You Can Watch CTV's The Goldbergs Now!

Now available ahead of the new fall TV schedule:  The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife
Both new U.S. sitcoms are getting the preview treatment by CTV which understands a new show needs all the hype it can get.
Now you can watch the pilots on CTV.ca and hopefully if you like them you'll tell your friends and create some buzz.
The Goldbergs is definitely a reworking of The Wonder Years with added twists.
Creator Adam F. Goldberg goes back to the 1980s when as a little kid he'd record all the mad antics of family which he recreates here.
Young Adam who is the family video diarist is played engagingly by Sean Giambrone in a pretty wonderful way.
The parents are meddling mom Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and grouchy dad  Murray (Jeff Garlin), older brother Barry who is all of 16 (Troy Gentile) and the one invented character sis Erica (Hayley Orrantia).
And there's even a sexually active grand dad Pops (George Segal).
The line readings by the youngsters are especially funny. When mom says that one day she won't be here to dress him for school Adam shouts "You keep saying that but when."
Big item in the pilot has Barry deciding he's old enough to drive and then crashing into everything in sight.
The Eighties references are fun from  Mom's bouffant hair style to the pretty awful interiors of the home. The music references are also right on.
The pilot does need some work but has most of the attributes for a hit. Perhaps the actors yell a bit too loud but chalk that down to youth full exuberance. Yes the actors try too hard but when they get the hang of the characters that will surely change.
Meeting the young stars at the CTV fall preview was great and the kids already knew that there was another sitcom way back at the dawn of TV called The Goldbergs so they've done their homework.
The show already has a lot of heart. Now it needs a dab of understated humor.
The other new series Trophy Wife is far more challenging.
Malin Akerman is pretty funny as the show girl who becomes the third wife of a much older man played engagingly by Bradley Whitford. Marcia Gay Harden nicely plays the original wife.
This is hardly a traditionally family sitcom. Instead it's an often bizarre take on the realities of contemporary marriage --the creators are Sara Haskins and Emily Halpern.
Direction from Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect) manages to blend realistic touches with elements of absurdom.
Akerman aces all the big comedy moments  and it will be interesting to see which way this one goes.
By watching in advance you can become your own TV critic and spread the word to others. At least that's what CTV is hoping.
THE GOLDBERG PREMIERES ON CTV TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24 AT 9.
MY RATING: ***.
TROPHY WIFE DEBUTS ON CTV TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24 AT 9:30 P.M.
MY RATING: ***.