With The Nine's ...
Question: With
The Nine's all-but-official cancellation, there are very few freshman shows still on my viewing list. Only one, to be exact:
The Class. I've never really gotten into the comedy shows that NBC offers, and I find
Two and a Half Men too crass for my liking, but this show has caught my attention. It's certainly not the best comedy out there, but it has a likable premise and characters, and the execution is improving from week to week. I just wonder if CBS will stick with this comedy. Also on the lines of comedy,
Reba has returned full-force to the new CW, gaining on
Everybody Hates Chris' numbers. Can the execs at the CW swallow their pride and give
Reba the full season and the season renewal that it deserves? Or will it be halted after its 13-episode run this year?
Answer: The fact that CBS has stuck this long with
The Class should give you some hope. But its ratings have been disappointing. And as fond as I was of the show from the start, I've found it awfully uneven and hope to see some signs of creative tinkering in the episodes in the new year, for as long as it goes. For one: A sharper focus on key characters and relationships like Richie-Lina/Kat-Ethan/Duncan-Nicole, and more of Duncan's daffy mom, while they're at it. And can they
please get Lina out of that wheelchair? I expect CBS will rest
The Class at some point in the mid-season to give a new sitcom titled
Rules of Engagement a tryout. If that one is received better by viewers and critics, chances are it could pull an
Old Christine — by which I'm referring to the Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy that came along late last season to effectively give the boot to
Out of Practice. As for
Reba, I'm glad its loyal audience has found it on Sundays, but there are two strikes against it already: A hefty price tag and the fact that it's not compatible with any other comedy on the CW's schedule. Economics alone may likely keep the network from extending
Reba's life much longer, unless the network feels it can't afford to drop it, which would be a rich irony considering how they've treated it so far.
