Family Tools

“Family Tools” is a new show that is set to debut on ABC starting Wednesday, May 1st at 8:30pm. The show mainly revolves around Jack (Kyle Bornheimer) and his unusual family. He is a go-getter that fails at pretty much every career move he has ever made. However, when something forces his dad, Tony (J.K. Simmons), into an early retirement, Jack has to step up to take over the family business, “Mr. Jiffy Fix.” In addition to being the new manager, he also has to deal with his new assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi). The show is a fresh idea for American audiences, but it was actually adapted from a U.K. show entitled “White Van Man.” Even though the show is premiering next week, Shakefire had the opportunity to review the pilot episode of the show.

When I first saw the previews of “Family Tools” on TV, I was excited and curious to see the show. To me, it looked like a promising new comedy with some solid actors such as Leah Remini and J.K. Simmons. However, after watching the pilot episode, my views on the show have changed and I was not too pleased with “Family Tools.” I am not sure how, but they managed to fit in so much bad dialogue, distasteful humor, and a dry storyline into a 30 minute show. Even their poor choice of music was another bad element to the show.

To make matters worse, most of the characters in the show are either unlikeable or blatantly stereotypical. Jack is bland and he either underacts or overacts for most of the episode. J.K. Simmons, on the other hand, seems to play the same character in pretty much every role he has ever I have ever seen him in. My least favorite of the show is Darren, because everything he does and says is stereotypical and offensive on several levels making him the furthest thing from being comedic. Lastly, even though it is a small part, Jo Koy as an Asian kleptomaniac was an unnecessary character and made me wonder why anyone would even take that role. The show’s characters are a mixed bag that are not fun to watch and do not really complement each other very well.

I had high hopes for “Family Tools,” but was utterly disappointed after watching the pilot. The show is plagued with bad dialogue, unflattering jokes, and a disjointed cast. I do not recommend watching the show or even checking it out if it peaked your curiosity. For those reasons, I am giving this show a “D-.”