Jerry Seinfeld is a producer and public promoter of the show, and it is quickly apparent that Regan appeals to a similar sense of humor. Adding a bit of color and bravado, he succeeds in modernizing the "Why do people..?" approach; however, this show tries to do too much.
The cutaways from live audience to sketches is reminiscent of successful comedy Key & Peele, though Regan's primary skill is in his live stand-up, not his acting, so the comedy routines dominate the show. Some of the skits featuring other people feature pretty poor acting, but this actually brings out Regan and his teams' tremendous ability to bring the routines to life. Particular actors are able to steal the show, however, and over time these figures should be used more often (think of how Key and Peele both rose to fame on MadTV).
Then there's Beth and the audience dynamic. I have no doubt Beth adds to the show and probably knows much more about producing than Brian; still, the conversations with her seem very forced. It is impossible not to think of Andy Richter on Conan, but it is possible to realize it doesn't work well here.
Overall, the experimentation with the audience will most likely work itself out, and the mix between stand-up and sketches will probably swing more towards sketches. Though this show still features more stand-up than Seinfeld ever did, the earliest Seinfeld episodes showed much more stand-up, than fully developed as David and Seinfeld improved as writers. This first season paves the way nicely for Regan, with still some things to fully figure out.
The cutaways from live audience to sketches is reminiscent of successful comedy Key & Peele, though Regan's primary skill is in his live stand-up, not his acting, so the comedy routines dominate the show. Some of the skits featuring other people feature pretty poor acting, but this actually brings out Regan and his teams' tremendous ability to bring the routines to life. Particular actors are able to steal the show, however, and over time these figures should be used more often (think of how Key and Peele both rose to fame on MadTV).
Then there's Beth and the audience dynamic. I have no doubt Beth adds to the show and probably knows much more about producing than Brian; still, the conversations with her seem very forced. It is impossible not to think of Andy Richter on Conan, but it is possible to realize it doesn't work well here.
Overall, the experimentation with the audience will most likely work itself out, and the mix between stand-up and sketches will probably swing more towards sketches. Though this show still features more stand-up than Seinfeld ever did, the earliest Seinfeld episodes showed much more stand-up, than fully developed as David and Seinfeld improved as writers. This first season paves the way nicely for Regan, with still some things to fully figure out.