Andy Barker, P.I.
March 16, 2007 7:10 PM   Subscribe

Andy Barker, P.I. is a new comedy series starring Andy Richter, former Conan O'Brien sidekick and star of the brilliant but cancelled Andy Richter Controls the Universe. The series also features Tony Hale (Buster in Arrested Development), Harve Preshnell (from a lot of things, such as Fargo) and Clea Lewis (Audrey in Ellen). NBC is streaming all six episodes on its website. The last episode, featuring Amy Sedaris and Ed Asner, will not be shown on NBC, but is only available online. Pretty much everyone thinks it will be cancelled. The first episode, written by series co-creator Conan O'Brien, can be downloaded for free from iTunes. Finally, here's an interview with Richter and series co-creator Jonathan Groff and a New York Times article about the series.
posted by Kattullus (29 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I think this show will be cancelled too. I liked Andy Richter on Conan and I generally like Conan. I watched the pilot of this show...bleh.

But, speaking of internet tie ins to tv shows, this will be good.
posted by Dr. Lurker at 7:41 PM on March 16, 2007


I should mention that while I loved the pilot, my wife hated it.
posted by Kattullus at 7:48 PM on March 16, 2007


The pilot's cute, but Veronica Mars is funnier and the mysteries are better. I loves me some Andy Richter, though, and Jane Espenson's one of the writers!
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:49 PM on March 16, 2007


That Andy Richter Controls The Universe was the 2nd best comedy of this milennium, behind Arrested Development. Both on Fox, and both prematurely cancelled. But this show... I really wasn't amused at all by the 1st ep.
posted by jonson at 7:54 PM on March 16, 2007


Looks like if you're not viewing from the US, you don't get to watch. Fuck you, NBC.
posted by Salmonberry at 8:28 PM on March 16, 2007


Salmonberry :
I'm not in the US. I'm with you 100% re: NBC :)
posted by kaemaril at 8:36 PM on March 16, 2007


Anyone else, when watching the first 10 minutes, immediately think of Bob Hope in "My Favorite Brunette?"

When baby photographer Ronnie Jackson (Bob Hope) office-sits for traveling p.i. Sam McCloud, he finds his dreams of playing detective coming all too true all too soon when mysterious damsel-in-distress Carlotta Montay (Dorothy Lamour) sashays into his office. Soon our hero is up to his ski-nose in trouble

Except, of course, change "baby photographer" to "accountant."

Not that there's anything wrong with that - if Richter and Co. can come up with interesting plots and variations on the theme, best of luck to 'em.
posted by davidmsc at 8:45 PM on March 16, 2007


Andy Richter is not funny, his shows aren't funny and the predictions of imminent cancellation are not wrong.

Hey, anyone want a bite of my bitter sandwich?
posted by fenriq at 8:47 PM on March 16, 2007


Oh crap! It's not viewable outside the US? Shit, had I known that I wouldn't have posted it. I'd hazard a guess that it's got to do with licensing issues. They probably couldn't sell it to foreign TV stations if it had been accessible to their viewers for quite some time.
posted by Kattullus at 9:13 PM on March 16, 2007


I liked it. Thanks.
posted by blahblahblah at 9:50 PM on March 16, 2007


The pilot was made wonderful through the power of its multiple homages.
posted by aburd at 9:59 PM on March 16, 2007


Fuck you NBC. I saw a few episodes before I left the US on holiday and hoped to watch the rest while I waited out the heat today.

The shows I watched were alright, but I had a feeling watching them that it would be cancelled. The major networks have no idea what to do with this type of show since it doesn't appeal to the masses like the guesses numbers from briefcase showor the talent contests. It really is a shame shows like this don't have a place on HBO.
posted by birdherder at 10:23 PM on March 16, 2007


Yep, I liked Andy Richter Controls the Universe, and totally hated the pilot of Andy Barker, P.I.. For the sake of my marriage (to Kattullus), I will probably watch the rest of the series. Or at least the second one.

But yeah, the pilot is horrifically unfunny.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:27 PM on March 16, 2007


um. i felt it was a little hilarious. i loved the pilot.
posted by nadawi at 10:33 PM on March 16, 2007


Andy Richter took most of the funny with him when he left Conan O'Brien. That show has seemed a little limp ever since. Quite pleased to see him back on television, and I hope the series is renewed for many seasons.

But I can see why the spectre of cancellation may be hanging over it. In television, quality = doomed.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:37 PM on March 16, 2007


I just can't get excited about Andy Richter. I didn't think he was funny on Conan. I didn't think he was funny on the 'universe' show. I won't even tune in to the P.I. show.

"He's a certified public accountant! His friends ..aren't! They fight crime!"

Meh.
posted by ZachsMind at 11:18 PM on March 16, 2007


Wait, I thought all you haters didn't even own a T.V.
posted by thanotopsis at 12:35 AM on March 17, 2007


They probably couldn't sell it to foreign TV stations if it had been accessible to their viewers for quite some time.

The funny part is when they call it a "Hit American TV show". Here in England we are now getting the hit American TV shows "Kiddnapped" and "Smith".
posted by srboisvert at 3:07 AM on March 17, 2007


I just can't get excited about Andy Richter. I didn't think he was funny on Conan.
I have to say I'm in the same camp. Richter falls into that "If you're hip, you're supposed to like them" category of entertainer.
The guy is humorous at times. Just not very interesting or funny. Sort of like Conan.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:37 AM on March 17, 2007


Richter falls into that "If you're hip, you're supposed to like them" category of entertainer.

Like Sarah Vowell?

AAR, yeah, agreed about Andy. He seems an affable sort, and he's mildly funny in limited exposure fourth banana roles (like in Elf), but he just don't go it.

Amy Sedaris, OTOH, rocks my world.
posted by psmealey at 7:18 AM on March 17, 2007


I like Andy well enough from Conan and Conquers The World, but this new show had me squirming with sympathy cringe. And I don't mean in an awesome, Curb Your Enthusiasm kind of way.
posted by everichon at 8:44 AM on March 17, 2007


"Quickly, please, I'm cooking hamburger."
posted by jaronson at 10:16 AM on March 17, 2007


I thought the pilot was incredibly entertaining. I think it's a great show. It might not be slappy funny the entire show but I'm fine with its pace.
posted by tomplus2 at 11:44 AM on March 17, 2007


I hope it gets canceled. Conan and Andy need to reunite when Conan takes over the tonight show.

Conan is probably funny, but I've never appreciated him solo. His antics seem repetitive and cheesy. But Andy brought a true sense of improv to the show. Together they are better than the sum of their parts. When together, I really had a sense as the show was being made up on the spot.

I'm sure no matter what happens, Andy will be a frequent guest.
posted by _aa_ at 11:55 AM on March 17, 2007


Think positive: If it was a UK comedy, this would be the whole first series.
posted by smackfu at 7:16 PM on March 17, 2007


Good point, smackfu. That's how I think of Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Its 18 (19?) episodes do make a very pleasing whole.
posted by Kattullus at 8:05 PM on March 17, 2007


I like Conan. When I get to catch his show, I don't notice Andy's absence much. In fact I've enjoyed it more after Andy left. Not cuz Andy left. It's just ..funnier without him there.

I adore Sarah Vowell. She can do no wrong in my eyes. If she wants to talk to me for an hour about dead presidents, I'm there with a big dumb smile on my face.

Amy Sedaris gives me the willies. I've chosen not to see shows before solely because I learned she was gonna be on it. The few times I haven't avoided her, I've regretted it.
posted by ZachsMind at 8:10 PM on March 17, 2007


I watched the first six shortly after they were first posted. I laughed enough that I'll probably watch more, given time/opportunity. The pilot's the least funny of them.

Tony Hale steals the show (cue wistful Arrested Development fan sigh).
posted by sparkletone at 12:01 AM on March 18, 2007


It's a clever idea to put the whole show up online. The only people who would actually bother to watch it are the same people they want to talk it up.

Similar to how NBC put a lot of pilots out in the wild last Fall, which got some real good buzz for the Black Donnelys. (Though it was wasted by delaying the show until midseason.)
posted by smackfu at 5:24 PM on March 18, 2007


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