There are two Bob Sagets in the TV world. One is the family man we all came to know and love on “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Then, there’s the other Bob Saget: the vicious, foul-mouthed stand-up comedian who occasionally pops up on HBO’s “Entourage.” So, when it came time for Bob to host his new show, “Strange Days with Bob Saget,” which Bob were we going to see? While it turns out that “Strange Days” emphasizes Good Bob, there were very few things about this show that could critically be considered “good.”
“Strange Days with Bob Saget”
Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
A&E
In each episode, Saget follows a different group or subculture for a few days, like a bikers club or a group of hunters, and learns about their thoughts on life and what they do with their time. In the series premiere, Saget travels around the country with national bikers club Iron Order, attempting to earn his right to become a member of their brotherhood. He witnesses many Order events along the way, like a rather unorthodox wedding and an emotional memorial for a fallen brother.
While the show’s premise is perfectly fine, Saget’s presence feels completely unnecessary. Aside from a few wisecracks about how the bikers’ partying “would rage on until dawn, just like my bar mitzvah,” there isn’t much of anything to make Bob Saget a more idea host than some random guy off the street. Saget is a funny man, and while this show doesn’t necessarily need his foul-mouthed side, it could use a little more spunk from him.
Another severe drawback to this show is its 30-minute time slot. While Saget does have a chance to open up to members of the Iron Order, much of it remains unexplored due to time constraints. A lot more depth could have been explored about the bikers and even Saget himself if the time allotment had been increased to an hour.
Still, the show does an impressive job of debunking stereotypes. Throughout the episode, it’s clear the Iron Order is just a group of people who like to have fun. To put it more bluntly, they rage. A lot. There were beer showers on more than one occasion. But it’s also clear that these are kind, normal, everyday people who just happen to be massive and have tattoos covering almost every part of their bodies. Everyone treats Saget with respect and could not be more open or kind toward him.
“Strange Days” does have its merits, but it underuses its biggest asset — Bob Saget himself — and feels too short for Saget and his new biker friends to really have developed any kind of connections. Saget, you’re a proven comedian, stick with what you’re good at.