Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards have each attempted to launch new sitcoms as title-role characters. Despite decent acclaim and even some respectable ratings, almost every show was canceled quickly, usually within the first season. This gave rise to the term Seinfeld curse: the failure of a sitcom starring one of the three, despite the conventional wisdom that each person's Seinfeld popularity should almost guarantee a strong, built-in audience for the actor's new show.
The Michael Richards Show is one of these shows. The show revolved around Vic Nardozza (Michael Richards), an inept and clumsy private investigator working for McKay Investigative Services. Throughout the show, misunderstandings and poor decisions get in the way of the cases, but Nardozza always ends up getting the job done.
This shows flaws are clear from a viewing, missed potential. Cases aren't used to make character driven comedy, they are only excuses to use Richards incredible psychical talent. Although entertaining, the cases are rarely the focus of the episodes. In a mystery-comedy show, you would expect there would be more mystery. Meanwhile everyone in the acting department is a great actor, but there underutilized, there is great chemistry among Bill Cobbs and Tim Meadows characters but most of the time it's usually just Tim Meadows for the subplots. Amy Farrington as Stacy is used somewhat for a couple capers, and storylines but nothing as major as Tim Meadow's Kevin. Lastly William Devane, he is the least used, and when he was used it was already at sharp decline. Episodes start to give up half way through Episode 5 (including the pilot).
This show could have worked, its not as awful as people say it is. If it was able to be nominated for a People's Choice Award for Outstanding Male in a New Comedy series, there was potential. It's definitely a cut above the rest for obscure sitcom. Its a good start for more Kramer action, I really recommend it.
I would have loved to have seen Kevin and Jacks work relationship evolve, into mutual respect for each other. Some episodes I would have loved to seen would be Richards facing his altered persona in this series Roland in real life. Perhaps this series could have saved Michael Richards. Maybe he wasn't suited for heading a sitcom, but then again nor was he suited to do stand up comedy...
