Reggie Dinkins is really beside the point.
The real reason to watch “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins†is the interplay among the people around him.
A disgraced football player, Reggie (Tracy Morgan) believes a documentary will redeem him. He calls upon a college professor (Daniel Radcliffe) to show how he’s not guilty of gambling on the game, behaving poorly or cheating on those around him.
From left, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander and Tracy Morgan in "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
It’s a heavy lift, but the family (including ex-wife, Monica, who’s played by the superb Erika Alexander), the friends (Bobby Moynihan lives in Reggie’s basement) and the new girlfriend (Precious Way) steal the spotlight and get to spout those lines that made Tina Fey a “Saturday Night Live†legend. She’s an executive producer here, helping steer the production created by Sam Means and Robert Carlock.
In the first episodes, everyone from Jessica Rabbit to Kevin James is referenced, and when Morgan gets a chance to poke Radcliffe, “Fall and Rise†becomes a surprise win for both. Radcliffe is really the star, but Morgan drops in enough to remind you they’re not making another mockumentary but a behind-the-scenes documentary.
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As Carlock and Means veer away from Reggie, unpredictable laughs come from Brina, who benefits from her boyfriend’s misdeeds, and Moni, who has incredible business sense and still represents her ex.
Morgan’s real quirks (he’s a collector who buys plenty of memorabilia) figure into Reggie’s personality. And Fey’s facility with pop culture gets the kind of workout she once enjoyed with “30 Rock.â€
Often, the laughs come at Radcliffe’s expense. His Arthur Tobin wants to remain true to the tenets of documentary filmmaking. Reggie wants to stage scenes to make him look better. Frustrated, the filmmaker must corral his subjects like a pet owner nabbing dozens of cats and dogs named Namath.
Tracy Morgan, left, and Daniel Radcliffe in "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
What surprises is how so many disparate actors work well together. Moynihan doesn’t seem like the go-to guy (he wants to do reaction shots like John Krasinski on “The Officeâ€), but he’s often the boxer delivering the punchline. When he and Alexander join forces (to help her get a date), “Reggie Dinkins†becomes a series that could go in a multitude of directions.
Its many surprises suggest this isn’t another entry in the “St. Denis Medicalâ€/ “The Paperâ€/ “Stumble†canon.
“Fall and Rise†is a new standard for comedies. Its ups and downs are merely a different way of doing business.
“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins†is now airing on NBC.
