OUR SCREEN : Review of The Pilot Episode of KENAN NBC Tuesday's

 Words By Raymond Tyler

We all know Kenan Thompson.
For those that didn't grow up with Kenan and Kel Mitchell on ALL THAT, they have seen him for the past decade plus on Saturday Night Live.

Tuesday, NBC broadcast the pilot episode of his new show Kenan.
(Now available for free at Peacock.com)

Thompson plays a television morning show host named Kenan.
Kenan the morning show host is adjusting to life after the passing of his wife.
Helping Kenan is his father in law Sonny Crocket...not Sonny Crocket but his father in law in portrayed by Miami Vice vet Don Johnson. Crocket...I mean Johnson mainly helps out with Kenan's two uber insightful and creepily adjusted daughters. (They seem better adjusted than Kenan) Helping Kenan with his Kenan stuff is fellow SNL cast mate Chris Redd, Redd's character "Gary" drives Kenan to work on the show. I wondered two things...is Chris really Kenan's driver in real life too and though it would have been cool to have Kel as his supporting cast partner that would have been too cold to make Kel Mitchell the driver.

So here's what I liked.
The show leans into mental health and dealing with grief. 
We are in a time where the country is mourning actual death, careers that have died, and even family while they may be alive, you can't hug them.

So seeing Kenan spiral out on set was no surprise. The only surprise was how tame the melt down was and how upset his "studio audience" got before his "apology."

I also liked Kimrie Lewis-Davis as Wake Up With Kenan's producer. I loved her in Single Parents which should still be on the air and so I am glad she landed on her feet.

Okay. Kenan is watchable. (Far from a must see show)
The good part is that the show isn't a black show. I am always happy when people of color are cast in roles that could be given to anyone from Tom Hanks to Don Cheadle.
However, Kenan's pilot is not as funny as certified family classics like The Cosby Show or Bernie Mac. And sadly it lacks the raw personality of a Modern Family. 

If not for the mental health aspect I would give the pilot a C.

I will keep watching because, hey, I still hate the pilot for Black-ish. I have however liked every episode after. I do not want Kenan to be Black-ish. I want Kenan to find it's own groove and be worthy of leading in This Is Us.

Right now Kenan has two things going that could turn this around for me.

ONE- It's a show about the media and I love shows that reveal how TV and Radio gets made.

TWO- The cast is solid. Infact in the pilot the some of its parts was greater then the total. Lorne Michaels the producer knows TV and has made NBC a lot of money. If he likes Michaels could change nothing and the show would still have to stay on for 5 years if Lorne says so.  Or he could make the changes to make this another legendary NBC Show

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