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Pilot: Directed by Don Scardino. With Ari Graynor, Sara Gilbert, Ryan Hansen, Sara Rodier. Left penniless by her wealthy ex-husband, Meredith Davis (Ari Graynor) talks her way into a teaching job at a middle school where she organizes a Career Day targeting rich divorced dads.
- (114)
- Comedy
- Don Scardino
- 2014-04-24
- Bad Teacher hits the small screen.
- Bad Teacher Photos
- Verdict
By Max Nicholson
Posted: Apr 24, 2014 1:07 am
Advance Review:
Based on the 2011 movie starring Cameron Diaz, CBS's Bad Teacher isn't so much an adaptation of the feature film as it is an original TV comedy with the same premise. Produced by Diaz and developed for TV by Hilary Winston (Community, Happy Endings), the series follows Meredith Davis (Ari Graynor of Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist), a former trophy wife who pretends to be a middle school teacher in the hopes of reeling in a wealthy single dad.
Bringing Bad Teacher to TV
Really, that's about where the film similarities end. Not even the characters' names are the same. Unlike Diaz's portrayal of Elizabeth Halsey in the movie, Graynor's Meredith is a sympathetic character, with a backstory that's more pitiful than venomous. Still, Meredith has every bit of Elizabeth's bite, and she doesn't shy away from playing up her sex appeal to win people over.
Of course, this is network television we're talking about, so there's a fine line the series takes when it comes to pushing boundaries -- unlike, say, Superbad or Bad Teacher (the movie). As a result, the humor isn't quite as "edgy" as the movie. Actually, t could hit harder, even with network restrictions -- but it's still sharp. It also helps that Bad Teacher is single-camera (a rarity on CBS), allowing the show to experiment a little more with the comedy and quickly transition from one scene to the next. (Read: No laugh track.) Again, it's not uproariously funny, but the characters are definitely likable.
Speaking of which, Bad Teacher is also very ensemble-driven. While Graynor is undoubtedly the star, there's a wealth of fun side characters that make up the rest of the faculty: Ryan Hansen (Party Down) portrays the charming gym teacher Joel; Roseanne's Sara Gilbert is cast against type as Meredith's pushover sidekick Irene; Kristin Davis (Sex and the City) plays the uptight stickler of the group Ginny; and In Living Color's David Alan Grier takes the lead as the school's forlorn principal Carl. All of them have their own distinct personalities, and they even get their own B and C storylines in later episodes. (CBS made the first three episodes available to us for initial review.)
Hilary Winston's TV adaptation of Bad Teacher has the potential to exceed the movie version with the help of its vivacious lead, Ari Graynor, and a great ensemble cast that includes Ryan Hansen, Sara Gilbert, Kristin Davis and David Alan Grier. The jokes could use some fine-tuning, but the characters are enjoyable, which makes this new comedy serie...
- Max Nicholson
Bad Teacher is an American single-camera sitcom created by Hilary Winston, based on the 2011 film of the same title. The series aired on CBS from April 24 to July 26, 2014, as part of the 2013–14 American television season .
Episode 1 Aired Apr 24, 2014 Pilot A former trophy wife poses as a teacher at an upscale school in hope of meeting the students' wealthy, single fathers; a faculty member becomes...
- (25)
- Ari Graynor
- Fred Goss
- April 24, 2014
Apr 23, 2014 · Bad Teacher. Pilot. Available on Tubi TV, iTunes. S1 E1: Left penniless by her wealthy ex-husband, Meredith Davis (Ari Graynor) talks her way into a teaching job at a middle school where she organizes a Career Day targeting rich divorced dads. Comedy Apr 23, 2014 18 min. Starring Caitlin Kimball, Kat Foster, Grace Kaufman. Cast & Crew. CD.
"Bad Teacher" Pilot (TV Episode 2014) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Reviews A former trophy wife poses as a teacher at an upscale school in hope of meeting the students' wealthy, single fathers; a faculty member becomes suspicious. Read More Read Less Watch on ...
