Andy Barker, P.I.

This show is just plain goofy--the humor is not exactly based on what happens to most of us in real life. But the concept is original, the plots are entertaining, and the characters are pretty funny. I was hoping to be more impressed with Tony Hale, but his character seems to alternate between dull and bizarre in a way that doesn't quite gel with me. However, Andy and his wife are charming, and Lew probably gets big laughs from internet viewers everywhere.

The first two episodes seemed to suffer from the slow start many series have, but I thought the last four were significantly improved. (I especially enjoyed Three Days of the Chicken.) And the writers seemed to especially love running gags, which were a hilarious touch. In conclusion, all six episodes are worth watching if you have a couple hours.moreless

Never Judge a Show by it's Pilot: Andy Barker PI Andy Richter is one of the most underrated comedic actors working in television today. Since leaving his role as the sidekick on Late Night with Conan O'Brien he has starred in several situation comedies. Although none of these shows ever took off I never felt that it was the fault of Andy Richter. In his new show Andy Barker PI, Andy Richter re-teams with Conan O'Brien who serves as the shows co-creator and executive producer. The title character Andy Barker is a CPA who is mistaken by a Russian bombshell for retired private investigator Lew Staziak (Harve Presnell). Lew used to occupy Andy's storefront office. The beautiful Russian offers Andy four thousand dollars to find her husband. Since he was not getting and any new accounting clients, Andy takes on the lady's case with the help of his fellow strip mall neighbors Simon (Tony Hale) the video store clerk and Wally (Marshall Manesh) the overly patriotic Afghani restaurant owner. Although this is not the first time we see an accountant enamored with the life of a PI on TV (Remember Tenspeed and Brown Shoe?), the difference here is that Andy loves accounting. Andy Richter is at his best when he plays the mild mannered, good intentioned every man and this show is the best vehicle for Andy Richter since he left Conan's couch. Andy's TV character is also perfectly paired with Clea Lewis as his wife Jen.

In the past I have expressed that I like single camera sitcoms and am really pleased that NBC's Must See Thursday is raising the bar with their comedies instead of just playing it for laughs. Andy Barker PI has the elements that I like in a comedy; good writing, good acting and most importantly it is funny. My big concern for the show is that the show is at risk of being predictable where Andy uses his accounting skills to solve the case with the help of his misfit friends. Fortunately, I Never Judge a Show by it's Pilot and speaking of the pilot you can watch it at NBC.com - Andy Barker PI > Full Episodes and I don't have to wait till the next week because that episode, and four more are also online.

In the next episode Fairway, My Lovely the Archives Clerk, Nicole (Nicole Randall Johnson) from the pilot, hires herself as Andy's new assistant figuring that Andy owes her since he got her fired from her last job. The case involves the death of Andy's morbidly obese client Guy Halverson (Peter Allen Vogt) and Mrs. Halverson's insistence that her husband actually met with foul play. The episode was funny although I thought one running gag where all the women in the episode are enamored with the fat guy was a little over the top. Hopefully through the NBC web site the show can foster a solid fan base.

Andy is wholesome and does not use profanity so I will quote Andy Barker when things aren't going right, "Ah, cheese 'n crackers".

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroamoreless

Leave it to NBC not to give another good show a chance. They only allowed the show 4 episodes until they moved into a new time slot for the last 2. Don't they know that it takes time for an audience to build? More the four episodes!!! That's the problem with all the networks.. They move shows around so much that an audience doesn't really get time to "lock" into a show. Andy Richter PI was too good of a show, too smart for network tv I guess. Hopefully another network would pick it up.. USA maybe? Just hoping.moreless

I like all the characters in this show and this show has a superb storyboard. I hope they keep this show on the air for at least two years because I have a funny feeling that their going to cancel this great show sure enough. On a scale of 1 to 100 I rate this show 79.9%.

Barker PI was a very dif kind of sitcom about an acoutant turned PI with no real means to and his sidekick is a video store owner downstairs from his office this was a great show laugh out loud funny every bit as good as the office why do all the good shows get canceled that crap i love the knights of prosperity and thats gone and barker PI was a truly awsome show that was never given a chance due to that show that sucks called american idol and of course the ncaa basketball touney ruined it so what put it back on later on in the night or maybe tbs will pick it up doubt it thoughmoreless