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Gary Unmarried
SERIES: CBS, Wednesday 8:30p (30 minutes)


6.5

based on 21 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 16 votes
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Official Show Site

Starring Jay Mohr, Paula Marshall, Jaime King, Ryan Malgarini, Kathryn Newton, Al Madrigal, and Ed Begley Jr.

Jay Mohr is Gary, a single father trying to juggle raising his children and start dating again.

GENRE(S):	Comedy
CREATED BY:	Ed Yeager
FIRST AIR DATE:	September 24, 2008

Previously known as "Project Gary."

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

Despite its 1980s ambiance, you can't simply dismiss the show. It has some genuinely funny lines, though it's not clear who to thank for that.

LA Weekly Robert Abele

Gary Unmarried is pretty much business as usual, introducing us to a dude of simple pleasures.

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

I like Gary Unmarried. It’s like other sitcoms I’ve seen of late involving newly broken-up households (remember when the sitcom single dad was widowed instead of divorced?).

USA Today Robert Bianco

The show is funny enough, and the performers and setup are solid enough to hope CBS will give this working-class comedy a little time to work.

Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker

Mohr is too frantic, and Marshall is too harsh, but Ed Begley Jr. delights as a goofy therapist.

New York Daily News David Hinckley

While they're entertaining together, the show needs other characters to avoid becoming just an endless exchange of the snarky things TV writers love to have exes say about each other.

Entertainment Weekly Gillian Flynn

Gary's uneven because it doesn't feel like a sitcom working for Mohr, but Mohr working for a sitcom.

Chicago Sun-Times Misha Davenport

Mohr knows how to deliver a sarcastic one-liner, the pilot has a few laughs and the characters are all likable. But despite modern references to things like "Second Life," the whole show comes across as a bit antiquated.

New York Post Linda Stasi

On the up side, some of the one-liners are quite funny. On the downside, a lot of the show just doesn't work no matter how hard Mohr works it.

San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman

There are funny moments here, mostly coming from Mohr's agitated rantings. But the laugh track is mighty intrusive, which detracts from the average jokes by throwing them in your face (or down your ear, as it were).

Los Angeles Times Mary McNamara

The performances, in and of themselves, range from solid (King's) to inspired (Marshall's)....But taken together, there is both too much and too little going on.

Variety Brian Lowry

Mostly, though, Gary trades insults with his ex-wife (Paula Marshall, who really needs to stop jumping into the sack with uninspired series) and stammers toward the beautiful young woman (Jaime King) with whom he's in bed when the premiere begins. The prospects for transforming that slim premise into a satisfying show would seem less grim if those elements could survive a half-hour.

Washington Post Tom Shales

There are errant laughs floating around, but for the most part Gary Unmarried is Gary Unfunny.

Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm

Their recently divorced characters have all the stereotypical sitcom tsuris, plus she's engaged to their marriage counselor--ho, ho--who turns out to be Ed Begley Jr., who actually is a little funny. As is Ryan Malgarini, who plays Gary's son, who at 14 is more confused about females than his dad. He's the best part of the show.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen

This sitcom may elicit a few laughs, but the premiere episode is pretty lackluster overall, with obvious punchlines and predictable characterizations.

PopMatters Brendon Bouzard

Not at all intelligent, the show is pretty much immune to any form of legitimate criticism, and further, it will likely be gone within the first few weeks of this television season.

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

This is the kind of dull-witted, over-laugh-tracked, artificial sitcom that makes you wonder if the Hollywood honchos ever got the memo about the 21st century and all.

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

Ed Begley Jr shows a light touch as the ex-couple’s counselor, and not every joke on Gary Unmarried falls flat. But this show hinges on one’s ability to ignore its misogyny and on the limited appeal of Mohr.

Miami Herald Glenn Garvin

It's hard to enjoy characters in such dire need of a hard slapping.

Philadelphia Daily News Ellen Gray

The writing's not there, and neither is anyone who can play at the level of "Christine's" Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Newsday Verne Gay

Gary is a throwback to a time when laugh tracks were provided by evidently demented studio audiences; when one-liners were stoked with double entendres about sexual functions; when sitcoms had a beat, pace and predictability so primitive that they engaged only the reptilian part of our brains. To some viewers, this may be comfort food. To others: Hell.

The average user rating for this tv show is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Christopher K. gave it a4:
The show lacks the staying power a sitcom needs at a somewhat prime time slot!

CrackinUp EveryWednesday gave it a10:
Omg! The Critics 'need new writers' - - - lol! To quote Glenn Garvin of Miami Herald "It's hard to enjoy CRITICS in such dire need of a hard slapping. " (Note: I'm normally not a violent person - but c'mon . . . ) I'll be honest, I've NEVER been a fan of Jay Mohr but "Gary Unmarried's" writers have convinced me to give Jay another chance. The WRITERS should be awarded for EXCELLENCE. Old Christine, my favorite show before the writer's strike - has lost the laughter... Gary Unmarried - ALL of the cast literally have me giggling in my soup - and again, the writing is tight, ORIGINAL . . . bang on. I know funny and Gary Unmarried IS funny! Kudo's!!!

Mike B. gave it a9:
So many new shows try to build around a concept. Gary Unmarried is built around great comedy writing and very solid acting. If you were a fan of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond or are a fan of New Adventures of Old Christine, give Gary a try.

Chris J. gave it a2:
Oh, Man....Another divorcee falls for her therapist? Paula Marshall in another bad sitcom? Jay Mohr not funny? Tell me it's not true. Ms. Marshall could use better representation. That's it! I'm writing a sitcom. I can't do much worse.

Chris G. gave it a9:
Arrogant critics quickly dismissed this engaging comedy, although Jay Mohr is spot on with his one-liners and I agree that the show needs more characters, but I'll be watching. It's a far cleaner version of the often juvenile 2 1/2 men.

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Gary Unmarried SERIES: CBS, Wednesday 8:30p (30 minutes)

Gary Unmarried
SERIES: CBS, Wednesday 8:30p (30 minutes)