But none of them are as good as Newsradio

I am a fan of the network sitcom. Nothing against dramas, but when I come home from a day of work I want something funny, not serious, and I want something that will entertain me for a while but not take up the whole night. Half-hour sitcoms are exactly what I want to see. So last year was a bad one for the world of TV according to Dan. With NBC’s classic Must See Thursdays a distant memory and remaining old-school favorites like Will & Grace and That 70s Show long since past their prime, there was in 2004 only one sitcom on that I would describe as genuinely good - Scrubs. A few others - Joey, The Office, Two and a Half Men, Father of the Pride - were passable and good enough to watch if I happened to be watching, but not special.

This season, however, brings fresh hope. Several new shows have debuted and in something of an uncharacteristic act for me, I’ve made an effort to watch some of them and find out if they’re any good. Keep reading for brief capsule reviews of the 7 shows I’ve targeted as potentially worthwhile…

First, the returning shows:

Joey
Thursday 8:00 NBC
Last season was a mistake. Joey wasn’t Joey and none of the other characters were likable. If anything remotely good had been on at the same time slot I probably wouldn’t have watched. This season, however, is looking considerably better. New characters have been introduced and annoying things about old characters have been dialed down. Things looked bad when lowly UPN’s Everybody Hates Chris beat Joey’s week one ratings, but with an improving product Joey may grow into a keeper.

The Office
Tuesday 9:30 NBC
Though perhaps not as good as the original, this still has to rank as one of the best Americanized British comedies. Certainly it’s worlds better than the mess that was Coupling. Anyway, the show continues to improve as Steve Carell gets more comfortable in the roll of hapless dunderhead instead of mean-spirited jerk as played in the first season. The supporting cast is fantastic as well. As long as we get stupid and not mean The Office is money.

Two and a Half Men
Monday 9:00 CBS
It’s cute. It’s well played. But it’s also pretty standard material and just not that interesting. Good for filler, nothing more.

And now the newbies:

My Name is Earl
Tuesday 9:00 NBC
Hilarious and well-executed. Unfortunately I doubt the gimmick can stay fresh for long. The main characters will have to get deeper and the plots expand beyond formula or the show will get old fast. For now it’s a watcher, but it may not remain so.

Out of Practice
Monday 9:30 CBS
Typically lame laugh-track driven but unfunny sitcom about a family of doctors. Shows like this are why the genre has been losing ground. Once you get past the fact that Stockard Channing is being naughty there isn’t much to see, except bright spot Paula Marshall as the lesbian daughter. Her charm saves the show and is the only reason to watch.

Everybody Hates Chris
Thursday 8:00 UPN
Everything seems right on paper, but I’ve watched it twice and not laughed either time. The show is simply too predictable. If I can see all the jokes coming then they’re not funny. I’d probably give this show more of a chance if it were in a different timeslot, but with Joey improving rapidly something has to give, and this is it.

How I Met Your Mother
Monday 8:30 CBS
Now we’re getting somewhere. A true ensemble comedy that’s actually funny and has characters I can see myself continuing to enjoy for years to come. It helps that I have a giant crush on Alyson Hannigan, but everyone is great in this show. No one has done this formula better since Friends. After Scrubs, this is the best sitcom on TV.

Tags: entertainment