TV review by Merrill Barr, co-host of The Idiot Boxers

Show: The Good Guys
Airs: FOX, Mondays, 9/8pm
Episodes: Pilot

Done in the style of classic 80’s buddy cop shows such as Miami Vice and Starsky and Hutch, The Good Guys attempts to revive the genre that has been bogged down for far too long with the dark and gritty tone of every other procedural in existence.

The Good Guys stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks (yes, Tom Hanks’ son) as two partners who have nothing in common. Whitford is a dead beat who is still on the force for something he did twenty five years ago and Hanks is the hot shot new up in comer with an attitude. The two of them fit the formula perfectly for dysfunctional buddy cop duo.

As for the show itself, it comes from Burn Notice creator Matt Nix so, right off the bat everyone should be expecting witty humor and really cool gun play. Luckily, this show has both. Actually, some of the shows funniest moments come during the gun play. For example, there is a scene in the trailer where Hanks pulls a Dumb & Dumber moment and empties two clips at the same time and hits nothing, when this sequence plays out in the actual show, it is way funnier, Hanks definitely has comedic timing down.

As does Whitford for that matter. One of Whitford’s best comedic moments comes from a dialogue he has with Hanks that involves vodka and some cottage cheese, as well as what follows after that event. As well as playing the dead beat drunk with a badge perfectly, Whitford is also surprisingly agile. Throughout the show he is jumping over and behind various objects.

However none of this describes the awesomeness of the final act of the pilot that involves an assassin show down, a Trans Am, an SUV, a kidnapping, and some classic AC/DC “Thuderstruck” chase music. It was classic buddy cop at its best, truly a sign of things to come. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say anything else on the topic.

Over all, in my opinion, Matt Nix has created another hit, this time in the form of a show that people won’t need to start watching from the beginning. This is a show that can be enjoyed by anyone, at anytime. The Good Guys is one of this summer’s must see new series.

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Tags: Bradley Whitford, Colin Hanks, Matt Nix, The Good Guys, Tim Matheson