There are simply no words to express how enthusiastic I am about A Million Little Things after reading this script. I’ll try to find some, however. First, we need to go back almost a year ago when ABC decided not to pick-up to series DJ Nash’s previous project, a comedy pilot called Losing It, about “three misfit adult siblings and their parents who — between divorce, new parenthood, early-onset dementia and let’s just say life — are all losing it in different ways“. Though the script was good, it was definitely not your typical ABC family comedy. The subject matter was dark, and felt better suited to cable. It was hard not to think of This Is Us, especially with Gerald McRaney playing the father and a twist toward the end (spoiler alert: the mother died). And although ABC passed on that project, execs loved DJ Nash and decided to give him a second chance. It was from this “failure” that Nash conceived A Million Little Things, which has become a clear frontrunner in the 2018 pilot race.

As DJ Nash himself describes it, A Million Little Things is “an optimistic look at how the loss of a friend is the impetus for the other seven to finally start living, to make a promise to him and to themselves to finally be honest about what’s really going on (…)“. As trite as it may sound, there’s something pretty profound on the page that I think/hope will translate to the screen. A Million Little Things has been called “This Is Us with friends”, but it's unfair to compare them too much. True, they have some shared DNA, but make no mistake -- this is not a knock-off. AMLT is about the power of friendship, the power of belonging to a group in a world where it’s easy feel alone. People are not talking anymore, they don’t even look at each other on the bus, on the train, on the streets… Following the death of their friend, these seven friends realize they need to take care of each other a little bit better. Simply put, they need to change, which is also the name of the song from Tracy Chapman we’re supposed to hear in the pilot if they get the rights to it.

At first, I was a little taken aback when I discovered the script was mostly about male friendship. Not that it’s uninteresting, but shows centered around men seem to rarely connect with audiences (think Men of a Certain Age, Big Shots, We Are Men…). My guess is that women are less interested in this type of look behind the curtain, and men are less interested in soapy character-driven dramas.. What’s different with A Million Little Things is that these men are not stereotypes, they are modern and self-aware (although they spend too much time at hockey games, if you ask me). They’re multi-dimensional and they don’t avoid their emotions; meanwhile, the women are not just girlfriends or wives -- they too have their own stories to tell and their own journeys to live. In short, it’s a bunch of promising characters. Even when they’re not nice, even when they’re difficult. But don’t be afraid, they can also be a lot of fun.

Eddie (David Giuntoli) is the former front man of a local band turned music teacher and stay-at-home dad. His marriage is in trouble, and although he loves being a dad, he wonders what his life would have been like had he made different choices. He may be ready to take a big risk and leave his wife… for another woman he’s having an affair with. There’s a Netflix’s Friends From College vibe here, but it’s less cynical and they didn’t meet at college! Then there’s Gary (James Roday), who is known for his deflective humor, a habit of sleeping with everyone, and having complete control over his emotions. He’s in remission after battling a breast cancer and may want to take a chance at love. He’s both irritating and cute. Rome (Romany Malco) is a depressed but very successful commercial director. Not quite the gig he went to film school for, he longs to be doing something more important than making commercials. He’s in a happy marriage but his wife knows nothing about his darker side. Also, he’s black. And it’s important because depression in the black community is taboo. Finally, there’s Jon (Ron Livingston), who appears to have it all: good looks, a beautiful family, and a successful career. But he takes his own life in the opening by jumping out of a window for reasons everyone has a hard time to understand. Don’t expect a Desperate Housewives‘ kind of mystery, but there are certainly soapy elements in the DNA of the show, with a big reveals at the end of the pilot to make sure you’ll come back, including one shocker. And the reasons behind Jon’s suicide are still very much a question mark.

It’s the women’s turn now. Delilah (Stephanie Szostak) is Jon’s wife, who pushes through after his death for the sake of her children. Katherine (Anne Son) is Eddie’s wife, who was once the fun one in the group but is struggling to juggle being the parent she wants to be with her very successful law career. . Regina (Christina Moses) is a talented chef with dreams of opening her own restaurant one day. She is living proof that there’s nothing stronger in this world than a determined woman. She’s married to Rome and he’ll need her more than ever. Finally, there’s Maggie (Allison Miller), a therapist who is focused on the emotional in both her career and her personal life. She might be the one for Gary. But there’s something about her he doesn’t know yet…

A Million Little Things may or may not be the critical darling, or the next This Is Us ratings-wise. But it’s good medicine to which I think one could easily become addicted. It’s the kind of show that makes you realize you should be living your life to the fullest while you can. It’s the kind of show that makes your heart jump a little, and your eyes cry a little… Ultimately, it gives you a million different feelings. I don’t know about you but that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a television show.

OVERALL PROJECT SCORE:
[   ] PASS
[   ] CONSIDER
[X] RECOMMEND

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