Channel Surfing: Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Pilot"

Left to right: Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher

Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.

With the new TV season officially under way, it is tough to pick the battles, especially with programming trickling out. It will get hard to keep up with everything, but one that will hopefully be the biggest success of the new comedies is the Andy Samberg vehicle Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The choice to make comedies around police officers is nothing new, even though they have evolved highly since the days of bumbling buffoons. While Police Squad! remains the pinnacle show of absurd humor to beat, programs have done their share of trying. While Bored to Death is possibly the closest to match the brilliance, that show is disqualified because it is about an unlicensed detective/novel writer. It was also more into playing with film noir tropes than actual procedurals.

Then there is Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which debuted alongside the controversial new series from Seth MacFarlane called Dads. While many would have presumed that a show from Fox's golden cow would have been the more successful of the two, reviews have come in and this cop comedy is so far the show to beat. Even in terms of new police shows, comedy or not, it trumps the prestige-trying Low Winter Sun for both legitimate conflicts and depiction of corrupt characters. That isn't to say that Fox's new show is dark. It just has a better sense of self. 

It is also quite a gamble, as Fox's Tuesday Night Line-Up hasn't had the best luck. With exception to the Mindy Project, no new show from last fall has made it. Also, with this being Samberg's first big post-Saturday Night Live gig, there is speculation on if he can translate to a world outside of sketch comedy and movies. He has starred in bombs like That's My Boy and Grown Ups 2, and any love he got for the Lonely Island was quickly diminishing. A lot was riding on this show to succeed, mostly because it would make or break Samberg as a comedic performer.

To say the least, it is for the most parts a successful debut. The formula is all in place and the premise feels at times like Police Academy with less blatant archetypes. There's plenty of buffoonery and bad things going down, but what makes the show work is that even if these people are technically bumbling, they also are competent enough to do their jobs. In fact, Samberg's Jake and Melissa Fumero's Amy start off the episode with a competition for who could get more arrests. As their captain (Dirk Blocker) points out, it has improved their success rate.

In many ways, this is just a police procedural with absurd moments peppered throughout. It takes the familiar notes of the genre and plays with it by putting in awkward opponents and scenarios. In the debut episode alone, someone gets accused of hitting on a very old man, a woman says to find a better movie than Citizen Kane for a first date movie, and someone gets smeared in deli food. It is more impressive that this universe knows itself well enough to provide everyone with their own small character moment that even during the less successful parts, there is a strong sense of potential.

The cast is also exceptional. Lead by Samberg with his goofy doofus charm, it features probably the strongest cast of a new show so far. With a commanding presence by Andre Braugher as Capt. Holt, the episode plays as a clash of the new guard who comes with new rules. The relationships themselves work like mysteries and even if the show needs to work out how to handle villains and crimes better, these characters are just so likable. They may do occasionally stupid things, but nothing obnoxious to the point it stretches imagination too much. There's even a reveal of a character's sexuality that works impressively well, as it doesn't draw attention to itself or comes off as a stereotype. This show is pretty progressive in this sense.

Another touch to what seems like a phase in every Fox comedy show, live action or cartoon, is the cutaway gags. This routine may have worn out its welcome and plays like novelty, but for an introductory episode, it works magnificently. As Lt. Holt is being introduced to all of the players, there are flashbacks to key moments in each of their careers that serve not only as a great isolated gag, but also to develop character. I worry that it will eventually just be a cheap way to fill time, but for now, this show has probably the best chances of using cutaway gags the most effectively.

My only concern is that the first episode's success will be outdone by its proceeding episodes. While I am the opposition, I don't think that New Girl got better as it went along and the Mindy Project was passable the whole time. These shows have gimmicks that work for awhile, but I don't think they have ones that sustain multiple seasons. While there are exceptions like Bob's Burgers, there's an issue with longevity. The one benefit is that with a cast so intriguingly mixed and full of potential, that there will be ways to milk stories for at least a whole season. I pray that it is great enough for a second.

Left to right: Samberg, Joe Lo Truglio, and Stephanie Beatriz

The only issue there would be its competition. With many predicting Dads to fail due to its unprecedented controversy and lack of positive feedback, it already faces the dilemma of a poor lead-in. Even if New Girl remains the juggernaut that Fox wants it to be, there's little expectation that Brooklyn Nine-Nine would benefit from leading into it. Even if it remains as deliciously funny and inspired, its other big issue is the most anticipated new show of the fall: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Maybe it is from my growing disinterest in superheroes, but this cash cow project to milk off of a billion dollar franchise is going to be a nuisance. There's already expectations for it to succeed beyond people's expectations and a good chance that with it airing in the same time slot, it will sink the show. This is even more problematic when you consider that Fox is notorious with airing shows inconsistently, as New Girl was shifted around to allow for baseball coverage and American Idol to have special time slots.

It still is early, but I would put Brooklyn Nine-Nine on the top of my favorite new shows list. It is funny and with a very solid cast, I think that it brings something fresh to the procedural satire category. Samberg even manages to work his charm without being too over the top about it. With characters feeling more real than caricatures, I feel like there is a chance for this show to grow into something great, or at very least provide a solid first season. I think its biggest issues lie with everything around it and the fact that it may lose ratings to a Marvel property. Here's hoping it can make it out alive.