Make Me Laugh

It's the "Second Season," as TV programmers like to call the renewal of regular programming after the Christmas hiatus and before the busy February schedule, skewed by Sweeps considerations and major events like the Olympics and the Oscars. It's also the time that pilots deemed risky during the September premier period are given a chance to grab viewers with their "novelty". Now that the Reality craze has subdued--leaving a few sturdy remainders like "Survivor" and "American Idol" to justify those recently-formed Reality Departments--and the procedurals have also levelled off, the execs have been greenlighting more and more sitcoms.

The hope is to find that one "Friends" or "Seinfeld" to cement an evening, as NBC used to do with "Must-See" Thursday shows, and then hammock the newcomers within the comforts of the network schedule (as though remotes, DVRs and TIVO still do not exist). Of course the PTB (Powers that Be), a la William Goldman's axiom, know nothing about anything. Rather than trusting their feel for comedy they rely on the most recent successful show runners and creators. This used to work when there were major talented lineages, moving from one classic to another, like the Norman Lear cadre of the 1970s, or the James L. Brooks/Ed. Weinberger/ Charles Brothers/Lee and Casey that took us on a line through "Mary Tyler Moore", "Taxi," "Cheers" and "Frasier." Some recent one-time smash creators like Larry David have found their voices in cable, and others, like Kevin Bright of "Friends," were never able to duplicate their success, devolving gracelessly through "Victoria's Secret" to that major bomb "Joey."

But still they try, and this season was supposed to mark the revival of the sitcom form. And while there have been highly touted premiers this year, like "My Name Is Earl" and "Everybody Hates Chris," most of the efforts are retreads of the familiar. I finally gave in, willing to bear any programming for the chance to see it in hi-def, so I braved NBC's recent Thursday line-up, promoted as a return to the heights of the Thursdays of the 90s. But with all the promotional vivacity in the world, it's not gonna score if it doesn't make me laugh. And familiarity breeds, if not contempt, then certainly ennui.

Of the four shows in the new line-up, the only one that elicitted any sounds from my diaphragm was "Will & Grace," whose sharp one-liners still have some zing. Debra Messing's terrific presence helped, especially when she tried to sing "Sound of Music" selections with a strident falsetto that was the vocal equivalent of Elaine's dancing on "Seinfeld." The show has long become a rather stale and repetitious minstrel show, and is in its twilight, but at least it has a sense of humor. After that I watched "Four Friends," the latest effort by Kohan and Mutchnick, the "Will & Grace" creators, but the pilot at least showed none of that show's insouciance. It was another portmanteau of "Friends" (Gen Y-ers sharing a gigantic partment in New York) and "Sex in the City" (four horny singles comparing notes). It's noteworthy only in some interesting casting. Seth Green, who made his debut as Woody Allan in "Radio Days," is now in his upteenth TV show and seems to be shrinking. Also present as his studly foil is the same actor who starred in last season's abortive "Committed." His squeeze in that show has moved onto a CBS procedural, but he's still stuck cracking unfunny jokes. It makes me yearn for Tom Poston, who spent "Committed" in a closet. Speaking of which, one of the friends was originally conceived as gay but the PTB (powers that be) shied away form this mix. This is crippling creatively, since that would provide some spark and conflict, not to mention an excuse to use a lot of jokes cut from eight seasons of "Will & Grace" scripts.

The 9-10 PM slot, filled heretofore by Trump's "The Apprentice" (and who'd a thunk the champion Randall would have proved to be such a selfish jerk?) is now occupied by NBC's marquee comedies, "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office." I've yet to cotton to "Earl," despite the earnest performances of its cast. Granted, the concept is original, but a little Trailer Trash goes a long way. These folks are just so fucking stupid. There is one sane character used for perspective, Earl's Hispanic maid friend, but she's not quite enough to serve as a good audience surrogate. "Earl" has a little merit, but no great raison d'etre, and not enough laughs to warrant appointment viewing. "The Office" is similarly droll, but a tad more successful because it's rooted in something familiar. Its brilliant casting, including Steve Carrell and a band of no-names, evokes a real sense of a depressing office. These folks look genuine, and their eye-rolling intolerance of their boss is believable. I recall working in a similar office in my summer-job days in New York, and being subject to the blatherings of my superior, whose name was Mr. Yurko. I silently started calling him "Mr Jerko" in my head, until one of the other workers confided to me at the water cooler that "Mr. Jerko" was his commonly used moniker. So I give "The Office" a B+ for comic authenticity, even if the humor is a little dry to excite more than a titter.

But for guffaws, there's still nothing like 'The Simpsons."