# Life in Pieces



## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

Not sure. The casting seems strange.
Something about Colin Hanks that bugs me -can not put my finger on it.
And is it just me or does the other brother resemble Steve Buscemi?
I did laugh out loud, more than once.
But it is relationships that drive successful sitcoms, not situations. Too bad network execs fail to get that.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Uneven but ambitious. Pilots of comedies are often rough. I want to see where it goes.


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## dthmj (Mar 12, 2002)

I'll give it a few more episodes.


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

I stopped watching and deleted it about halfway through. Seemed like it was trying way too hard to be "edgy and cool" by simply being graphic.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

The concept is a total ripoff of Modern Family. Especially the sentimental voice over at the end while trying to tie all the diverse stories together into one.

But I like most of the cast so I'll watch a few more and see if it can start to create a path for itself.


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## Michael S (Jan 12, 2004)

DevdogAZ said:


> The concept is a total ripoff of Modern Family. Especially the sentimental voice over at the end while trying to tie all the diverse stories together into one.
> 
> But I like most of the cast so I'll watch a few more and see if it can start to create a path for itself.


That what I kept thinking. When they introduced the family in the second story I thought the dad was trying to act like Phil Dunphy. I was almost expecting a gay couple to show up.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Didn't set a OP for it. Still trying out lots of shows even though I record too much already.. But this got the ax early.

The very first segment was fairly funny.. Pregnant in the hospital wasn't.. funeral wasn't.. Had to look up who played "Colleen", and the only thing I know her from (yeah I guess I've seen her in other things), is the hot chick in "Enlisted".


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## getreal (Sep 29, 2003)

It didn't work for me. 

I hate when little children speak like adults while still supposedly innocent. e.g., The family checks into the hotel room and the little girl (6 or 8 yrs. old?) learning that Santa & the Easter Bunny & the Tooth Fairy aren't real, then asking about God, and responding with an exasperated "Up is down and down is up for me right now ..." :down:


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

A number of laughs and all with no laugh track assist so I'm looking forward to the next one. And I really like the actress who is Hanks' wife so that's an asset too.


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

I enjoyed it.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

i liked it, and since i generally despise sitcoms, i'm in for at least a few more weeks.


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

Liked it enough to keep watching for now.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I thought it was a cross between Modern Family and Parenthood, and thought it was a decent first episode. I'm in at least for now, but it was kind of hit and miss. I thought the funeral thing was totally unfunny, but the rest was pretty decent.


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## Ruth (Jul 31, 2001)

It's definitely a Modern Family imitator, but Modern Family is a great, well-done show, so that's not necessarily bad. I don't yet understand how all the characters fit together, but I thought parts of it were funny, so I'm going to stick with it for a while.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Ruth said:


> It's definitely a Modern Family imitator, but Modern Family is a great, well-done show, so that's not necessarily bad. I don't yet understand how all the characters fit together, but I thought parts of it were funny, so I'm going to stick with it for a while.


The characters are all part of the same family.

John and Joan Short (played by James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) are the father and mother. They have three kids:

Heather Short Morgan (Betsy Brandt) is married to Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) and they have three kids, the oldest of which is applying for colleges. The middle daughter just had her first period and the youngest just found out Santa Claus isn't real.

Greg Short (Colin Hanks) is married to Jen (Zoe Lister-Jones) and they just had their first baby.

Matt Short (Thomas Sadoski) is dating Colleen (Angelique Cabral). Matt apparently still lives with his parents, or has moved back in with them for some reason.


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## dthmj (Mar 12, 2002)

Watched the second episode last night and thought it was much better.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Agree. It's starting to jell. Interesting how the group segment was first this time, not last. 

Sitcoms are the hardest pilots to pull off. But after two episodes, I like the feel of this one. Curious to see how the ratings are after the 2nd eps.


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## Ruth (Jul 31, 2001)

Huh. I thought the second ep was a step down from the pilot. I thought the group therapy session was dumb, and the lactation consultant segment was so profoundly stupid that I had to fast forward through it.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Hmmm. Me too. I thought the second episode was SP deletion worthy.
I'm going to hang on for a few more episodes but so far? Not feeling it.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Somewhat entertaining. We're keeping it for now.


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

I'm not feeling it and am probably out after one more episode if I'm not already. There are too many other new sitcoms that are more entertaining - Muppets, Grinder, Grandfathered, even the poorly reviewed Dr. Ken.


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## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

When starting to watch last night's Scorpion I caught the last minute of this.

I'll have to start recording it because this guy was in my class in high school:


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Dan Bakkedahl had lots of hair. I guess he used up his quota.


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## markz (Oct 22, 2002)

This weeks episode (episode 3 I think) had me laughing out loud a few times. I am enjoying this show!


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## Frylock (Feb 13, 2002)

The first episode was definitely weak. Second was much better, but now it's really quite good. It definitely reminds me of Modern Family, but as I like that show, I like this one as well. I recommend anyone give it another chance.


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## GDG76 (Oct 2, 2000)

I thought this latest episode was very good after a bad start.

Though I don't like the way the matriarch character is written at all and I echo someone's previous statement that Colin Hanks just seems odd/off in general.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Picked up for a full season. :up:


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

astrohip said:


> Picked up for a full season. :up:


And stated *Life In Pieces is the Seasons #1 New Comedy* in the press release.

phox


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

BS. They could put static snow on after TBBT and it could be called the #1 new comedy. The 50% retention rate is not great. CBS has cancelled sitcoms with higher retention rates than that after TBBT. There are other factors at play in the full season pick up this time, like their next best alternatives and the expectation that Jane Lynch's show could bomb.


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## Howie (May 3, 2004)

I like it. Made me laugh a few times.


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## Donbadabon (Mar 5, 2002)

I like it too. It consistently gets a laugh out of me. Last week, with the date, had me laughing really hard for the whole first scene.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

I sure hope the teenage son's girlfriend is a recurring character rather than being just a one-time gimmick.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

series5orpremier said:


> There are other factors at play in the full season pick up this time, like their next best alternatives and the expectation that Jane Lynch's show could bomb.


CBS already pushed back the premiere of Angel from Hell back a week, and has pretty much stopped promoting it.

phox


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## connie_w (Jan 10, 2015)

I like this show. Happy to hear it got picked up for a full season.


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

phox_mulder said:


> CBS already pushed back the premiere of Angel from Hell back a week, and has pretty much stopped promoting it.
> 
> phox


Correction.

Angel From Hell now pushed back to midseason February premiere.

phox


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

I thought tonight's episode was a step back. Two of the stories were funny (new baby sex & daughter's BD), but the hair stylist and the ex-fiance were just... stupid. Why did they have to say anything to the hair lady? Just don't come back. Much angst about nothing. And the entire sequence with the ex-fiance was beyond stupid. I found almost nothing funny about it. He's just irritating.

Oh well, can't bat 1.000 every week.

YMMV.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

The new baby sex made up for the bad parts LOL. That was funny.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

sushikitten said:


> The new baby sex made up for the bad parts LOL. That was funny.


That was seriously funny. When they used hand sanitizer instead of...

Colin Hanks is perfectly cast for that role.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Yep, that was my favorite part too. I'm also getting a kick of the family bit with the dad (being sort of like Phil from MF). The dynamic with the brother dating the girl who's ex keeps hanging around is stupid. Feels like just an excuse to keep Peele (or is it Kay?) around for star power early in the series.


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## TIVO_GUY_HERE (Jul 10, 2000)

astrohip said:


> Picked up for a full season. :up:


Oh good...

I watched 4 episodes last night, after watching the pilot, and not being too impressed. But man I LOL a lot, and I don't usually LOL when I say I LOL'd lol...

Will keep a few more to watch in a group, with commercial skip, I can zip through these pretty fast.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

"I think I'm crowning"

Line of the week.


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## StacieH (Jan 2, 2009)

I like it. My favorite is the youngest daughter.

It's the only show I watch now that I watch immediately. I am just not interested in much that's airing these days. In fact, I'm mostly watching "Gilmore Girls" on Netflix.

It's actually been this way for me for the past 2 seasons.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Just got caught up this week. While every show isn't a winner, there are still great moments. The Cheeto ep had both of us cackling.


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

This show keeps getting better, and I think I might know why.

Toward the beginning of the season, it seemed like they were trying too hard to intertwine the "short stories" in to a complex, parallel timeline. Think Pulp Fiction. 

Now, the stories are more loosely related and don't always take place in parallel to the other stories. Or, if they do, it is not hard to see where everything intersects. 

Has anyone else though this?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Yes, the pilot was trying way too hard to be a clone of the Modern Family pilot, where a bunch of random people were introduced and then in the last segment of the episode, we find out that all the random people are connected. 

Now that we know who all the characters are and there's no attempt to have some kind of surprise tie-in in the final segment, I've found them much more enjoyable.


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes, the pilot was trying way too hard to be a clone of the Modern Family pilot, where a bunch of random people were introduced and then in the last segment of the episode, we find out that all the random people are connected.
> 
> Now that we know who all the characters are and there's no attempt to have some kind of surprise tie-in in the final segment, I've found them much more enjoyable.


Agreed.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I also think that now that we know all the foibles of each character, it's easier to write for them without having to explain things.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I'm still watching. There is something about Colin Hanks that I will usually watch whatever he's in. Like the cast over all except I wish they didn't make Dianne Wiest look so bad. Not trying to be rude, but - fix that hair, girl!

I find it funny and entertaining enough to keep watching, anyway.


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

I'm not a big Colin Hanks fan but I do like his wife, Zoe Lister-Jones. Someone on IMDB referred to her as "Olivia Newton John on glue." Hah.


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## Robin (Dec 6, 2001)

I skipped the last page of the thread because I'm not caught up. 

We started watching this recently. I was on the fence the first couple of episodes but now this gets real laughs out of us every episode. 

I hate the teaser scene after the second and third acts, though. I'm coming back! I promise! No spoilers necessary! 

I loved them picking the single brother as Lark's godparent. And his crying through the makeup.


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

Robin said:


> I hate the teaser scene after the second and third acts, though. I'm coming back! I promise! No spoilers necessary!


Same here. It is very unnecessary.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Agreed. That's my cue to fast forward.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

This show to me has gotten better and better, which makes sense once we know the foibles of the main characters. I think in some respects it's better than quite a bit of Modern Family, the show it's obviously trying to emulate. MF has gotten stale. This is much fresher.


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

Still too much of an over the top affectation for me. I cancelled the SP (again) a few weeks ago.


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## TIVO_GUY_HERE (Jul 10, 2000)

I had 4 of episodes on my Bolt. Watched them this weekend.

Best 2 hours of the whole weekend.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I find a lot of the situations the family encounters are the type that REALLY could happen and have happened to a lot of us. I think MF really is too "upper class". I lot of what happens can only happen to upscale families (i.e. family trips to Hawaii). I think LIP is much more grounded. Both are still funny.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

What I prefer about LiP over MF is that MF is pretty much a planned smorgasbord of characters. The Latina, the gay couple, the old fart, etc. I always felt the show was forced because of that. LiP feels real.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> What I prefer about LiP over MF is that MF is pretty much a planned smorgasbord of characters. The Latina, the gay couple, the old fart, etc. I always felt the show was forced because of that. LiP feels real.


This exactly. MF in many respects has taken the traditional sitcom route in that they take ONE aspect of a character and beat us to death with it. The gay couple ALWAYS has plots about them being gay, the older daughter is almost always portrayed as promiscuous. Phil as a "means well" bumbling dufus.

Now it could be that Life in Pieces is too new and we haven't sorted out the characters well enough yet, so I find it fresh. Hopefully they won't resort to doing what a lot of the sitcoms do.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I swear, I love this show more every week.

I just watched the current episode (dyed hair, recital, rainbow school, and crazy mother) and I truly feel like it's a great ensemble.


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## connie_w (Jan 10, 2015)

sharkster said:


> I swear, I love this show more every week.
> 
> I just watched the current episode (dyed hair, recital, rainbow school, and crazy mother) and I truly feel like it's a great ensemble.


I agree. I liked it from the beginning and it just gets better as time goes by. I got such a kick out of rainbow school.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

connie_w said:


> I agree. I liked it from the beginning and it just gets better as time goes by. I got such a kick out of rainbow school.


Invisible Rainbow School.

Loved the logo.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Anyone else want to know what the text said?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

sushikitten said:


> Anyone else want to know what the text said?


Of course!


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

sushikitten said:


> Anyone else want to know what the text said?


I believe it was:

"She dumped you???"


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Another hilarious episode! OMG, the rat with the Playboy! Well done.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

CBS renewed Life in Pieces today. There was never any doubt, but for some reason, CBS had held off on announcing the renewals (or non-renewals) of any of their freshman shows until now.

The rest of the newbies should get the :up::down: within the next couple days.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Great news. Although I hope that doesn't mean less of Congressman Furlong on Veep.


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

astrohip said:


> CBS renewed Life in Pieces today. There was never any doubt, but for some reason, CBS had held off on announcing the renewals (or non-renewals) of any of their freshman shows until now.
> 
> The rest of the newbies should get the :up::down: within the next couple days.


This is great news. The show got much better as it went on.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Good news. This show is what Modern Family used to be before the characters became way too stereotypical.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> Good news. This show is what Modern Family used to be before the characters became way too stereotypical.


You mean the pilot?


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm late to the party. Just discovered this show. It just might be one of my new favorites. Trying to binge-watch and almost done with season 1. Just finished the rainbow school ep.



Spoiler: Funniest part



marrying a woman to jump ahead on the waiting list for a school is hilarious...then the throwaway line after that was absolutely perfect!


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

We still love it. We're usually laughing out loud.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I've been watching it from the beginning. I like it much better than it's obvious comparison, Modern Family, which like most long running sitcoms have characters that have become one trick ponies. So far, Life in Pieces is still sussing out a lot of the characters and thus they have stayed more complex. I like the dynamic between all the spouses and how they fit into the main family dynamic.


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## StacieH (Jan 2, 2009)

I have loved LIP since last season. It's one of only 3 must-see shows for me (LIP, Madam Secretary, and This is Us). I love the youngest child. She cracks me up every time.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

StacieH said:


> I have loved LIP since last season. It's one of only 3 must-see shows for me (LIP, Madam Secretary, and This is Us). I love the youngest child. She cracks me up every time.


I watch LIP and Madame Secretary and I agree. I like how the red haired teenager wound up with a "hot" wife and all the guys are having a hard time with that.

This is Us, for me anyway, has no appeal to me. Seems, from the commercials anyway, to be a bit too melodramatic.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I continue to really love this show.

Is it wrong - I just want to get Dianne Wiest a hairdresser. She's a lovely woman and that's just the worst hair ever. Maybe part of it is how short it is but I think it could be styled much better. I couldn't do short hair at all. Some folks can. 
Ok, sorry for that bit of superficial ragging.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

sharkster said:


> I continue to really love this show.
> 
> Is it wrong - I just want to get Dianne Wiest a hairdresser. She's a lovely woman and that's just the worst hair ever. Maybe part of it is how short it is but I think it could be styled much better. I couldn't do short hair at all. Some folks can.
> Ok, sorry for that bit of superficial ragging.


Is this a BBT thread? I think her hair being a mess is supposed to represent the messiness of her mind.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Ha! Sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to go all BBT on this thread. But it's just so glaring to me that I keep wanting to fix her hair. 

I need to take a broader look. You're probably right about the correlation of her hair and her mind.  I don't usually go all b!tchy on women's looks and such.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

There are very few shows that make me smile as soon as I see their name in the list of shows on my DVR. LIP is absolutely one of those. I know it's not the same kind of show at all, but It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is another. Veep also comes to mind. I am loving this show. I think I'll be done with season 1 today (which makes me happy and sad at the same time).


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Anubys said:


> There are very few shows that make me smile as soon as I see their name in the list of shows on my DVR. LIP is absolutely one of those. I know it's not the same kind of show at all, but It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is another. Veep also comes to mind. I am loving this show. I think I'll be done with season 1 today (which makes me happy and sad at the same time).


I'd add Brooklyn 99 to this list as well (I have to go back and watch Sunny, never did, but it always looked like the kind of show i might like


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

Steveknj said:


> I'd add Brooklyn 99 to this list as well (I have to go back and watch Sunny, never did, but it always looked like the kind of show i might like


ooh...yeah, totally agree...Goldbergs too!

too funny...

Gregory...Greg for short...I'm my wife's husband...

-You look good. Changed your hair?
-nope
-lost weight?
-no
-Did something with your eyebrows?
-sure


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## Malcontent (Sep 5, 2004)

Bump.....

FYI,

*Season 4* starts tomorrow.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

If that weren't enough, we get TWO episodes to start off the new season.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

sharkster said:


> If that weren't enough, we get TWO episodes to start off the new season.


Burn off already?


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

TonyD79 said:


> Burn off already?


I did get a scary feeling when I first saw that, but decided to get over it and hope for the best. No 'Young Sheldon', in lieu of LiP, so maybe we are just getting a bonus  (fingers crossed)


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## mrizzo80 (Apr 17, 2012)

This may be the last season, at least on CBS. S4 took forever to be picked up if I remember correctly, it's starting extremely late in the broadcast season, there's a double-episode to kick off the season, and most of the episodes won't even air before the Upfronts in mid-May.

Let's hope it moves from CBS to ABC for season five. 20th Century Fox is the production studio.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

I love this show so much.


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## ThePhoenix (Feb 13, 2008)

Me too! This is the one show that makes my wife laugh out loud.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

That was worth a hard 60.


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## JETarpon (Jan 1, 2003)

5 stars on Yelp. And one of them was partly filled in!


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

Took me a couple seconds to realize that one was partly filled-in while the others were not filled-in at all


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Life in Pieces Cancelled After 4 Seasons
_TVLine has learned that CBS has cancelled the family sitcom after four seasons. Life in Pieces this Thursday night aired its fourth episode out of Season 4's total count of 13._


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## dthmj (Mar 12, 2002)

Ugh.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

That sucks. It's the funniest show on TV.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

That is messed up big time.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Yeah, one of my favorite sitcoms. I know it didn't always get the numbers CBS wanted, but they didn't help it with the odd season timings.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Still 9 episodes left this season.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Well, there goes the ONLY series I've faithfully watched on CBS over the last few years.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

dthmj said:


> Ugh.


This.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Instead of cancelling it, they should move it over to CBS All Access.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Another series I liked come and gone. The "silver lining" for me is that I'll wind up spending more time watching Netflix or no TV at all.


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