with Kids is pitiful in its lack of humor and plot."
Glenn Garvin of the Miami Herald was only one of a few who gave a positive review, saying "Guys with Kids is a perfect confection of witty dialogue and slapstick action." Matt Zoller Seitz of New York Magazine stated "I expected to hate Guys with Kids... My animosity faded after about five minutes, when it became clear that the show wasn't terribly interested in the kids." Diane Wertz of Newsday gave it a D and stated "Nothing to see here. Move on." Matt Rouse of TV Guide wrote, "The season's most depressingly generic and retro sitcom, so squishy and lacking in edge it might as well been written in nerf".
Accolades
On December 11, 2012, Anthony Anderson was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, as Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. The award went to Don Cheadle for his work on Showtime's House of Lies.
See also
- House Husbands, a 2012 Australian television comedy with a similar premise