TV Critics Tour: Matthew Perry says new show better than 'Mr. Sunshine'

BEVERLY HILLS -- Matthew Perry,  highly talented with his own set of troubles, arrived here Tuesday to tout his new comedy "Go On," noting that this one will probably work.

It's a funny comment to make, but Perry -- who hasn't had a series hit since "Friends"  --  probably needed to make it. His last series, "Mr. Sunshine," drifted away. Some critics liked it; I did not.

Will this one work? Who knows, but my initial read is that it's easily superior to "Sunshine." It also stars Laura Benanti, a major  Broadway talent, who misstepped into "The Playboy Club" last fall. Show's about a widower (Perry) who has to attend anger counseling sessions.

 Here's what Perry said when asked Tuesday about his newbie by a critic who professed admiration for "Sunshine."

"I wish I had just stayed in this room that whole year. The bad news for me creatively well, the good news and the bad news. The bad news for me is that Scott [Silveri] created a TV show for me better than the one that I created for myself ['Sunshine,' Perry was exec producer] so this show is  just better. Scott’s a better writer than I am. [Silveri jumped in at this point to observe, "I also happen to be a better actor than he is. "]

Of the role, Perry said, " I gravitate toward sort of broken characters who try to be better people, and that setup is just much better here, first of all. That guy was sort of in a bad mood and no one really knew why. And this guy has had some very dramatic things happen to him, and he’s in denial when you meet him. So it’s a sort of built-in excuse to be really funny, much like this answer was."