Michael Urie on Partners - NBC

It's been a long time since I saw a trailer of Partners in May. Finally it's aired, and I love it!
I missed Michael. I love his way of talking. He is such a cutie. I can't wait next episode already.
Here is critics from AfterElton. What do you think?

[Source]

TV Critics Roundtable: "Partners"

Jim Halterman, Entertainment Reporter on September 25, 2012

Partners stars (l-r) Sophia Bush, David Krumholtz, Brandon Routh and Michael Urie.

Now that NBC’s The New Normal is off and running, it’s time to turn our attention to the other gay-centric sitcom offering in the new Fall TV season, which premiered last night on CBS. Partners focuses on the long friendship between straight guy Joe (David Krumholtz) and gay Louis (Michael Urie) and mirrors that relationship between creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who also created the groundbreaking sitcom Will & Grace. The series also stars Sophia Bush as the girlfriend to Joe and Brandon Routh as boyfriend to Louis.

Is Partners progressive? Do the actors have the kind of chemistry that can make the show last many seasons? And, most importantly, is the show funny? Like the roundtable we did for the premiere of The New Normal, AfterElton gathered together a group of TV critics to get their take on Partners. Weighing in this time are Matt Richenthal (Editor-in-Chief, TVFanatic.com) and Matt Fowler (Writer/Critic, IGN.com), both of whom are straight, and Jethro Nededog (Senior TV Editor, Celebuzz.com), Trish Bendix (Managing Editor for our sister site, AfterEllen.com) and our own Entertainment Reporter, Jim Halterman, all of whom are gay.

AE: Overall, what did you think of Partners as compared to other sitcoms?

Trish Bendix: I think it is a different kind of premise with two likable male stars that I'd give it a shot. Having only seen the pilot, I am intrigued enough to watch at least one more and see how invested I get in the characters and their relationships.

Jethro Nededog: During pilot season, I'm just happy when I can get through the first five minutes. I did that with Partners, so mission accomplished. Everything about it -- from writing to acting -- are just so so. But, after watching the first two episodes, I'm not finding myself caring about what's next.

Matt Fowler: I applaud the fact that, after receiving a failing grade from GLAAD back in 2010, CBS is delivering a series with a gay lead, but Partners just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t find it all that funny and was baffled by the fact that the premiere episode went right for the ‘we’re not partners anymore!’ story.

Matt Richenthal: For a multi-camera comedy with obvious jokes and one-dimensional characters, it wasn't the worst half hour I've ever spent in front of a television.

Jim Halterman: While I found myself liking the characters in the series, I had a hard time feeling like this was anything fresh. Granted there’s only so much you can do with the first 22 minutes but it failed at the one thing a pilot should do – make me want to see more.

Is Partners a show you'll want to watch for 5-7 seasons?

AE: What did you think of the chemistry between the actors?

Jethro Nededog: I was pleasantly surprised by Michael Urie and David Krumholtz's rapport. It's believable that they could find some connection as two awkward neighbors who are thrown together by vicinity and quirkiness then grow into adult best friends.

Matt Fowler: The chemistry between Urie and Krumholtz is lively. Which is a good thing considering that the show relies heavily on the fact that Louis and Joe have been besties since childhood and have that whole ‘I know you better than you know yourself’ vibe. But their relationship and history isn’t the only one we have to absorb right off the bat. Both of them are also in committed relationships, which is actually a harder, and less funny, sell. And Brandon Routh’s Wyatt kind of sticks out like a dry, sore thumb in the pilot. And from him we even get the dreaded comedy pilot callback joke. Ugh. By the second episode, it appears as though they discovered a direction to take his character, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re being asked not just to accept the entirely of Louis and Joe’s decades-long friendship, but their own deep romantic commitments as well.

Jim Halterman: There’s definitely a nice, relaxed feeling between the actors and I really enjoyed the scenes with Michael Urie and Sophia Bush. The scenes between Krumholtz and Routh seemed a tad more forced but there wasn’t a true clunker in the bunch.

AE: Do you buy the two romantic couplings?

Trish Bendix: So far, I think the only true connection I see is between Michael and David's characters. I do have to say that I enjoy Sophia Bush's scenes with Michael and thought she could hold her own. I'm still not sold on Michael's relationship with Brandon, but that could change over a few episodes of development. For instance, on TNN’s second episode, the story of how Bryan (Andrew Rannells) and David (Justin Bartha) met gave me a better understanding of them as a couple and how their relationship began. I'd enjoy knowing more about Louis and Wyatt's.

Jethro Nededog: Well, I can see why Louis likes Brandon Routh's Wyatt -- wink, wink. Seriously, though, we don't know much about either, but we're thrust right into a pivotal moment in Joe and Ali's relationship. That's good for a pilot and makes things feel very urgent but maybe it didn't have to be wrapped up so nicely and topped with a bow?

Matt Richenthal: Wyatt and Louis make sense, sure. Each is simply a stereotype: the dim-witted male nurse and the self-centered, flamboyant gay man. Why not just put them together? Ali seems a bit out of Joe's league, but at least the show acknowledges that and both appear to be hard-working, successful business people.

AE: Both Michael Urie's Louis and Andrew Rannells' Bryan on The New Normal are self absorbed gay men. Is this a lazy use of stereotypes or is it actually a good thing for these sitcoms?

Matt Fowler: I think so, yeah. Especially when, after a few minutes in we’re already hit with cliched Bette Midler and Clay Aiken jokes followed by Louis proclaiming, ‘I am my shtick.’ If you were defining lazy as ‘nothing new,’ then yes.

Matt Richenthal: It's a lazy use of the stereotype, especially considering how David Kohan and Max Mutchnick have already used it on Will & Grace. Change the sexuality of one character and Joe and Louis are basically Will and Jack.

Jim Halterman: I’d say it’s lazy and just too easy to have the gay man fall into a stereotype but, then again, sitcoms are based on archtypes and this one is no different.

AE: Whereas The New Normal has a lot of controversy, there doesn't seem to be any with Partners and yet both shows have gay relationships at their base. Why do you think that is?

Trish Bendix: First, babies are involved. The idea of a child and who will be raising it makes people go nuts on how gays will ruin civilization. Second, Ellen Barkin's homophobic/racist statements on The New Normal automatically brings up the offense factor.

Jethro Nededog: Clearly, there has always been an irrational fear of gay people recruiting others to the lifestyle. So, the fact that The New Normal's couple is having babies touches on that fear. And, let's face it, breeding is supposedly the heterosexuals' domain. So, The New Normal goes a lot farther over the boundary of simply showing two people with differences becoming friends.

Matt Fowler: CBS is behind. Plain and simple. But, to their credit, their audience might be too. This show, at its heart, is Will & Grace. But Jack actually has a career this time and Grace, well, has a penis. Happy Endings, Political Animals, Shameless and even The New Normal are more progressive offerings.

Jim Halterman: I feel like Partners is a throwback to the more traditional sitcom format from the 80s and 90s and, in this case, it doesn’t help it. While it’s nice we’re at a time when having a gay lead isn’t such a shock having the format seem so traditional only, again, makes it seem like something we’ve seen before.

AE: Having a gay and straight man at the core of a sitcom would have been progressive in the past but it doesn't feel that way. Is that a societal thing or does the show itself just not seem progressive in tone?

Trish Bendix: You're right, it isn't necessarily progressive just because of its premise. I have a feeling that, if it does well it could easily become a show that subtly becomes so, like how Roseanne wasn't just about a lower-class family, but brought up other themes along the way, including homosexuality. (Gays, we live in small towns, too!)

Jethro Nededog: The show is not progressive -- in concept or style. It's just a situation comedy that saw some conflict and a launching off point in having a gay man and a straight man be best friends. Some would say that The Odd Couple did it in the 70s.

Matt Fowler: My guess is that it’s because The New Normal involves gay men wanting to be parents and that the show’s title can be construed as being a bit confrontational if, you know, you’re a bigot. Also, TNN comes with a built-in hater in Ellen Barkin’s character who I suppose they feel balances out the show in some manner. Partners, for those analyzing these shows based on abrasiveness or controversy, comes in a more easily digestible format. Especially for the CBS demo.

Will creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (l-r) strike sitcom gold like they did with Will & Grace?

AE: Do you think PARTNERS is a good fit with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which it follows on Monday night?

Trish Bendix: I do. I think they could easily have a similar fan base and a lot of HIMYM fans are well aware Neil Patrick Harris is a gay dad and the world hasn't ended. It's mostly male-driven but something women could easily enjoy too.

Matt Richenthal: Sure. How I Met Your Mother focuses on relationships and love and friendships and misunderstandings. It even stars a real-life gay man in Neil Patrick Harris. It's certainly not a bad fit. If Partners fails, it won't have its time slot to blame.

Jim Halterman: I don’t know that it’s the perfect fit but it does seem like it needs to bump up the energy in order to carry the momentum and snap of HIMYM and, it’s lead-out, 2 Broke Girls. Hopefully it will get snappier over time and not feel so traditional.

AE: What is your prognosis? Will Partners succeed or fail?

Trish Bendix: I hope that it does well and I'm rooting for it to get better. But if every episode is about Louis f**king up and having to apologize, then it will fail.

Jethro Nededog: I don't believe this show will find an audience. Its on-the-nose writing and lack of real dynamics between the characters just doesn't pull you in. And in its effort to appeal broadly, it doesn't create a reason for the viewer to come back.

Matt Fowler: Fail. It wouldn’t normally make sense to bet against a standard CBS sitcom, but given the fates of Rob and S*** My Dad Says, I feel like this might fall by the wayside.

Matt Richenthal: Succeed. Sophia Bush and Michael Urie have built-in fan bases and, come on, if 2 Broke Girls can be a hit on CBS - or anywhere in the universe - there simply has to be room for Partners.

Jim Halterman: I feel like it will succeed more because of the timeslot than because it’s worth succeeding.

Partners airs Mondays at 8:30pm on CBS.