Stephen Sondheim may have said it best when he wrote about comedy: “Nothing with kings, nothing with crowns/Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!” After the heavy-handed Game of Thrones finale, your own personal weekly cry session of This is Us, and well, pretty much anything in the news today, we look for comedy to be the great escape. The problem is comedies tend to be a dime a dozen and most of them are about as funny as dramas. We may be living in the golden age of television, but drama and reality series get most of the attention. But if you like laughing and being entertained, there’s a chance that some of the fall network TV shows will actually live up to their promise and be creative, interesting, and (most importantly) funny. Here’s a few that look the most promising:
#6 Sunnyside (NBC)
When to find it: (Thursdays, 9:30 PM Eastern, beginning 9/26)
A disgraced politician tries to reform his image and also help an eclectic but caring group of immigrants study for their immigration test . . . what could go wrong? That’s the premise behind the promising NBC sitcom Sunnyside, starring the delightful Kal Penn (House). It has a bit of a Parks and Recreation vibe, thanks to the cast of interesting (and comically eccentric) characters that range from rich siblings to a cab driver to a DJ. It seems to take a lighthearted, warm view of immigration at a time where we need it. And did I mention it has the delightful Kal Penn?
#5 Carol’s Second Act (CBS)
When to find it: (Thursdays, 9:30 PM Eastern, beginning 9/26)
If you’re anything like me (and to steal David Letterman’s old line… “And I pray to God that you’re not”) you’re still drawn to medical dramas and the soapiness of things like Grey’s Anatomy. House walked a fine line between drama and biting humor, but it’s been off the air for years, so now CBS throws Carol’s Second Act at us. It has one huge thing going for it: Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle), who stars as a middle-aged medical resident at Loyola Memorial Hospital — and it’s clear Heaton hasn’t lost a beat since her earlier successes. With comedic timing and a sense for character, she should single-handedly elevate the script each week (if and when it needs to be elevated). The show also stars Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks). But why am I nervous? The extended trailer didn’t seem to be that funny. It felt more like a tired SNL skit or parody of a show. But I’m confident that if we can send a jolt of energy (just send a defibrillator?) to the writing department, hopefully this show can be witty and fun.
#4 Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)
When to find it: (Mondays, 8:30 PM Eastern, beginning 9/23)
If you can get around the concept that is kind of stalkerish (I really really wish they had a better opening concept here of how the two characters meet), this show just might have the heart and light humor that is needed. We often talk about drama writing having nuance and sophistication, but here’s a show that jumps right into a debate about middle-age, race, and culture, and makes us think about it. Creator Chuck Lorre says he’s not trying to make anything political, but does hope that Americans can see immigrants of all types as sources of strength. After a heart attack leaves a Detroit businessman thinking about life, he decides to convince his cardiac nurse (a Nigerian immigrant) to go on a date with him. It’s impossible to tell if this show will be genuinely warm and insightful or fall into the tropes and stereotypes it’s hoping to avoid. But with two very likable leads, it’s worth giving it a try.
#3 Mixed-ish (ABC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv0C2yWFcWM
When to find it: (Tuesdays, 9:00 PM Eastern, beginning 9/24)
This is a prequel spinoff of the popular, well-written Black-ish and focuses on the Johnson family’s matriarch Bow’s (short for Rainbow) interesting story of moving from a hippie commune to suburbia (really). The younger Bow will be played by Aricia Himmel (The Layover) and the show will explore how Bow and her siblings navigate the then-new and impossible coming-of-age trials and tribulations of being a “mixed-race” child in a world that wants to label people white or African-American. Great casting includes Mark Paul-Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell, The Passage) playing Bow’s father and Tika Sumpter (The Old Man & The Gun) portraying Bow’s mother. Gary Cole (Veep) and Christina Anthony (Key & Peele) are among the talented co-stars. I’m not sure how many people will tune to this that didn’t watch Black-ish, but it certainly looks creative.
#2 The Unicorn (CBS)
When to find it: (Thursdays, 8:30 PM Eastern, beginning 9/26)
Remember that I’m a drama & reality guy, so I don’t laugh much. But with several funny moments and a nice thematic study of the complexities of friendship, we may have a genuine winner in CBS’ The Unicorn. At first the concept seems a bit too dark to work: a father of two who has lost his wife a year ago and is just now thinking about entering the dating world. His friends try to help him out — whether that means helping create a digital dating profile for him or helping him interact with his community. Walton Goggins plays the main character, Wade, and creates an immensely likeable character. Hilarious moments from Michaela Watkins (SNL) and Rob Corddry (Childrens Hospital) — along with co-stars Omar Miller and Maya Lynne Robinson — promise to make us all root for this widower.
#1 Perfect Harmony (NBC)
When to find it: (Thursday, 8:30 PM Eastern, beginning 9/26)
Because the TV Gods hate us, two of the most promising comedies square off in the same time period (but in a world of DVR’s, it may matter less than it used to), with Perfect Harmony and The Unicorn both airing Thursdays at 8:30. For now, I’m suggesting NBC’s Perfect Harmony could become the top comedy of the fall because it has a lot of potential: Emmy-Award-winning Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) stars as a former Princeton music professor who has almost given up on life until he stumbles into a small-town church and feels compelled to become their choir director. A cast of odd but likable choir members (think a slightly less weird, more “small-towny” The Office) make up the ensemble in what could become a must-see TV show that gives NBC something to finally sing about.
I’m Dreaming of Midseason (Network) Comedy!
In case these generate tears (and not the good ones that come from laughing too hard), winter and spring may bring a few more laughs. Fox (which airs the dismal-looking animated Bless the Harts in the fall) looks to rebound with Duncanville, an animated comedy with Amy Poehler voicing two main characters (but without much of a description yet so I physically can’t describe it here). The most promising animated comedy finds Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Will Forte giving voice to characters in Fox’s The Great North, where a father tries to keep his family in an isolated fishing lifestyle instead of venturing out into a community to (gasp!) shop at a local mall. (I guess they don’t have Amazon Prime in Alaska?). And NBC’s Indebted will follow a young couple whose home life changes forever when their now broke parents move in and change the simple dynamic of the house. Bickering families have been funny since the invention of the sitcom. Let’s hope this continues to be the case.
