Parents' Guide to

The Paul Reiser Show

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Sitcom star's comeback falls flat; plus bleeped swearing.

TV NBC Comedy 2011
The Paul Reiser Show Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

THE PAUL REISER SHOW takes an art-imitating-life approach to situation comedy, starring stand-up comedian/actor Paul Reiser (Mad About You) as a fictionalized version of himself. Married (here to actress Amy Landecker) with a house and children -- and hardly as famous as he used to be -- he's now looking for the next big thing with help from a random assortment of accidental friends (Ben Shenkman, Duane Martin, Andrew Daly, and Omid Djalili).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

It's painful when a sitcom isn't funny, particularly when the star is a likeable comic actor who charmed audiences in the past opposite Helen Hunt in the long-running and relatable relationship comedy Mad About You. But that's the unfortunate reality of The Paul Reiser Show, an unintentionally sober comeback that succeeds only in setting Reiser further back.

Whether it's due to the random casting of actors who have no apparent chemistry with their leading man or lead-balloon writing that often fails to inspire even a chortle, The Paul Reiser Show just isn't working. And, sadly, that same description might soon apply to Reiser himself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about shows starring real-life actors/comedians who essentially play themselves. How similar is Paul Reiser the character to the actual Paul Reiser? Thinking in terms of other series that successfully used the same concept (Seinfeld, Episodes, Curb Your Enthusiasm), how does this show compare?

  • Should a network series keep but bleep dirty words like "s--t" and "f--k" or just avoid using them in the first place? In the case of this show, does leaving the bleeped swearing in really add anything?

TV Details

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