Robert Carlock, the showrunner for “30 Rock” and creator of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is back on network TV with a show that could be called “Remember How Funny Tracy Morgan Can Be?” A show built around Morgan’s goofy, likable personality, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” has Carlock’s quick wit in a show that spoofs sports culture and documentary filmmaking but is ultimately about second chances and defying expectations. Most importantly, after a bit of rockiness in the early episodes, it’s a consistently funny show, one that could ultimately stand alongside Carlock’s previously acclaimed creations.
Co-created by Carlock and Sam Means (an Emmy winner for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and writer on “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation”), “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is a mockumentary show that centers its mockumentarian, a filmmaker named Arthur Tobin (a perfectly-cast Daniel Radcliffe). An Oscar-winning filmmaker, Tobin had a very viral meltdown on the set of a superhero movie that was nothing but blue screens and tennis balls instead of actual people. Shunned by the documentary community, he’s seeking a comeback by making his own “O.J.: Made in America” or “The Last Dance” with a film about Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan), a famous New York Jets player who was booted out of the NFL when he accidentally called a national sports network to discuss his latest bets instead of his bookie. The Jets fell apart from there, and Dinkins became such an enemy in New York that he can’t leave the house without getting yelled at from a fan. He hopes Tobin’s movie can give him the comeback he so desires, and maybe even land him in the Hall of Fame.
Dinkins has four people circling his life that become major parts of Tobin’s documentary-within-a-show. First, there’s Monica (Erika Alexander), Reggie’s ex-wife who also still happens to be his agent, trying desperately to hold onto his few remaining scraps of fame while he works on her own to rebuild his legacy. There’s Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), Monica and Reggie’s son, a nice kid who knows how to take advantage of his rich dad and would rather sing in his school’s acapella group than follow pops into sports. There’s Brina (Precious Way), Reggie’s influencer fiancée, a character introduced as a bit disposable, but who proves she’s more than just the flighty, younger girlfriend role. Finally, there’s the very funny Bobby Moynihan as Rusty, a former teammate who lives with Reggie and supports him through every dumb decision. Moynihan plays Rusty as a wide-eyed bumbler, a sort of vision of if Chris Farley’s character from “Tommy Boy” grew up to be a football player. It’s a funny supporting turn.
As with the acclaimed comedies that Carlock and Means worked on in the past, “Reggie Dinkins” works primarily because of its sharp ensemble, even if it’s a vehicle designed to elevate Morgan’s unique comic timing. Reggie is a classic Morgan character, a guy who may not be the smartest person in the room but someone who becomes easy to root for, especially once Craig Robinson shows up as Reggie’s on-field and now-in-retirement nemesis, a Michael Strahan-esque character who will do whatever it takes to keep Dinkins out of the hall.
Morgan gets consistent laughs throughout the first season of “Dinkins,” but so does the entire cast. Radcliffe nails Tobin’s intellectual anxiety, someone who thinks even this project is below him but needs it to resurrect his career, and someone who ends up pretty quickly coming to like Dinkins and his family. Way, Hall, and Moynihan have laughs every episode, but Alexander may actually be the season one MVP as she not only has nuanced comic timing but does great work at grounding a show that sometimes spins off into ridiculous tangents. Alexander plays Monica’s journey completely straight, whether she’s trying to fight her way back into the business management industry or getting addicted to a reality show with Rusty.
Network TV comedy took a hit in the cord-cutting era, but an occasional surprise can burst through the crowd like “Abbott Elementary” and “Ghosts” (and more of you should be watching “St. Denis Medical,” the best comedy currently on the big four.) There’d be a bit of TV justice in a show about a fading star trying to reclaim past glory leading people back to NBC TV comedy, a place that used to define the best of the sitcom form for years. I believe in you, Reggie Dinkins.
Whole season screened for review. The premiere is now on Peacock with the second episode premiering tonight, February 23, weekly from here on.