There was a lot wrong with the first episode of "My Big Fat Greek Life". It seemed to have been rushed into production without too much chance to fix what was going wrong. The producers tried to do too much in the first episode and include too many characters. There were at least two episodes pushed into 30 minutes. In doing this, there was not enough time to really develope each one.
Nia Valardos was quoted in preshow stories that she did not want a laugh track but that CBS insisted on one. BIG MISTAKE. It is not a laugh out loud type sitcom (the movie was, but not the TV version should not become "I Love Nia" slapstick vehicle). She also said that the reason for the name changes for herself and her husband was that she did not think it fair for an actor to step into a role so closely identified with another actor. (Personally, I find Steven Eckhold a much better actor and better looking than John Corbett. I really find Corbett unattractive and unappealing. I know most woman fall over themselves about him - mine is a male point of view.) Mr. Eckhold was not given much chance to develope the character in the first episode and to judge him on this one episode is very unfair. Give him a chance.
The producers/writers should have concentrated on one story line, either the return from the honeymoon or the gift of the house. Trying to use each in one time period was a BIG mistake. Also in using every character from the film in the first show did not allow any character development.
If the series is to succeed, and I hope it does, it will have to reevalute the hectic pace of the first show and concentrate on the warm and wonderful characters from the film and not on TV stereotypes.
Nia Valardos was quoted in preshow stories that she did not want a laugh track but that CBS insisted on one. BIG MISTAKE. It is not a laugh out loud type sitcom (the movie was, but not the TV version should not become "I Love Nia" slapstick vehicle). She also said that the reason for the name changes for herself and her husband was that she did not think it fair for an actor to step into a role so closely identified with another actor. (Personally, I find Steven Eckhold a much better actor and better looking than John Corbett. I really find Corbett unattractive and unappealing. I know most woman fall over themselves about him - mine is a male point of view.) Mr. Eckhold was not given much chance to develope the character in the first episode and to judge him on this one episode is very unfair. Give him a chance.
The producers/writers should have concentrated on one story line, either the return from the honeymoon or the gift of the house. Trying to use each in one time period was a BIG mistake. Also in using every character from the film in the first show did not allow any character development.
If the series is to succeed, and I hope it does, it will have to reevalute the hectic pace of the first show and concentrate on the warm and wonderful characters from the film and not on TV stereotypes.