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- 2014
- NBC
- 2014
- NBC
Summary Loosely based on creator D.J. Nash's life, adult Henry Fisher (voiceover by Jason Bateman) looks back on his life as a 11-year-old (Eli Baker) with his sister Katie (Ava Deluca-Verley) after the divorce between his father, Mel Fisher (J.K. Simmons), a blind lawyer and his mother Joyce (Jenna Elfman).
- 2014
- NBC
- 2014
- NBC
Growing Up Fisher
Season 1 Premiere: Feb 23, 2014
54
8.2
Where to Watch
Summary Loosely based on creator D.J. Nash's life, adult Henry Fisher (voiceover by Jason Bateman) looks back on his life as a 11-year-old (Eli Baker) with his sister Katie (Ava Deluca-Verley) after the divorce between his father, Mel Fisher (J.K. Simmons), a blind lawyer and his mother Joyce (Jenna Elfman).
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
54
31% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
54% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
15% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
54
31% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
54% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
15% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Both shows ["About a Boy" and "Growing Up Fisher"] are well written and actually quite engaging, but what is most interesting is the focus on the brighter side of splitting up. It’s a new genre of heartwarming family show.
The nutty parents in Growing Up Fisher do a good job of playing their extreme characters, instinctually making their eccentricities acceptable and funny rather than far-fetched and excessive. In contrast, the Growing Up Fisher children are so grounded and adult, but play that off with a world-weary-ness that is engaging.
Mel's eccentric independence is admirable and more often than not amusing--which isn't always the case for the show, which uses gentle but forced whimsy to deliver treacly life lessons from the perspective of preteen son Henry (Eli Baker).
Simmons does his usual solid work in this role, and he's got all the physical comedy in the playing blind (and faking sight) bits. Elfman makes another solid statement that she should be in something much better (this coming off her fine work in 1600 Penn; she hasn't lost any comedy chops). Together they're just undermined by, well, syrup.
The show seems a pale imitation of "The Goldbergs," the much funnier ABC show created by Adam F. Goldberg based on his own childhood.
The premise, in other words, lacks heft, which leaves not much more than admiring Simmons--a highly versatile actor — as he does what he can with gags about his character’s insistence on doing things like driving and cutting down trees.
One of the worst comedy pilots of the 2013-14 season relies entirely on two-dimensional character tropes.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 User Ratings
8.2
80% Positive
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
11% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 User Ratings
8.2
80% Positive
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
11% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company:
- Next Thing You Know Productions
- Aggregate Films
- Universal Television
Initial Release Date: Feb 23, 2014
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Genres:
