This pilot for a proposed 30 minute sitcom based on Driving Miss Daisy had much going for it and several questionable decisions. First the good. The casting is spot on. Robert Guillaume shines as a more assertive Hoke Colburn than was presented in the film. Joan Plowright, Saul Rubinek, and Theresa Merritt are all fine choices and lend an air of dignity and grace to the material. The pilot takes several scenes from the movie and strings them together as plot exposition. This is common in pilots and makes for awkward dialogue at times, but it does not slow the story too much.
Now for the bad. This is shot as a standard three camera sitcom and it is simply a wrong choice for the material. It looks cheap and flat. A single camera setup would have been the correct choice. The show is presented as a standard comedy, which it is not, and a very loud, very annoying laugh track is employed far too much.
Having said all that, I wish the show had gotten a chance to grow and find an audience. Over the course of a full season it might have found its footing.
Review of Driving Miss Daisy
