As a film and television critic, I like to research the history of the main characters. George Lopez is a standup comedian who has created a few different sitcoms for television. The most successful of his efforts was in the 2000’s with the creation of the George Lopez sitcom. The show was a hit and it ran for six seasons. It is one of my favorite sitcoms to release in that decade and when I have free time, I like to catch an episode or two on TBS on weekday mornings.
George Lopez was a family comedy that was shot with a variety of cameras. The show’s setting took place in multiple locations, and it felt to viewers as if it where shot in an open world environment. It also featured an ensemble cast of funny, comedic actors. This gave the production the opportunity to center plotlines on a variety of different characters.
However, Lopez vs. Lopez is shot in a much different way. Rather than an “open world” visual strategy, the cameras take more of a closed, direct shot of the action on screen. This causes the production to seem personal to audiences. This is a welcomed change as I feel it will encourage audiences to relate to the characters, their comedy and understand the drama that takes place.
Another area of significance regards George’s characters in both shows. In George Lopez he plays a blue-collar manager, who works in an airplane parts factory in order to take care of his family. Even though he does not have what some others do in the plotlines, he is a success because he’s able to provide for them.
In Lopez vs. Lopez, his character is not a success (or so he thinks). His wife left him after he cheated, he hasn’t spoken to his daughter in several years, and his business had to shut down permanently due to the global pandemic. I suspect that the definition of success will appear in George’s character throughout the first season. As of now, it is interesting comparing the two roles. The pilot episode is about George moving in with his daughter and her family. He realizes that he didn’t reveal why he wanted to move in with her. The pilot episode is about him building up the strength to do so.
I think the future is bright for this show. I think the characters have a lot of depth, and it will be interesting to see what kind of comedic and dramatic situations they may find themselves in.
Lopez vs. Lopez airs on NBC, Fridays at 8pm EST. Each episode is also available to stream on Peacock the following day.