- Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
- Verdict: “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” captures the same quick-witted style of previous shows from producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, including “30 Rock.” Tracy Morgan leads a talented cast who bring to life characters that are both silly and endearing, with plenty of laughs in the 10-episode first season.
- Premiere date/time: Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC starting Feb. 23, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock
- Where to watch: Stream episodes weekly on Peacock
Within a minute or two of the first episode, it’s clear that the new NBC sitcom “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is following in the tradition of past shows from producers and longtime collaborators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan), a onetime NFL star who was ousted from the league after a gambling scandal, is seen during his glory days endorsing something called the McDonald’s Veal Platter. That kind of absurdist take on pop culture and consumerism is a hallmark of every series that Fey and Carlock have worked on since they first teamed up on “30 Rock.”
Since I’ve been a fan of all of those shows — which include “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Great News” and “Girls5eva,” among others — I knew right from that moment that I would enjoy “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” and the rest of the 10-episode season lived up to those expectations.
The “30 Rock” connection is especially strong given that Morgan is basically playing a variation on his “30 Rock” character Tracy Jordan, as another self-important and slightly clueless celebrity, but this isn’t just the sports version of “30 Rock.” It’s a more heartfelt hangout sitcom that develops its own rhythms over the course of the first season, while retaining the sharp wit that Fey and Carlock are known for.
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ offers clever cultural commentary
The satire in “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” isn’t quite as brutal as some of the showbiz satire on “30 Rock,” but co-creators Carlock and Sam Means clearly have a sense of the ridiculousness of the sports-industrial complex. Reggie was briefly an NFL superstar after rising from working-class origins in Brooklyn, reaching the height of his career while playing for the New York Jets. But when it was revealed that he had placing bets on his own games, his time in the NFL immediately ended, and he’s been chasing that past glory ever since.
To that end, Reggie has hired Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe) to make a movie about his life, which he believes will be the key to his redemption and his chance to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s a strategy that has worked for plenty of real-life disgraced figures looking to make their way back into the spotlight, and Carlock and Means understand the rhythms of these slick, often soulless productions.
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” isn’t a “Documentary Now!”-style mockumentary, though. The documentary project remains the backbone of the narrative, but the show is really about Reggie’s eccentric extended family, which soon includes Arthur as well.
There are frequent cutaways to the kind of pop-culture parodies that Fey and Carlock are known for, and those are often the funniest moments in a given episode. The personal relationships are just as engaging, though, and the show gets plenty of comedy out of different combinations of character interactions.
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ builds an ensemble of endearing characters
Most of the characters start out as easily recognizable types, from the buffoonish Reggie to the fussy Arthur, but they all reveal additional layers over time. Reggie lives with his much-younger influencer fiancée Brina (Precious Way), who’s significantly savvier than she first appears, and his upstanding, somewhat dorky son Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), who may not be as eager to follow in his father’s athletic footsteps as Reggie thinks he is.
Arthur moves in, too, along with Reggie’s best friend and former teammate Rusty Boyd (Bobby Moynihan). Reggie’s ex-wife, Monica (Erika Alexander), has her own place, but she’s still constantly around, since she remains Reggie’s manager and biggest supporter.
Morgan sometimes coasts on a recycled version of his “30 Rock” persona, but placing him in this different context allows for different types of comedy. Reggie forms an endearing friendship with the equally disgraced Arthur, who is looking for redemption after very publicly being fired from directing a Marvel movie. Radcliffe has shown off his comedic chops in movies like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” and “The Lost City,” and he makes Arthur into an amusingly pathetic figure, especially when faced with intimidating love interests played by Megan Thee Stallion and Anna Camp.
Monica and Brina defy the stereotypes of the ex-wife and the gold-digging opportunist by finding mutual respect, and “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” often avoids the obvious stereotypes it initially evokes. As he did on the short-lived Fey/Carlock sitcom “Mr. Mayor,” Moynihan sometimes plays things too broadly, but his cartoonish antics are entertaining in their relatively small doses.
Craig Robinson and Ronnie Chieng are highlights of the impressive guest cast as Reggie and Monica’s respective nemeses. Fey, who’s credited as an executive producer, doesn’t appear on camera, but there’s always a chance for her to show up in a future season.
Verdict: ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ provides consistent laughs
The bottom line with a show like this is that it’s constantly funny, with the kind of joke density that is often lacking in modern streaming semi-comedies. Even though there are more earnest bonding moments than might be expected, Carlock and Means never let the humor subside for more than a minute or two. The performers all handle the fast-paced material with energy and charm, creating a world that is just as memorable as in other Fey/Carlock shows.
Thanks to shows like “Stumble” and “St. Denis Medical,” NBC is undergoing a sitcom resurgence, and “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is another winning addition to the NBC and Peacock lineup. It’s a reliable show from a reliable team, who are still delivering some of their best work.
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” season 1 final rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
