Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Mr. Mayor’ On NBC, Where Ted Danson Plays An Unusual Mayor In A New Tina Fey Comedy

The comedies that have been spun out of the laptops of Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and their staffs have always been about ersatz families, mostly at workplaces, whose relationships grow and change simply because of their proximity to one another. Their new comedy, Mr. Mayor, is no exception; this time, the workplace is Los Angeles City Hall. But this time, Fey and Carlock have managed to cast two of the best in the business — Ted Danson and Holly Hunter — in the leads.

MR. MAYOR: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: On his first day in office, new Los Angeles mayor Neil Bremer (Ted Danson), greeting everyone. Then he leans over and says to one of his inner circle staff, “you know I’m lost, don’t you?”

The Gist: Bremer isn’t a career politician; he’s a retired businessman who made millions in the billboard business. But he was inspired to run for mayor when the last one was broken by the pandemic and other events of 2020. Being the “second weirdest city” in the U.S., his offbeat candidacy managed to work. Now he’s in office, and he actually wants to get things done. One thing he’s adamant about: No deputy mayors. “Like my daughter said when she learned to wiper her tushy: ‘No, me do it!'” he says.

One of the things he introduces is a ban on plastic straws. One problem: His 15-year-old daughter Orly (Kayla Kenedy) made the straw ban her central issue in her campaign for sophomore class president. She’s mortified when she finds out, and he tries to figure out whether to back off on the ban or not. He’s a single dad, you know, and he’s not in any mood to get into a throwdown with Orly over this.

During his first press conference, his former campaign manager and new chief of staff, Mikaela Shaw (Vala Lovell), starts panicking about going from a highly-paid PR gig to this government job; Chief Strategist Tommy Tomás (Mike Cabellon) replies, “Elections aren’t like marriage; you’re not trying to find ‘the one’. It’s like dating. It’s not going to be perfect, or good, or fun or fulfilling. It’s so your mom can brag at church.”

Another problem: Thorn-in-the-side councilperson Arpi Meskimen (Holly Hunter) is mounting an objection to the straw ban on behalf of paralyzed citizens. She’s not a fan of Bremer and is determined to very publicly protest just about every one of his initiatives; with her years in city government, she knows a path to protest just about anything.

One of the holdovers from the previous administration, unassuming communications director Jayden Kwapis (Bobby Moynihan) informs Bremer that Arpi wanted to run for mayor but didn’t have enough signatures to make the ballot. So, in an effort to keep his friends close and enemies closer, he makes Arpi deputy mayor, “in charge of public outreach, opposition research and mini wolf reproductive services.” Oh, did we mention that Arpi feels the name “coyote” is a cultural appropriation?

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? 30 Rock, set in the mayor’s office in L.A.

Our Take: The reason why we say this is that Mr. Mayor is a creation of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and through the various shows they’ve created — 30 Rock, Good News, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — you have come to expect certain things. A lot of rapid-fire dialogue and rapid-fire jokes; pop culture references that sometimes zing by so fast you have to rewind. But there’s also a sense of family that’s fostered, family that’s created by a disparate set of people who would never have become friends if not in this workplace. And there’s also much more to the main characters than meets the eye.

This definitely goes for Neil Bremer, so expertly played by Ted Danson. The promos for the show make him look like an idiot, but Bremer is far from it. He sincerely wants to get things done, and has the smarts to do it. But he also has no idea how municipal government works, and he’s basically learning as he goes, despite being the mayor of such a massive city — “He thinks Santa Monica is part of Los Angeles!” huffs Mikaela. But he’s got some moves, based on his years as a billboard magnate. It’s how he decided to bring Arpi into his administration rather than have her continue to hurl insults from the outside.

In the second episode, he objects to going all day to ceremonial appearances, and he proves how much he hates them by nibbling some edibles from a dispensary he visited for an event and getting high as a kite. This isn’t a matter of Bremer being dumb; it’s a matter of Bremer chafing against the grind of being a politician, and paying for it. Meanwhile, Mikaela thinks she’s “babysitting” Arpi while the mayor is out, but instead Arpi is using her connections to get a flight plan modification idea, unfortunately acronymed PPPORN, in front of the mayor.

We’re definitely looking to see Danson and Hunter spark off each other more; the two veterans have a chemistry that’s so comfortable and immediate, it’s surprising that this is the first time they’ve acted together. But Moynihan, Lovell and Cabellon are a fine support staff, and the base of a show that can expand into other stories and new characters, much the way 30 Rock did.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: After Orly (named after the airport where she was conceived) tells her dad that she’s OK with him continuing the straw ban — she ended up winning the election, anyway — she kisses him and says she loves him. Then, he revisits a letter he signed, saying in disbelief, “We’re hosting the Olympics?”

Sleeper Star: Kenedy, who plays Orly, stole all the scenes she was in on ABC’s Speechless, so a slightly older version as a teenager unafraid to tell the mayor how much he stinks has the potential to be even better.

Most Pilot-y Line: That scene where the previous mayor snaps after all the stuff that happened in 2020 is the show’s indication that it takes place in a post-pandemic world, but it’s still a little jarring to see it largely forgotten on the show after that mention.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Mr. Mayor has some very funny moments, and a growing chemistry among its ensemble. But it also has two ace stars in Danson and Hunter. We can’t wait to see how their characters’ relationship grows over the season.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

Stream Mr. Mayor On NBC.com