The Great Indoors

Take every criticism you've ever read about so-called millennials, set them to a laugh track with a charismatic lead who seems reluctant to repeat them, and you've got a comedy with good potential. Not because it's particularly clever or original -- the multi-camera format feels like a throwback, and most of the jokes rely on stereotypes -- but rather because it manages to put an acceptable spin on otherwise mediocre material. Having McHale in the lead helps a lot, but so does the fact that, at times, The Great Indoors seems willing to cop to its own shortcomings with wry deliveries and self-deprecating digs, even as the tired millennial jokes march on (and on).

While it's true that The Great Indoors makes fun of multiple generations, the millennials really do get short shrift, so it's hard to imagine the series appealing to anyone who falls squarely in that demographic. It's also hard to imagine the show's younger actors not texting each other during a table read about how ridiculous this dialogue makes them sound, which made us wonder what The Great Indoors would be like if they were the ones telling the story -- or at least had more of a say in it.