Always Bet on Tracy Morgan

Tracy Morgan has starred in a couple of memorable sitcoms since leaving Saturday Night Live. What 30 Rock and The Last OG have in common, besides Morgan, is that they both started clunky, were retooled, and then went on to be successful. His new show, NBC’s The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, feels like it’s coming out of the gate in a similar fashion.

The pilot premiered over the weekend. It’s a mockumentary in the style of The Office (which they referenced in the episode) that includes the documentarian in the story.

Morgan plays Reggie Dinkins, a former NFL star who was blacklisted from the game after illegally betting on himself. Radcliffe is a failed filmmaker who is trying to resurrect his career by making a documentary about Dinkins. Another SNL alum, Bobby Moynihan, plays Dinkins’ former teammate/BFF/current housemate who lives in the basement. Jalyn Hall (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist) plays Dinkins’ dubious son who has been parentified by his father’s antics. Brina (Precious Way) is Dinkins’ ditzy second wife, while his ex-wife, Monica (Living Single’s Erika Alexander), remains in his life acting as his agent and manager.

Reggie starts out hoping to steer the narrative of the documentary towards a fictionalized, grandiose version of himself. Frustrated, Arthur Tobin (Radcliffe), gives up on his idea of the documentary until Monica brings them back together to make it work. Reggie and Monica were high school sweethearts; she has supported him from day one throughout his career. And, despite their marriage and his career ending, she continues to believe in Reggie when no one else does. She’s suspicious of Tobin’s motives until she realizes he and Reggie are both looking to redeem themselves in their respective fields. They’re a perfect match for each other in a very Odd Couple sort of way.

Based on the pilot, no one is subverting any expectations in The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins. Morgan is loveably bombastic. I’m not sure Tracy Morgan has many characters in him besides Tracy Morgan and Tracy-Morgan-But-Louder. Moynihan is a loveable screw-up. And Radcliffe, whose previous series Miracle Workers also struggled to find its footing, is charmingly neurotic. If you aren’t already a fan of these particular traits in these actors, I don’t know if this pilot will convert you. I do know that all three of them have proven their comic chops. And, when given the room to let loose, they’re all exceptionally funny. It’s also entirely possible that Erika Alexander will steal the show out from underneath all of them with her portrayal of the strong, smart businesswoman who dreams of owning an NFL team.

The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins will begin airing new episodes on NBC on February 23rd. The pilot is currently available to stream on Peacock.