THERE has been some discussion of late about a slate of new TV shows tagged as the inspiration for a "female comedy comeback."
The broader discussion of "female" versus "male" comedy aside, the 2012 TV season brings a welcome roster of new scripted sitcoms with much potential.
The duo at the centre of the creative cyclone sparking the "female comedy" chatter this season are Whitney Cummings and Chelsea Handler. Both irreverent and caustic comedy writers and performers, Handler is better known for her successful late-night talk show, Chelsea Lately. Cummings was a frequent guest on the show, and provided an equal match to Handler's corrosive, but often hilarious, commentary. Handler is also a successful author, with four books hitting the New York Times Best Seller List. Her collection of humorous essays, titled Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, is the inspiration for the similarly titled NBC sitcom, Are You There, Chelsea? The show stars Laura Prepon (That '70s Show) as Chelsea, and the real Chelsea Handler as her sister. Expect unapologetic attitude aplenty.
Packaged on the same night of comedy is Whitney Cummings in her own star vehicle, also named Whitney.
A half-hour sitcom, Whitney was introduced in the September lineup, and made an instant impression with its fresh, bold, and definitely adult humour. Ultimately the show's success will rest on whether or not audiences continue to be drawn in by its lead, and so far, Cummings remains intriguing.
Cummings is also part of the creative force behind another new, popular NBC sitcom: 2 Broke Girls, also introduced in September. Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are super charming as struggling waitresses in this show, which Cummings cocreated with Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City), and continues to serve as an executive producer.
It's worth noting that although the show is backed by a mighty creative team, it is Dennings and Behrs who serve up the sassy (and sometimes raunchy) material like pros. Their performances reflect a capable, creative (albeit unseasoned) spirit akin to recent TV comedy nobility Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and Tina Fey (30 Rock).
As a side note, ABC brightens its second-half lineup with news that last year's popular Courtney Cox comedy, Cougar Town, will be returning as a mid-season replacement in 2012 (CityTV, March 5). That leaves plenty of time to catch up on the first two seasons (available on iTunes) of this quirky and hilarious show.
Switching gears from comedy to drama, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films), brings his steel-blue eyes to the small screen in a season that is catching many movie stars in the TV net. (Perhaps the most surprising being Russell Crowe's recent guest appearance on CBC's Republic of Doyle.)
In Awake, Isaacs stars as Michael Britten, a police detective who is forced to live two parallel lives after a car accident kills either his wife or his son. With his son alive in one reality and his wife alive in another, Britten must face the question of whether or not he wants to figure out the phenomenon that is somehow keeping both his loved ones alive if it means one of them must die.
Isaacs brings an intense characterization to an already interesting premise. Why NBC has slotted this show in as a mid-season replacement instead of a draw in its September schedule is a puzzle. Watch for Awake to appear sometime in the "mid-season" (usually around March).
In the meantime, a different type of drama from ABC continues to collect viewers, and is worth a look if only for its attempt to try something new.
Once Upon a Time (CTV) is an imaginative endeavor to tell the story of a group of fairy tale characters who are trapped by an evil witch (Lana Parrilla) in a present-day small town in Maine called, fittingly, Storybrook. Only a few of the characters remember their past lives in the fantasy realm, including the wicked witch and Mr. Gold, whose alter ego is the trickster Rumpelstiltskin. Gold is played by Robert Carlyle, of Full Monty fame, who is another movie-to-TV transplant this season.
Jennifer Morrison (House, How I Met Your Mother) plays a sobering Emma Swan, who is destined to save the fairy-tale flock from the evil witch's curse.
Shot in and around Vancouver, Once Upon a Time is strangely addictive, with believable performances despite a tricky premise. It will be interesting to watch how the show resolves its parallel storylines.
Another notable new entry into the 2012 TV season is one that has already successfully racked up two seasons on the U.S. network TNT. Thankfully, Showcase is finally bringing Rizzoli and Isles to Canadian fans who have had to survive on YouTube scraps until now.
This easygoing drama features TV alumnus Angie Harmon (Law and Order) as Jane Rizzoli, a homicide detective with the requisite big heart peaking through the rough edges of her tough-cop exterior. She pairs with Sasha Alexander (NCIS) as Dr. Maura Isles, a medical examiner who is, predictably, Rizzoli's opposite. The partners solve murders and other crimes as they learn to work together, and ultimately form a loyal bond. Rizzoli and Isles is simply unassuming fun, and Harmon and Alexander offer complementary performances.
Finally, it can't go without mentioning that CTV is promising to bring the Charlie Sheen comeback comedy Anger Management to its lineup. Despite his highly public crash-andburn exit from Two and a Half Men, Sheen is graced with that "it" factor that seems to make audiences want to watch what he's up to. It remains to be seen if he can hold audiences past the first episode. Although his track record seems to indicate he will.
A short-list of other shows warrant watching in this second half of the TV season, some already established from the first:
- James Spader (another movie actor) breathes a slimy, but welcome, breath of air into The Office (NBC), as the new leader of the Dunder-Mifflin team.
- TV veterans Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs) somehow make yet another sitcom about a dysfunctional, but loving, family watchable. Already in its third season on ABC, The Middle gains its strength from its two seasoned leads, Heaton and Flynn as perpetually struggling parents, and a trio of talented young actors who play their eccentric kids.
- In case you haven't had enough of witches and warlocks, The Secret Circle (CW, MuchMusic) offers a well-acted romp into the paranormal, particularly for younger audiences.
- The Rosie Show (OWN) offers a pleasing hour-long talkshow format that suits host Rosie O'Donnell's chatty style. The first half of the season saw an interesting mix of guests, including Phyllis Diller, Tracey Morgan and more. Despite her reputation for being outspoken and sometimes abrasive, O'Donnell seems more relaxed and engaged on this show, than she was on The View.
- Happy Endings (ABC, CityTV) manages to pull off what many have tried and failed since the final episode of Friends in 2004. In just two seasons, this sitcom is holding onto a respectable audience telling a familiar story about an eclectic set of six friends getting by in New York. Its only other main contender is the continually strong How I Met Your Mother.
