Without a doubt, last year’s ...
Question: Without a doubt, last year’s
My Name Is Earl was the breakthrough comedy of the season. But what about this year? I heard positive things about
The Class, but it does remind me too much of
Friends, primarily because of the ridiculously waspy cast. Then I saw a preview for ABC’s
Help Me Help You. At first, the name sounded terrible to me, and it didn't help that I don't care for
Ted Danson (I hated
Becker). But the supporting characters, like the promiscuous Asian woman and the guy who refuses to accept he’s gay, seem to make this show really funny. What do you think? Should I bother with this one, or are the previews misleading?
Answer: Too soon to tell. The patients are the funniest thing about
Help Me Help You, though Danson’s scenes with his character's ex-wife (
Jane Kaczmarek, a recurring guest star) show promise. But is it a breakthrough/breakout hit, even on the modest scale of
Earl (my fave new comedy of last season)? Not likely.
The Class seems to me a terrific fit for CBS' Monday-night lineup, but not (at least yet) a future tent pole.
The Class will suffer in many eyes because it’s more traditional in format and tone, but so many comedies this season (especially on ABC) are going the single-camera, filmed-like-a-movie route that I imagine the best that most of them can hope for is a modest loyal following. If you're an
Earl fan, I would definitely recommend ABC’s
The Knights of Prosperity, another show about social misfits (not seeking redemption, though, but plotting to rob
Mick Jagger’s penthouse). But that too is going to be a slow build at best, I'll bet.
