THE NEIGHBORS: Wednesday 9:30PM on ABC
WHAT IT’S SAYING: You know how Tessa on Suburgatory thinks her neighbors are all, like, weird? These neighbors are weird.
WHAT IT’S REALLY SAYING: The flipped-over version of Third Rock From the Sun: here our heroes are the only earthlings around, and everyone else is a secret alien from outer space. Skyscraper-high concept. The network loves it enough to give it the post-Modern Family slot (let’s try to forget the shows that used to follow Friends on NBC). This is going to be super-broad (they cry green slime from their ears–the aliens, I mean), and for it to work, there needs to be some heart and depth under the wacky jokes. Luckily, Dan Fogelman is the guy who wrote Crazy Stupid Love, which did exactly that, so don’t count it out.
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About the Author
Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."
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