Comedy makes a comeback this fall. At long last, the new TV season offers something besides grim procedurals and ridiculous “reality.”
Inventive comedy writers are updating the old form while finding timeless material in parenthood, suburbia, alienation and geekdom. Fully four of the five most promising new shows are comedies of some sort — dramedy, musical, conventional or progressive.
Vampires, lawyers and lizards (insert joke about sameness of the three), plus detectives and a sci-fi conspiracy theory, round out the best list.
On the comedy front, the goal for the networks has been locating the new edge, somewhere between the envelope-pushing of “Arrested Development” and the familiar setup- punch-line-setup rhythm of a traditional sitcom like “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
They’ve succeeded on both ends.
Patricia Heaton scores a laugh-out- loud-funny half-hour on ABC that doesn’t waste energy trying to be hip or alternative. “The Middle” is a conventional domestic sitcom that captures the minute-to-minute struggles of a Midwestern mom.
On the edgier side, NBC has allowed the creators of “Community” to tend toward free-form eccentricity. The series, ostensibly about students in a study group at a community college, is playful in terms of pacing and direction as the study group turns into more of a therapeutic encounter session within the bounds of a half-hour comedy. By broadcast network standards, “Community” feels novel. It’s Sitcom 2.0.
Compared with HBO’s “Bored to Death,” however, it’s pretty tame. The faux autobiography by Jonathan Ames follows a young writer, played by Jason Schwartzman, who fantasizes about being a detective as he drinks, smokes pot and tries on a Raymond Chandleresque alter ego.
Similarly subversive, FX’s animated cable comedy “Archer” is a raunchy, adults-only spoof on the ’70s superspy genre that’s all about dysfunction. (Archer has mommy issues.) Imagine James Bond meets “Arrested Development” meets “South Park,” with H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Taylor and Jessica Walter providing voices.
Two of the season’s best new comedies are headed for a Wednesday- night showdown. The half-hour “Modern Family” on ABC goes up against the heavily promoted hour “Glee” on Fox. Both deserve DVR settings.
In “Modern Family,” the jokes aim at trophy wives, gay dads, fathers who desperately want to be “hip” and annoyingly wise kids. It’s a hilariously truthful portrait of the evolution of families in general, using three interconnected families to tell the fast-paced story.
“Glee,” as you must know by now, is the Fox musical dramedy from Ryan Murphy about a high-school glee club. It draws its exceptional cast from Broadway and beyond and has already achieved success with the iTunes fan base. Count it the marketing victor of the year.
There are comedic misfires, too. Jenna Elfman and Kelsey Grammer picked weak vehicles (hers is “Accidentally on Purpose”; his is “Hank”). And while Courtney Cox carries off the physical shtick of “Cougar Town” well enough, the premise — poor, unattractive old thing can’t find love — is grating.
Still, if even a couple of the superior comedies find an audience and become appointment viewing, the TV week will feel wonderfully different.
The wild card is Jay Leno.
Starting Monday, Leno will occupy the last hour of NBC’s prime- time lineup across five nights a week (locally at 9 p.m., hardly late-night comedy territory). Financially it’s a smart move; NBC will save a bundle compared with the cost of programming dramas across the schedule. But the hours won’t make money in reruns, they won’t serve to groom actors and writers for future dramas, and they won’t build into decade-long signature shows such as “ER” or “Law & Order.” Leno interrupts the audience’s expectation of a meaty hour at the end of prime time. Then again, “Lipstick Jungle,” a previous NBC effort in that time slot, was hardly filling.
CBS is predicting that “CSI: Miami” will crush “The Jay Leno Show” in the ratings every Monday. NBC retorts that 30 weeks a year, when “CSI: Miami” is in reruns, Leno will be fresh. Besides, for the price of one hour of “CSI: Miami,” NBC can do a week’s worth of Leno. And Leno will do commercials and product placements within the show.
NBC’s fail-safe move with Leno is a gamble that reflects the changing business: Let serious drama find a home on cable; live, unscripted events and cheap reality/entertainment shows will do for NBC. The other networks don’t agree, and viewers may not either. But for the Peacock network, Leno only has to be mediocre to be considered a win.
NBC may have the last laugh.
What’s new
Monday
“The Jay Leno Show” NBC, weeknights, beginning Monday. Jay’s first guest is Jerry Seinfeld; Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West are scheduled to perform. Place your bets.
“Accidentally on Purpose” CBS, Sept. 21. Jenna Elfman returns to TV in a comedy with a simple premise: Older career woman dates younger man and ends up pregnant. Against the odds, they decide to stick together. His immature pals will be a bigger obstacle than childbirth. Alas, the cougar story line is overworked, the humor simplistic.
“Trauma” NBC, Sept. 28. The generic title fits this generic drama from Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights”). Try as it might with lots of hectic activity, the emergency response team can’t fill in for “ER.”
Tuesday
“NCIS: Los Angeles” CBS, Sept. 22. Considered the can’t-miss show of the fall, slated in the post-“NCIS” slot. With LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell leading the ensemble, plus a fabulous set and sharp, new computer graphics, it’s a plain-old procedural that benefits from Linda Hunt as the manager overseeing the agents.
“Melrose Place” CW, already airing. Pretty young things get into all sorts of trouble around the apartments’ shared courtyard pool in this next-generation soap opera. Sure, it’s trash, but it’s a well-cast guilty pleasure.
“The Good Wife” CBS, Sept. 22. Juliana Margulies is compelling as the long-suffering wife of a politician. She stands by her man when he’s busted on sex and corruption charges. It’s a familiar archetype, but her character is different in that she plows ahead into a legal career after years away from the workforce. A strong pilot, with Chris Noth as the shamed husband and Christine Baranski as a mentor of sorts.
“The Forgotten” ABC, Sept. 22. Think “Bones” meets “CSI,” with Christian Slater solving cases of unidentified murder victims. From Jerry Bruckheimer.
“V” ABC, Nov. 3. A clever update of the 1980s sci-fi miniseries about Earth’s first encounter with aliens, it stars the terrific Elizabeth Mitchell (“Lost”) as an FBI counterterrorist agent. Scott Wolf plays a TV anchorman who connects with the leading alien, Anna (played by Morena Baccarin, soon to be a household name). Lots of allegory regarding mindless devotion to religion. Peel back the skin and, well, the special effects have come a long way.
Wednesday
“Hank” ABC, Sept. 30. Mediocre old-style sitcom in which Kelsey Grammer plays what feels like a version of himself, this time as a laid-off corporate executive adjusting to a downsized life.
“The Middle” ABC, Sept. 30. Patricia Heaton scores in a wonderful comedy, also old-style but funny. She plays a frazzled Midwestern mom dealing with job, kids, husband and midlife.
“Glee” Fox, already airing. This musical dramedy, about the earnest geeks in a high-school glee club, benefits from terrific choreography and performances in the dance numbers, as well as compelling stories to keep the drama taut. The humor plays on two levels, kid and adult; Jane Lynch (“Party Down,” “The L Word”) steals scenes with her withering delivery as the mean cheerleader coach.
“The Beautiful Life” CW, Sept. 16. Hardbodied would-be fashion models in New York find that the business can be cruel. Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) plays — what else? — a troubled model. Co-created by Ashton Kutcher, who lived the life himself.
“Modern Family” ABC, Sept. 23. This terrific and bighearted single-camera faux documentary from Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan follows three interconnected families. There’s the guy married to a much younger woman, the gay couple with a baby, and the dad who likes to think he’s one of the kids. Sounds formulaic, but it’s among the best pilots of the year.
“Cougar Town” ABC, Sept. 23. Great to see Courtney Cox again; not so great to hear her endlessly whining about what’s wrong with her body, her sex life, her aging skin. This one’s going to be controversial.
“Eastwick” ABC, Sept. 23. ABC again casts its lot with magical realism, somewhere between “Pushing Daisies” and “Desperate Housewives,” with this adaptation of the John Updike novel and movie. Paul Gross is in the devilish Jack Nicholson role; Rebecca Romjin is one of the three women who discover special powers. A mindless diversion.
“Mercy” NBC, Sept. 23. The mainstream network’s answer to Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie,” this hour looks at hospital culture from the viewpoint of the nurses. The uninspired, overactive drama is all about life and love and dealing with know-nothing interns.
Thursday
“FlashForward” ABC, Sept. 24. A terrific pilot that probably should have been a six-part short-run series. The suspense is gripping when everyone on the planet blacks out for 2 minutes, 17 seconds. What they remember when they wake may be a glimpse of the future. The drama wants to remind us of “Lost,” but, sadly, it’s more reminiscent of “The Nine.”
“The Vampire Diaries” CW, already airing. Aiming to appeal beyond the teen-girl core audience and based on a book series that predates “Twilight,” this well-executed drama from Kevin Williamson is essentially a high-school love triangle. With fangs.
“Community” NBC, Sept. 17. On the surface, a comedy about eccentrics attending a community college. Dan Harmon (“The Sarah Silverman Program”) and Joe and Anthony Russo (“Arrested Development”) pool their alternative comedic talents to produce NBC’s first truly distinctive comedy in years. Joel McHale (“The Soup”) and Chevy Chase lead a smart ensemble, groping for connection and meaning in an up-to-the- minute exploration of American life.
Friday
“Brothers” Fox, Sept. 25. Skip this mindless comedy, a waste of CCH Pounder, who plays the mom. Retired NFL star Mike Trainor (Michael Strahan) returns to his hometown to resume sparring with his brother Chill (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell). The worst of the old-style comedies.
“Medium” CBS, Sept. 25. Same show, new network.
Weekend
“The Cleveland Show” Fox, Sept. 27. Can a white man really get away with impersonating a black man in 2009 America? Apparently so. This spinoff of “Family Guy” showcases Mike Henry again, voicing the animated Cleveland Brown, now relocating to his hometown in Virginia.
“Three Rivers” CBS, Oct. 4. They’re reshooting the pilot, so it’s unclear if this medical drama about a transplant team starring Alex O’Loughlin will emerge in better health.
“Bored to Death” HBO, Sept. 20. Jason Schwartzman is a neurotic and nebbishy writer/daydreamer who drinks too much white wine and smokes too much pot. His fantasies involve film-noir escapades as a private detective. Ted Danson is his boss; Zach Galifianakis is his buddy. The gimmick may wear thin, but it’s a fun effort.
Fall 2009: The best
“Community,” NBC
“Glee,” Fox
“Modern Family,” ABC
“The Middle,” ABC
“V,” ABC
Also worth a look:
“Vampire Diaries,” CW
“The Good Wife,” CBS
“FlashForward,” ABC
“Bored to Death,” HBO
“Archer,” FX
