The hook to the famed ’80s sitcom “Cheers” is still true: “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” A lot has changed since “Cheers,” including the explosion of digital technology, but that basic human desire for good company is strong as ever. A new sitcom from NBC captures that same spirit.
“Abby’s” is the story of a woman operating an unlicensed bar in the backyard of her rented home, and the show centers around the regular patrons who unite behind the bar’s tag line, “never drink alone again.”
The show is led by Natalie Morales in the role of Abby, an ex-Marine and veteran of the Afghanistan War. She’s bisexual, doesn’t like rules, and is looking for something to fill an unknown void after her time in the military. We don’t know much about her time in Afghanistan, but it might account for her aversion to authority.
This complex surfaces in the pilot with the unannounced arrival of her landlord, Bill (Nelson Franklin), reminding her that he owns the property and she has no license to do business. It’s a discouraging moment for Abby, but her regulars, Fred (Neil Flynn) and Beth (Jessica Chaffin), keep her connected to the mission of the bar.
That mission is to create a space of solace and good company. No phones are allowed, and access to the backyard bar is based on membership. “Before the bar, there was nowhere for us to go. It’s a community center,” says one of the patrons. It’s a compelling moment when you look at the operation Abby has built and realize the only thing that makes it illegal is the presence of a cash register, aptly pointed out by Bill.
Abby wants to be free of middle manager personalities like Bill, who comes around “wearing cellphone purses and harassing people.” Coming out of the gate for a new show on NBC, it’s a powerful message and perhaps an unintentionally libertarian premise.
There’s a popular meme for the conundrum Abby faces, which in this case is the cost of running a bar legally. A liquor license, business insurance, and extended waiting periods for business to begin would cost someone like Abby upwards of $14,000 in the state of California, where this series takes place. This doesn’t even take into account the zoning hurdles she would face for this kind of business. Her dream would be dead if she played by the rules. For this reason, it’s difficult not to cheer her on in this rogue operation.
The show’s biggest strength is its cast. Natalie Morales has a biting sense of humor and smooth delivery. She’s someone who sees beauty in differences and feeds off the banter of her patrons, most often with Fred, played by sitcom fixture Neil Flynn (“Scrubs,” “The Middle”). Flynn grounds the show in its roots, the everyman foundation of “Cheers.” Morales brings the new-school energy and a unique diversity to “Abby’s” that isn’t delivered as triumphant or unique; it just is. A common mistake in Hollywood today is to create a story with diversity and market that as a reason audiences should like it, as happened with “Doctor Who” season 11. This casual approach in “Abby’s” gives it the kind of authenticity it needs to succeed a show like “Cheers,” which didn’t need to explain itself or why any of its characters came through that front door to have a drink and unwind.
Unfortunately, the show’s weakness is that it isn’t all that funny. The laughs are mild at best. This can be improved, whereas a show with bad bones has little hope for turning around. Despite this, “Abby’s” strikes me as an important show and one that is reaching for greatness in a time where Americans are looking for something we’ve lost. This explains the relative success of shows like “The Goldbergs” and its spinoff “Schooled,” which lean heavily on pop-culture nostalgia. “Abby’s” comes at the heart by appealing to community and the sense that the audiences don’t know their own neighbors and, despite all our technological connectivity, feel lonely.
Raise a glass with “Abby’s,” Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET, and “never drink alone again.”
Stephen Kent (@Stephen_Kent89) is the spokesperson for Young Voices and host of Beltway Banthas, a Star Wars & politics podcast in D.C.
