Randy Cordray Movies
- 2008
Originally titled The Rules for Starting Over, this Fox sitcom starred Craig Bierko) as 35-year-old financier Jack "Gator" Gately. Having gotten married right out of college, Gator was now divorced, and as such obliged to re-enter the "dating scene" that he'd barely been a part of in his bachelor days. Joining Gator in his pursuit of female companionship were his nerdy surgeon pal Freddy Sahgal (Shaun Majumber), likewise recently divorced, and funloving brewery owner Tommy (Johnny Sneed), who'd been married several times previously but had not given up his lifelong quest for the perfect mate. Also a member of this merry band of "unhitched" thirtysomethings was quick-witted Kate (Rashina Jones), recently dumped by her beau after a seven-year relationship. The humor arose from the fact that the protagonists were certainly not naïve in matters of everyday life, but were utterly clueless in the realm of romantic relationships; and oh, yes, there was an abundance of gross-out humor and sex jokes, hardly suprising inasmuch as the series was executive-produced by the inimitable Farrelly Brothers). Created by Mike Bernier and Chris Pappas), Unhitched debuted March 2, 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Bierko, Rashida Jones, (more)
- 2005
Created by former Late Show with David Letterman writers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the 30-minute CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother was, per its title, related entirely in flashback, from the vantage point of 2030. The hero, Ted (his "old" voice provided by Bob Saget) was endeavoring to regale his children with the stories of how he wooed and won his wife and their mother. The main action took place in "the present," after the twentysomething Ted (played in flashback by Josh Radnor) decided to take upon himself a bride after the unexpected engagement of his friend Marshall (Jason Segel) to the lovely Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Ted had his sights set on a girl named Robin (Cobie Smulders), but there was no guarantee that she would ultimately be the "mother" of the title, not as long as Mike allowed himself to be immersed in the what-the-hell lifestyle of the early 21st century. Providing snide sidelines comments (and most of the laughs) was Ted's know-it-all best pal, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). How I Met Your Mother premiered on September 19, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Created by Rob Lotterstein, the Fox network sitcom The War at Home tackles a problem faced by millions of parents of the early 21st century: how can one who was raised in the "anything goes" 1970s and 1980s, with no barriers, boundaries, or taboos, suddenly be expected to discipline their own children and set down ground rules without coming off as a hypocrite? This was the dilemma of Dave (Michael Rapaport) and Vicki (Anita Barone), who despite the many wild oats sown in their own teen years felt obliged to go through the motions of tough-love parenthood with their three hormone-driven kids: 15-year-old Larry (Kyle Sullivan), who may or may not be gay; 16-year-old Hillary (Kaylee DeFer), just entering the dating scene; and 13-year-old Mike (Dean Collins), obsessively dedicated to his violent video games and precious little else. One critic cited the series as an amalgam of amusing leftovers from All in the Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Arrested Development. The War at Home debuted September 11, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rapaport, Anita Barone, (more)
- 2002
Is it possible to continue stoking the flames of a raucous high school romance 15 years after the fact? This was the question posed by the CBS situation comedy Still Standing. Mark Addy and Jami Gertz starred as Bill and Judy Miller, a fun-loving blue-collar Chicago couple who began dating as teenagers and who nearly two decades later were happily married and the parents of three children. So where was the "situation"? Well, it seemed that the Millers still thought and acted like troublemaking schoolkids, which caused any number of amusing crises as they endeavored to properly raise their three children -- notably their nerdish and uptight son Taylor Ball. For the most part, Bill and Judy made up their parental game plan as they went along, though usually things turned out all right. Created by Joey Gutierrez and Diane Burroughs, who based the series on their own enduring romantic relationship, Still Standing originally aired on September 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Addy, Jami Gertz, (more)
