In terms of charm, NBC’s About a Boy has a lot going for it – one would think. For one, it has the interminably boyish David Walton who we loved on New Girl and the blink-and-you-missed-it series Bent. It also comes from Jason Katims, producer of another one of my favorite NBC shows, Parenthood. Those two factors alone (well, along with Minnie Driver, too) should be enough to make this show a beloved addition, but the first episode didn’t quite meet my expectations. This show has such latent possibilities that I refuse to give up on it; it seems a shame to waste such remarkable potential, and maybe, because I want it to succeed so badly, it will.

It is really hard to judge a show merely on its pilot, and this one surely had its problems. For one, it felt like the entire plot from the 2002 movie starring Hugh Grant was crammed into a thirty minute window. The pacing was crazy-fast, and it felt like the writers were just trying too hard to make sure I understood what they wanted me to: Will (Walton) is an immature, slacker, lothario who doesn’t work and has little need for adult responsibilities; Fiona (Driver) is an uptight, overly sensitive, train wreck, neo-hippie; and Marcus is precocious and nerdy and desperately needs Will to show him about life. Because it felt like such a race, the exposition didn’t feel as organic as it should coming from these actors.

And it’s the actors that make this show so charming on paper. Even though the writers aren’t offering up realistic storylines (why would Will allow this kid to perform a One Direction song at his talent show?), I think the character dynamics can be enough to carry us through until it finds it stride. David Walton and Minnie Driver have the acting chops it takes to get us over the hump; I just hope the audience has the patience I have and the willingness to overlook the bad while you wait for the good. Tell me what you’re willing to do https://twitter.com/sroseholt