The faces of President Obama and Gov. Romney bombarded television screens across the nation through the grueling and ad-filled campaign months. Today, the presidential life makes its return to television, but this time, the fate of the nation won’t depend on it.
NBC’s new show, “1600 Penn,” brings family situational comedy to a new setting: the White House. This show attempts to combine the problems of every traditional family, such as sibling rivalries and parenthood, with the absurdities of life in the Oval Office. Based on the pilot, which was released mid-season on Dec. 17, it will likely get left behind by “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family” and other established comedies from rival networks. “1600 Penn” will continue with its season premiere today at 6:30 p.m.
“1600 Penn” features the everyday life of the First Family, which is shown to be every bit as lovably dysfunctional as an everyday American family. The Gilchrists struggle to manage their own issues, such as sibling rivalries, step-parenting and managing kids who can literally burn the house down (which is close to what happens in the pilot “Putting Out Fires”), while maintaining smiles and composure for the political spotlight always shining on their home. How convincingly these characters deal with the chaos, however, depends solely on their respective actors because of the thin plot and weak script.
Bill Pullman helped save the world from disaster as the commander-in-chief in “Independence Day.” As President Whitmore, he was charismatic, energetic and presidential. As President Gilchrist, he’s stiff, tired and perpetually emotionless. Whether he’s comforting his daughter or leaping out of the way of a flaming chair flying out of his window, Pullman maintains the same blank expression and aloofness that makes the divide between Pullman the actor and Gilchrist the president painfully apparent.
The president’s dullness is offset by the energetic, peppy first lady Emily Gilchrist, the ambitious stepmom trying her best to win over the family. Played by Jenna Elfman, the first lady and her tireless energy comes off more as annoying and overdone than funny.
There are some rare gems in the show, but the credit goes to the actors and not the writing. The accident-prone son Skip, played by Josh Gad, steals the few laughs the show has to offer. It’s not what Skip does, it’s how he does it: how he reaches for his snack with his hand stuck in the candy jar, how he runs for hugs but has to settle for handshakes and how passionately he rallies fellow “losers” against their oppressors that makes Skip a lovable, genuine goofball. Gad’s immersion in his role makes the jokes a little less awkward and a little more lively.
While Skip brings comedy, his model child sister Becca, played by Martha Maclsaac, brings drama. Codename Miss Perfect happens to have a little secret: her pregnancy. Her tense relationship with the first lady brings flavor and comedy that may become central to the show as it progresses. Xander and Marigold, the squabbling young’uns of the family played by Benjamin Stockham and Amara Miller, also bring some fresh personality in their brief appearances.
The creative force behind “1600 Penn” consists of presidential speechwriter Jon Lovett, Jason Winer (director of “Modern Family”), and Gad, who’s no stranger to political satire or family sitcoms (“The Daily Show,” “Modern Family,” “Book of Mormon”). Despite drawing from this experience, the show makes for an unconvincing political scene, and a less-than-humorous family.
The political side of the show fails, as the Gilchrist family seems out of place in the White House. The president throws out vague terms like “trade deal” and “insurance policy” with no specifics or explanation, the White House correspondent handles the press as a child would an angry parent, and the Latin American politicians bear no resemblance to politicians or Latin America.
The “political jokes” extend from Brazilian President Enrique Hernando Feliz Navidad De Soto mocking America’s private sector, to the president wanting to shove a racquet down President De Soto’s “Panama Canal.” They span from juvenile to offensive.
The family comedy side of the show doesn’t fare much better. Instead of offering a fresh look into the lives of a first family, “1600 Penn” instead forces the Gilchrist family into the White House setting where they seem out of place. Instead of serving as the backdrop to the show, the White House setting seems to only exist to make the show different. The setting may be different, but the humor is the same. The character types (the detached father, the clumsy son, the intelligent daughter), the plot (screw-up son saves the day) and the cliche jokes have all been seen before in countless family comedies.
So where does this leave “1600 Penn?” Lacking the wit of political satires such as “The Daily Show” and the colorful characters from successful sitcoms, this show is fated to be ordinary if it stays on the same path as its pilot.
There is potential, however, for “1600 Penn” to turn into an original success if it capitalizes on the political know-how of its creators and the camera presence of Gad, who does provide a few chuckles. The fate of NBC’s standing as a leading comedy network, with classics such as “Friends” and “Seinfeld,” depends on it.
– Aalhad Patankar
Email Patankar at apatankar@media.ucla.edu