But, unfortunately, “Uncle Buck” fails to gel. It’s a fine enough sitcom, led by the ever-charming Mike Epps in the title role. But the material of the show struggles to connect to the audience.

In the fall of 1990, CBS was about to debut a TV adaptation of John Hughes’ Uncle Buck, and TV critics at TCA had their knickers in a knot because the pilot featured a 6-year-old girl bellowing ...