There are about a dozen reasons I really wanted to love Alpha House, an original comedy series about four U.S. senators sharing a home on Capitol Hill. It premieres on Amazon — yes, Amazon — on Friday.
The biggest reason: often-underrated star John Goodman, playing a politician up for re-election who knows exactly what voters value in a legislator:
"Two undefeated seasons, 11 conference titles, two national championships," says Goodman's Gil John Biggs, who's coasted from a star basketball-coaching career right into a plum Senate seat. Biggs works hard to avoid hard work; there's no perk he's beneath taking, no contributor he won't schmooze, and he's breezed past token opponents in every election.
Until now.
"Guess who just announced he's running now?" Biggs' wife and adviser screeches in a later scene. "(Duke basketball coach) Digger Mancusi....You're in a real race now, darlin'."
As Biggs slams his phone against a nearby wall in frustration, it's obvious he's suddenly living his worst nightmare: An opponent with a better coaching record.
Biggs faces this horror while living in a house with three other Republican senators: a philandering Latino legislator from Florida, an ethically challenged African-American from Pennsylvania and a possibly closeted gay man from Nevada. The setup is inspired by an actual house owned by Democratic U.S. Rep. George Miller.
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