The Mid-season Grind

  Even if Arrested Development gets picked up by Showtime, I'm not going to order a premium channel for one twenty-two minute show, no matter how fantastic it is.  Therefore, I've decided to branch out and give some of the mid-season replacement comedies a chance.  There are three that I know of.  Actually four, but the WB doesn't count so I'm not going to watch anything on that channel.  There's already a good chance that the three new shows I watched will be canceled (anyone even remember Life on a Stick or Jake in Progress?) so I figure any mid-season show debuting on a network that is about to merge with another network has no chance of making the schedule in the fall.  My apologies to Jane Seymour.  Anyway, I feel like I'm starting to ramble, so I'll just get to the shows that I did watch:

Sons and Daughters (Tuesdays ABC)

  This show has drawn comparisons to AD because it's shot in the same voyeuristic style with hand-held cameras.  That's where the comparisons end, though.  S & D has its moments, but it is not nearly the classic I envisioned when I read the great write-ups it got.  The first two episodes were lackluster until the last ten minutes when two scenes convinced me to give it another chance the next week.  The first was when the mother voiced her outrage that everyone knew her husband was leaving her except her (not exactly what I'm looking for in a COMEDY, but still a good dramatic scene).  The second was the only time I laughed at the show that night, but it was a good one- the sister and her husband lying in bed together sharing their bizarre sexual fantasy.  It wouldn't translate here, but it was hilarious how excited they were getting at these crazy notions they were having.

  As for the second batch of episodes, I will say that, not unlike AD, it helps to know the characters a little better before you can laugh at them.  The show was still not laugh out loud funny, but I got a few chuckles, started to care about the people and, most importantly, didn't regret that I had recorded it a second time.  I can't see myself tuning in on Tuesday rubbing my hands together in anticipation, but Sons and Daughters is a solid, if imperfect, time killer on those long afternoons of doing nothing because of your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Grade: B-

Free Ride (Sundays FOX)

  I only saw twenty minutes of the second episode of this show, but what I saw was enough for me to make sure I record it this Sunday.  My wife called it "over-the-top" (we were both watching it waiting for Grey's Anatomy to come on) and I would have to agree.  Sometimes, that's just what I want in a comedy.  I didn't have to know who the characters were in order to get at least five genuine laughs out of the show.

Grade: Incomplete, but I'll be back for more.

The Loop (FOX)

  This is the show that got the Life on a Stick slot where FOX tries to get people to stay tuned after American Idol to watch their new shows.  Doesn't usually work, but in this case, I hope it does.  It's not exactly groundbreaking (there is apparently no limit on how many shows can use the unrequited crush on a friend) but I did enjoy every minute of it and am perfectly willing to make it one of "my shows", provided FOX will let me.  I laughed more times in twenty minutes than I did at the last three episodes of My Name is Earl, which has been losing steam over the stretch run.

Grade: A

 

 Overall, I think this season has been a good one for comedy (Emily's Reasons Why Not, notwithstanding).  I will definitely be disappointed if any of the shows I have given my opinion on here are canceled.

  My advice for Sons and Daughters would be to stop reminding us that it is "partially-improvised".  I don't really care and all that knowledge does is distract me from what's going on.  (Like, "Did they tell that kid what to say or is he the world's youngest improv actor?")  I would drop the improv schtick altogether and focuse on getting a script that's funnier than what can be thought of on the fly.  Improv is an unnecessary gimmick for a sitcom.

  Also, to both S & D and The Loop- stop putting up on the screen who everyone is and what their relationship is- that is also distracting.  If the show is good enough, we'll keep tuning in and learn who everyone is.

  Okay, that's it for today.  Don't forget that My Name is Earl and The Office are back with new episodes tonight.  And Fox airs another episode of The Loop before that at 8:30 eastern.  That's an excellent 90 minute block right there.  Plus, CBS has shelved their normally powerhouse line-up for college basketball so there's no excuses.  Support comedy!