The Crazy Ones is an American sitcom created by David E. Kelley that stars Robin Williams
and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The single-camera series aired on CBS from September 26, 2013, to April 17, 2014.
It was part of the 2013–14 American television season as a Thursday night 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00
pm Central entry.
Bill D'Elia, Dean Lorey and Jason Winer served as executive producers for 20th Century Fox
Television.
On October 18, 2013, CBS gave the show a full season order.
On February 27, 2014, the series switched timeslots with Two and a Half Men and started
airing at 9:30 pm Eastern/8:30 pm Central.
On May 10, 2014, it was announced that CBS had cancelled The Crazy Ones after one season.
Production The Crazy Ones is executive produced by David
E. Kelley, who had previously created the TV series Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The
Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Boston Legal and Harry's Law, and by Jason Winer.
It stars Robin Williams as Simon Roberts, an executive at the Chicago advertising agency
Lewis, Roberts + Roberts, who works with his tightly wound daughter and protégée, Sydney,
played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The series represents Williams' first series regular role since Mork & Mindy 31 years earlier,
and the first series for Gellar since Ringer, which was canceled in 2012 after one season.
Williams' part was written with him in mind.
When Gellar learned that Williams was making a television comedy, she contacted her friend
Sarah de Sa Rego, the wife of Williams' best friend, Bobcat Goldthwait, in order to lobby
for a co-starring role.
The series is filmed on Soundstages 11 and 14 at the 20th Century Fox's studios in Los
Angeles, which had previously housed the production for the medical drama House.
Actual big brand names are referenced in episodes in order to evoke a sense of realism, though
the companies who own the brands do not pay for this, nor do they get script approval.
In the pilot, singer Kelly Clarkson performs a modified version of the McDonald's slogan
"You deserve a break today".
Cast Main
Robin Williams as Simon Roberts, an eccentric Chicago advertising executive.
Robin Williams describes Simon as "a guy who can sell anything.
He could sell frappuccinos to Starbucks.
He could sell clouds to God."
Touching upon how his own life was the inspiration for Simon's backstory, Williams said, "Simon's
a guy with a lot of nuance.
He's lived hard and been on the edge for a long time.
Multiple marriages, rehab, even rehab in wine country.
Trust me, I've done the research myself."
Since Simon was divorced by Sydney's mom, he has been remarried and divorced frequently
ever since and does genuinely want to be a part of his daughter's life to make up for
his past.
He added Sydney to the executive partnership after she improved his business and added
her name to the agency before the start of the series.
Everyone tends to listen to Simon over Sydney, even though Simon tends to accept risk too
willingly in finding a solution to his client's issues.
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Sydney Roberts, Simon's daughter who is also a business partner and
director at the ad agency.
Often playing the "straight-woman" to Simon's plans, she was raised by her mother after
Simon was divorced, yet she doesn't fault him for being more involved with work than
his family.
Despite this, Sydney often uses her past growing up as justification for her business decisions.
She is best friends with Andrew, for whom she has feelings.
However, she chooses not to date him, as she values their friendship more and is concerned
with the consequences of a breakup.
She is often made fun of for her age despite being thirty-"something" with the implication
that she acts like the oldest person on the staff.
James Wolk as Zach Cropper, a copy writer.
He thinks he and Andrew are friends, but the friendship is mostly one-sided.
While warm, outgoing and charismatic, Zach tends to the shallow side, can be a bit of
a womanizer at times, and is not very well-read about the particulars of business.
He actually does have romantic feelings for Lauren, whom he has an on again/off again
physical relationship with.
Zach enjoys a natural camaraderie with Simon, often bouncing ideas off of each other and
brainstorming together.
He does seek validation from others, but not nearly as much as Andrew does.
Hamish Linklater as Andrew Keanelly, an art director.
Andrew is well spoken, smart, and often on Sydney's side as the other voice of reason
among the staff of their agency.
Andrew does suffer from a lack of confidence, as a part of a larger rural-based family.
Regardless of his intelligence, he tends to be manipulated easily from his own insecurities
and awkwardness.
He has a crush on Sydney, who reciprocates these feelings but is hesitant to start a
relationship with him.
He constantly seeks approval and validation from others, especially Simon.
Amanda Setton as Lauren Slotsky, an assistant.
Lauren is described as "much smarter than she first appears."
The information that is given about her, though limited, is very inconsistent if all of it
is assumed to be true, with the only validation for any of it being her highly impulsive behavior.
Recurring Brad Garrett as Gordon Lewis, Simon's business
partner.
Gordon works on a different floor with Accounts.
Gordon is Simon's opposite: professional, restrained and critical of Simon's decisions.
He is also gay, although Gordon's current personal life is not generally a part of the
plot.
Josh Groban as Danny Chase, Sydney's former co-worker.
He grew an obsession over her and wrote a hit single about his unsung love for her.
Upon learning it was about her, Sydney freaked out and quit the job.
He ended up working for a competing agency, which won an accolade that Simon Roberts was
campaigning for.
Fred Melamed as himself, a voice-over artist who is frequently at odds over the direction
of his career.
Episodes Reception
The show has received mixed reviews from critics.
The first season received a score of 58 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or
average reviews".
Morgan Jeffery of Digital Spy wrote that "Williams can't resist falling back on his old bag of
tricks on occasion – cartoon voices, gurning, rambling wordplay – but there's a decent
amount of pathos to his performance as part-buffoon, part-genius Simon Roberts too and the comedy
veteran shares a warm, genuine chemistry with his on-screen offspring Gellar."
Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "Whether The Crazy Ones can come together
as a series over time remains an open question, but the pilot offers enough charm and humor
to warrant future consideration."
The Boston Globe gave the show a more negative review saying that "Williams seems exhausted."
The Washington Post wrote that the pilot "leaves you wanting more", and gave the pilot a grade
of B-.
According to Ross Bonaime of PASTE, "I don’t know how it does it, but The Crazy Ones continues
to be one of the most boring comedies with one of the most amazing casts on the air today."
He continues to say "The entire show is just treading on 'meh.'
It also feels like this show just exists in a vacuum, with nothing in any prior episode
really having an effect on anything that comes after it.
There are no continuing story arcs, nor any real characters to really bond with."
Ratings The premiere episode garnered 15.52 million
viewers, making the show the highest viewed premiere that fall.
Its 18-49 rating is also the highest rated new comedy premiere rating of the season.
With the Live + 3 days DVR numbers, the Pilot added +22% viewers gathering 18.98 million
viewers and a 6.8 adults 25–54 rating with 5.1 in adults 18–49.
Awards and nominations References
External links Official website
The Crazy Ones at the Internet Movie Database