First of all, I look forward ...
Question: First of all, I look forward to reading your insights every Friday and Monday. I wanted to get your opinion on CBS replacing
Out of Practice with
Courting Alex. I really think that this was a big mistake. The
Courting Alex pilot was generic and unfunny, while
Out of Practice had steadily been improving each week in quality, but CBS still pulled it off the schedule until March. I don't think
Out of Practice is the best sitcom on TV, but it has greatly improved over time and seemed to be doing well in the ratings, too. I also think that
Out of Practice is much more compatible with lead-in
Two and a Half Men than
Alex is. What is your take on this? Will
Out of Practice return to Mondays if
Courting Alex is a success?
Answer: I'm no special fan of
Out of Practice, but I agree it has evolved and somewhat improved. Compared to
Courting Alex, it's the next
Frasier. (Disclosure: I've only seen
Alex's pilot episode as of this writing, but it's hard to see any room for improvement given the tired setup.) Still,
Alex did quite well in its premiere week, because it has one of TV's cushiest time periods, sandwiched between two hits. (What are
Two and a Half Men fans going to do while waiting for
CSI: Miami — turn over midway through an hourlong show?)
