Guy Up!

Credits: Shot in La by Bicycle Path Prods. and Tagline Television in colaboration with ABC Galleries. Executive producers, Christopher Moynihan, Victor Fresco, Ron West, Kelly Kulchak producer, Marc Solakian director, Janet McCarthy Burns author, Moynihan.With: Mather Zickel, Serta Fogler, Christopher Moynihan, Teri Polo, Amanda Detmer, Henry Simmons, Mike Manley, Charlotte now Labadie.Remember "Traffic Light," that was on Fox, like, last season? It had been only the newest kinda-funny casualty within the male-stress genre, by which suburban trios of men expose their inner Peter Pans, mostly by playing videogames and whining. For the reason that regard think about ABC's "Guy Up!" -- combined with "Last Guy Standing" inside a thematically compatible otherwise particularly appealing block -- as "The Hangover: Part TV," going through the tired question of whether modern occasions have created an over-developed generation of girly males. Alas, it'll take a lot more than sociology to function up this stale sitcom. Producer-author Christopher Moynihan also co-stars as Craig, an associate from the central group, who avoid their daily responsibilities by playing an initial-person shooter game because they talk with one another putting on earphones. The anchor is clearly Will (Mather Zickel), whose brother-in-law Kenny (Serta Fogler) is divorced and chafing in the fact his ex (Amanda Detmer) is dating the guy of anybody's dreams ("NYPD Blue's" Henry Simmons). Of course, Fogler plays a tightly wound ball of rage, potentially dragging Will into his madcap capers. On the other hand, Will stays lots of his time curious about whether he is able to measure towards the manliness of his father's generation. As a result, Kenny's antics -- or perhaps in the premiere's situation, Craig potentially triggering an ass-kicking by pissed-off groomsman after crashes his ex-girlfriend's wedding -- only has an chance to check what he's truly made from. Finally, there's Will's beautiful/patient/much-wiser-than-he-is wife Theresa (Teri Polo), who may (at the chance of over-thinking things) bear a lesser resemblance to her onscreen brother, Fogler, than any brother or sister pairing in modern TV history. Although a few of the the situation is relatable -- Will's nervous about finding his 13-year-old boy a suitable gift, for just one -- yet others goofily arbitrary (Kenny's dependence on Tobey Maguire), it's presented in this familiar single-camera manner it might be simple to incorrectly assume "Guy Up!" is really a rerun of latest sitcoms past. If there is a surprise here, it's Simmons' comic chops because the perfect physical specimen that has changed Kenny, though making that the regular element -- instead of a gag for that pilot -- offers a feeling of how broad "Guy Up!" will probably be. For the show's future, that almost entirely is dependent on Tim Allen's performance since it's lead-in -- once more departing these males, oddly, subject to an early on generation. On the other hand, even when Allen's show works, this companion half-hour is really thin there's still an opportunity ABC will find yourself throwing "Guy" overboard.Camera, Michael Trim production designer, Ian Phillips editor, Richard Candib music, John Kimbrough casting, Debby Romano, Brett Benner. 30 MIN. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com