(Image: http://abc.go.com/shows/alex-inc)
The new comedy starring Zach Braff about a father and husband who decides to quit his job to start a podcast business. The comedy is based on “StartUp” from Gimlet Media, which is a successful documentary podcast about entrepreneurial life. Braff is not a stranger to comedy TV of course with his role on the successful show “Scrubs”. I loved this show when it started, the humor, witty and kind of awkwardness of the entire ensemble cast, but the appeal did fade over time. Last night, episode three aired of the new comedy and so far, the show has a mix of humor, family situations and heart.
I was unsure about watching this show and honestly just tuned in for Braff. I must say it is refreshing to see him back in a leading role on the small screen. I enjoy both his dramatic and humor side. He has a likable personality that seems to come through in all the characters that he portrays. His ensemble cast around him is strong as well. Tiya Sircar plays Rooni, the wife and mother who is trying to balance not only her family and career but now dealing with supporting her husband’s decision. Sircar is a prefect compliment to Braff and all the quirky moments between her and her family plays perfectly with the overall feel of the show.
Audyssie James plays Soraya and Elisha Henig plays Ben the two children. Each has their own personal touch to these roles. In the second episode, as daddy Alex worked late and could not do what he had been doing like reading her bedtime stories and such, Soraya left a note telling him how he missed his chance to read to her. As the show went on, this created a wholesome family moment between the two as Alex worked on being the father who was able to be home for his kids while balancing a new job. James has a youthful tenderness perfect for the character. In this week’s episode, Henig gets to show off some musical talent with a few strums for the guitar. He is a witty boy with good dynamics with Braff.
His work life is filled with fun and adventure as well. Michael Imperioli plays Eddie, Alex’s cousin, who offers many of the craziest office moments. Like the cleaning the refrigerator moment in the episode last night as Braff struggles to eat a moldy old sandwich. It was both humor and cringe worthy. Hillary Anne Matthews plays Deirdre a producer who left with Alex from their old job to move with him to the new company. Matthews is both funny and charming. She is this idealist, charming go-getter that is a good balance to Eddie and his over the top, pushy style.
The show feels both modern and nostalgic. I grew up in the 90s with TGIF every Friday night which had shows like “Boy Meets World”, “Step by Step” and “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper”. Comedies in the 90s were about family and seemed to fit with the times. Of course as the millennium came and shows have become faster, flashier and modern, these types of shows have all but vanished. There are modern family comedies like “Modern Family”, but they don’t have the same feel as these shows did before. Just from the first three episodes, I would say that “Alex, Inc.” has that throwback yet still modern feel to it. It is both modern in tone and wittiness, yet it still has that moralistic, family values feel that seems to be lost on the modern small screen. I look forward to seeing just where this show and this family goes.
The Happy Reviewer 