A third in the Take Five Gal pilot preview series takes on 4 comedies and a drama, in order from worst to best (just to change things up a bit):
1. Brothers – Michael Strahan has his own TV show. Pushing Daisies was canceled, but Strahan has a sitcom. When did I miss the world flipping upside down? The show is about brothers (ex-football player and his brother played by Daryl “Chill” Mitchell) and their parents. The jokes are predictable (gap in his teeth, his brother’s in a wheelchair, his parents are older and still have sex), but I didn’t dislike the show nearly as much as I thought I would. I mean, it’s getting a D+, not an F, so that’s saying something.
2. Vampire Diaries – I read these books as a kid. I wanted to be Elena, torn between two brothers. And then they cast Nina Dobrev from Degrassi as Elena for TV, and suddenly I’m a little bit more “um, no thanks” than I thought I would be. Sure, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder have a certain charm, but the show is full of vampire clichés and angst, and voice overs, and it’s just not my style. It’s not nearly as bad as I was expecting, but it’s not must see for me. C-
3. The Cleveland Show – Brace yourself folks – I don’t watch Family Guy. I don’t like Family Guy. Like, at all, so I was absolutely expecting to hate The Cleveland Show (one of my least favorite FG characters of all), but imagine my surprise when I found myself chuckling along to the weird variety of characters that they’ve animated and assembled. A talking bear, a little kid that gives Stewie a run for his money, and some sharp dialogue. I won’t watch it weekly, but I might not turn it off if it accidentally comes on. C+
4. Sons of Tucson – I joined the Tyler Labine bandwagon a long time ago. I can’t remember the first time I saw him in something, but I’m glad to see him get his own show, that’s funny, and totally a perfect fit for him. When he’s hired to play dad to three kids, orphans due to the banking crisis, he adapts, and though it’s a bit predictable, the comedy along the way makes it funnier than other new comedies. Count me in! B
5. Community – I’ve been describing this show to anyone who will listen, and it just gets funnier to me every time. Joel McHale is a guy who has to go back to Community College when he realizes that his degrees aren’t valid. In an attempt to gain the interest of a girl in his Spanish class, he sets up a fake Spanish study group, which quickly gets out of control with a crazy cast of characters, including Chevy Chase. The show caught me off guard with just how funny it was, and it’s easily one of my most anticipated shows of the year. Solid A!
