Comedy is very hot this TV season — thank ABC's best-of-class Wednesday comedies (all in repeats tonight), CBS' Monday blockbusters, NBC's cult faves and Fox's giddy New Girl — but two lousy new sitcom arrivals buck the trend, leaving a sour aftertaste.
Normally I'd celebrate at any circumstance that shrinks The X Factor to 90 minutes, but in this case, it opens the door for Fox's unpleasant I Hate My Teenage Daughter (9:30/8:30c), which traps two gifted comedians — My Name Is Earl's Emmy-winning spitfire Jaime Pressly and two-time Tony-winning scene-stealer Katie Finneran — in no-win roles as shrill moms who used to be ugly ducklings and are now cowed by their bratty offspring (forgettably rendered by Aisha Dee and Kristi Lauren), who are turning out to be the sort of spoiled mean girls who tormented the moms back when they were in high school.
read moreBuck Henry hosts the season finale with musical guests Andrew Gold and Andrae Crouch, & The Voices of Unity. Includes Lord & Lady Douchebag, Nick at Trader Nick's and Roseanne Roseannadanna. watch
When Avery (guest star Elizabeth Banks) points out the peculiarity of Jack (Alec Baldwin) and Liz's (Tina Fey) bond, he vows to set some boundaries. With Jack keeping his distance, Liz is left to deal with her father's (guest star Buck Henry) attempt to recapture his youth during a visit. Meanwhile, Tracy (Tracy Morgan) enlists Kenneth's (Jack McBrayer) help to reinvent himself after viewing his own pre-produced video obituary. Much to Jenna's (Jane Krakowski) dismay, she finds out that no one has shot her video, so she decides to make it herself. Also starring: Judah Friedlander, Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell and Scott Adsit. watch