Review: Lea Michele-Led Comedy THE MAYOR Gets Our Vote!

ABC has been killing the comedy game for the last few years, with hits such as MODERN FAMILY and BLACK-ISH. So how does the rookie THE MAYOR stack up against these seasoned legends?

THE MAYOR is a delightful new comedy from executive producer Daveed Diggs (Tony winner for HAMILTON). It stars an extremely likable Brandon Micheal Hall as struggling rapper Courtney Rose. In order to propel himself to stardom, Rose decides to run for Mayor of his California hometown. To the shock of everyone, including himself, he wins. With the help of his mother, played by the always wonderful Yvette Nicole Brown, his friends (the hilarious duo of Bernard David and Marcel Spears) and a former classmate turned co-worker Valentina (GLEE's Lea Michele), he learns how to get by while also transforming the city that he loves.

THE MAYOR is a fresh new addition to ABC's comedy line up with a solid cast. Brandon Micheal Hall will soon become Hollywood's rising star. He portrays Courtney Rose with such charisma that it is hard not to like him, even when some of his actions make you cringe. Brown plays his sweet mother and finds the balance between comedy and sincerity quite nicely. As his friends Jermaine and TK, David and Spears have a hilarious rapport. They will be the ones that make you laugh out loud with their banter.

And how does Lea Michele fare in a role outside of Ryan Murphy's world? Her character Valentina is supposed to be a little unlikeable and more realistic in this made-up world. But it is impossible to totally not like Valentina, especially when Ms. Michele is portraying her. With a slight burst of Rachel Berry infused in the character, Michele keeps it real as the strong woman trying to further her career.

However, THE MAYOR does have its faults. There are moments that lag and characters that speak so fast that you miss a joke completely. However, THE MAYOR's biggest challenge is its time slot. It airs Tuesdays at 9:30pm, after BLACK-ISH (which moved to a new time and day). With NBC's hit drama THIS IS US playing at 9pm and CBS's third most watched scripted series BULL at 9pm, THE MAYOR may struggle to find its audience, which is a terrible travesty with its strong writing and likable cast.

THE MAYOR premieres on October 3rd at 9:30pm on ABC.

About the show: Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years, he's toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity to knock, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century - running for mayor of his California hometown, Fort Grey, to generate buzz for his music career. But his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory. "The Mayor" premieres TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 (9:30-10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.

As Courtney begins his new journey into the unpredictable world of politics, his mother Dina Rose (Yvette Nicole Brown) and best friends, including Valentina (Lea Michele), will be completely dedicated to help him succeed. He'll have to learn what it means to be responsible for others while learning what it means to be responsible for himself.

The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina Barella, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Leforge, Marcel Spears as T.K. Clifton and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina Rose. Recurring guest star David Spade as Ed Gunt.

Executive producers of the series are Daveed Diggs, Jeremy Bronson, Jamie Tarses and James Griffiths. "The Mayor" is produced by ABC Studios.

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