Let’s hear it for the season’s new comedies

It seems like pundits and critics have been all too eager to call the sitcom dead in recent years. It’s hard to blame them, with the lackluster showing that the networks have trucked out over the past few seasons. After this year, though, I think a lot of people are changing their way of thinking when it comes to comedies. For me, three shows really stand out this year: Modern Family, Community, and Cougar Town. I’m not as huge a fan of The Middle, and it’s hard to count Glee in this category, as it’s an hour long show.

Out of all of these shows, Modern Family is the only bona fide hit (aside from Glee), but I think the quality is some of the highest that I can remember in recent years. Certainly some great shows have come out, but I can’t remember three comedies starting in the same year that I really loved. There are some older comedies that still shine. Big Bang Theory and 30 Rock come to mind right off the bat. Heck, I would even be willing to add Parks and Recreation to the conversation this year, as the season was such a drastic improvement over the first. No matter how you crack it, comedies made a big comeback this season.

Modern Family was the big star, with its sexy ratings and consistently funny outings. I don’t think there was a bad episode all season. How many comedies, even great comedies, can you say that about? A top notch cast with perfect chemistry rounds out the show. To use a terribly over-used term, it is really a perfect storm of a show. The right actors, the right writers, the right subject matter. Everything just works.

Community had a fun first episode, but I didn’t really think that I was going to love it as much as I do now. It has gotten funnier and funnier with each episode. The final four or five episodes of this season cemented it as one of my favorite shows on the air (particularly the amazing paint ball episode). Again, the cast has a great chemistry together. I’ve always loved Joel McHale on The Soup, Danny Pudi is brilliant on the show, and who knew Mad Men’s Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie) was so funny? The chemistry between Pudi and Donald Glover is awesome, and even Chevy Chase seems to be back at the top of his game.

With all of that being said, I think the new show that brings me the most laughs is Cougar Town. Like just about every other person alive, I was turned off by the name of the show, but I should have known better as I have always loved Scrubs (another show by Bill Lawrence). This seems to be one of the more polarizing shows on the air. It seems that whenever I talk about it with folks, they either love it or hate it. I’m definitely in the “love it” camp. I never cease to be amazed by the number of jokes they shove into an episode. There are times I feel like I have a whole episode’s worth of laughs before the first commercial break.

The Middle, while cute and sometimes worth a good laugh, gets on my nerves more often than not, but it’s definitely not a bad show. Like a few other shows on TV right now, however (I’m looking at you How I Met Your Mother), I would love for The Middle to focus on being funny and not “cute.” Or at least be both. At times, I just don’t see the funny.

This season was a great one for comedies, and I can only hope that the trend continues into next season. We have waited too long for the return of great comedies, it can’t end now! What’s your favorite new comedy of the season?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Jun 04, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT