I have always been a fan of ...
Question: I have always been a fan of your column and just love your taste in shows, but I was a little disappointed to hear that you have given up on comedies from network TV. I have been so loyal to certain comedies over the years, like the gems
Everybody Loves Raymond, the dearly departed
Friends and the laugh-out-loud riot
Scrubs. But recently I have realized that networks are putting on more procedural dramas and reality shows than traditional 30-minute comedies. I admit I find myself watching sitcoms like
Less than Perfect and
Still Standing, which are both very mediocre, to fill my needs, but I miss the old sitcoms of yesteryear. My question, though, is that I have heard many good things about comedies coming this fall, like
Everybody Hates Chris,
How I Met Your Mother and
Twins, and was wondering what you thought of them. I know that one of these fall seasons there will be a new comedy to love, like my old faves
Roseanne and
Mad About You. At least we still have
Scrubs and
Arrested Development (though I do find
AD kind of confusing sometimes).
Answer: I don't think I've ever really given up on network comedies, but I also refuse to settle for less, which is why I watch so few nowadays. The good news about the new season is that there are a handful of solid new comedies that I hope will succeed: on CBS, the very fresh and original
How I Met Your Mother and, to a lesser degree,
Out of Practice (by the former producers of
Frasier); UPN's
Everybody Hates Chris, the funniest show of its sort since early
Malcolm in the Middle; and NBC's offbeat
My Name Is Earl, which I wish were being paired with
Scrubs instead of
The Office. (How like NBC to not be able to capitalize on
Scrubs' Emmy nominations by keeping it off the air until midseason; maybe they'll change their minds.) WB's
Twins has moments, but it's not especially a favorite. But all in all, it may be one of the better fall seasons for comedy than we've seen in a while. It's about time.
