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DevilAlumna
03-27-2007, 12:46 AM
Did anyone else check out the new FX show, The Riches?

I'm a HUGE Eddie Izzard fan, have seen him in person, own his DVDs, etc., so I was shocked to see he was doing a TV show, playing a straight American no less. I just had to tune in.

After the first two episodes, my overall impression was mixed -- I need to see a few more episodes to decide if I want to keep it in the DVR lineup. The previews made it come across as much more of a ha-ha comedy than the well-written drama it turned out to be. The second episode was better than the pilot, but sets up some somewhat, erm, difficult plot scenarios that can either be pulled off with great writing, or be total bombs. (How hard would it be to find a lawyer's picture on the internet, for petes sake?)

I think so far, the characters are compelling and could hold some good story lines, particulary the three children - angry teen son (reminds me of the teen son in Weeds), middle daughter angry at her mom, yet following in her mom's conning footsteps, and youngest son, Sam, who likes to dress as a girl (Izzard says this character has roots in his own childhood.) Minnie Driver looks anorexic as a drug-addicted ex-con; her believability in this role will probably ultimately be what keeps me tuned in or not.

Jfrosh
03-27-2007, 12:58 PM
The previews made it come across as much more of a ha-ha comedy than the well-written drama it turned out to be.

Definitely not the comedy it was billed to be, but well worth watching. The first half of the pilot was very dark, to the point of being uncomfortable. It has lightened up to the point where there were a lot of comedic parts to the 3rd episode. I love Eddie Izzard, but Minnie Driver really makes this show. It takes real acting chops (and good writing) to make a drug addicted con artist so likeable.

mpj96
03-27-2007, 07:16 PM
Count me in among those who like it so far. Great acting by Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard and the kids are good too. It straddles a very interesting line between comedy and drama and somehow as I'm watching it I get the feeling that the characters, though charming, are doomed by their fatal flaws to make this a very dark comedy indeed.