In Case You Missed It: Michael Strahan in Brothers
The cast of Brothers
With the cancellation of shows like The Game and Everybody Hates Chris, it seemed as if we were in for an old-fashioned, whitewashed, and dull TV season. It’s funny how life works out, isn’t it? If you had told me a few months ago that I’d be looking to Michael Strahan to see a – ahem – colorful sitcom, I probably would’ve sent you to the same mental institution that Katt Williams went to and called you “poor little tink-tink.” Nevertheless, I tuned in.
Brothers, as you probably figured, centers around Michael Trainor (played by Strahan) – a retired NFL star who lives with his mother, father, and paraplegic (yet quite humorous) brother. Here’s the requistite trailer (otherwise why tell you about it, right?).
First of all, I’m glad to see an actual black family back on television. Some of us actually do come from complete families with both the mother and father present. That was really refreshing and now we have more than House of Payne to watch to see that sort of thing. Start your Tyler Perry hating here. Also, the fact that Carl Weathers, aka Apollo Creed (lesser known as Action Jackson), handles the patriarchal role in this particular show makes it even more worthwhile. Haven’t seen that guy since Happy Gilmore.
If Weathers wasn’t enough, they also have veteran actor Darryl Mitchell. Mitchell, formerly of ’80s hip hop group Groove B. Chill, is noted for having survived a 2001 motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed. You may remember him from this, though (he’s the one with the hat on).
The only potential pitfall I see right now is that there are too many references to Strahan’s and Weathers’s real-life careers and accomplishments – after a while, it gets a little cheesy.
Overall the jokes are pretty good, the tempo is nice and although sports fans probably never considered ol’ Strahan much of an actor, I think he carries his load pretty well. Upcoming guest stars include Kim Kardashian and Mike Tyson, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty to watch.
Tune in to Brothers, Fridays @ 8 PM /7 PM central on FOX.
