When I heard stand-up comedian Bill Engvall would be getting his own sitcom, I was pleasantly surprised. Ever since I saw him on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, I’ve been a fan of his. Now that the first episode, “Good People,” has aired, it was time to see if it was worth the wait.
Very little information about each character was divulged in the first episode. While we know Bill Pearson (Bill Engvall) and Susan Pearson (Nancy Travis) have three kids, two of whom are teenagers, and one who is much younger, the professions of the parents aren’t really discussed but for a brief second. Bill mentions he’s a counselor, but it’s unclear if Nancy has a job outside the home.
The oldest male sibling, Trent, is a third-string quarterback on the local high school football and is given the opportunity to start. Although Trent is excited about the opportunity to play, his father, Bill goes a little overboard when it comes to making sure Trent does the best he can. The constant pressure makes Trent resent the opportunity and he doesn’t want his dad at the game.
Elsewhere, Lauren, the only daughter, is looking to get her parents to approve of a belly button piercing. Her mother doesn’t think it’s a wise decision, while Bill is opposed to the idea because it makes boys look down at her body, which of course, makes them think more about sex. You can’t blame Bill; any father would feel the same way.
The youngest member of the family, Bryan, is only in a few scenes. He is wiser than his age would lead you to believe, but I’m not sure about how well the character will be used in future episodes.
Unable to go to the game, Bill listens to the game on the radio, but the battery dies during the last play, but is able to watch the end of the game because Susan recorded it on her camera. Also, Lauren didn’t end up getting a belly button piercing, but did pull a little prank on her parents when she came in with a fake piercing.
With the death of the American family sitcom, I was hoping for something great, but this show isn’t it if this episode is a sign of things to come. The acting wasn’t particularly great by the children. Bill Engvall was the only one who looked completely comfortable. The first half of the episode had several moments where the comedic timing was off, but it did improve over time. I intend to watch future episodes, but I’m hoping they aren’t quite as cheesy as the ending was for “Good People.”
The Bill Engvall Show – Good People
Original Air Date: July 17, 2007
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