Comedy TV Series: Fall 2012

Fall season is almost there! This hub contains a list of the new upcoming Comedy TV shows. As I have done before, I've included a synopsis, preview and review for each show. I've also created a short list of Do's and Don'ts, which you can find at the bottom of this hub.

The other genres for the fall season:

• Sci-Fi TV Series: Fall 2012
• Drama TV Series: Fall 2012

Reba Gallagher (Reba McEntire, ‘Reba’) has given up her dream of having a country music career to raise a family. When her husband, Bobby (Jeffrey Nordling, ‘Desperate Housewives’) cheats on her she packs up her family and moves to California. She tries to adapt to her new life, but it’s not easy. It does give her a chance to launch her own country music career. Also in this series are Reba Gallagher’s mother, Lillie May (Lily Tomlin, ‘The West Wing’), her two children, June (Juliette Angelo) and Cash (Justin Prentice, ‘iCarly’) and her new music agent Geoffrey (Jai Rodriguez, ‘Bones’). ‘Malibu Country’ will premiere November 2nd at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

‘Malibu Country’ is a comedy series like the ones Reba McEntire has played in before. This is a plus though, because those series have proven to be very successful. This preview gives a good view of the kind of jokes this series will have. I think this show will do very good, at least at first. It remains to be seen if it will be successful on the long haul though.

Now that FOX’s ‘House’ has come to an end, NBC brings us 13 episodes of ‘Animal Practice’ premiering on September 26th at 8/7c. Justin Kirk (‘Weeds’) stars as Dr. George Coleman, a veterinarian who loves animals but mostly hates their owners. Things start to become even more difficult when Georges old lover Dorothy, who is now engaged to someone else, is assigned to run the animal hospital from hereon. In the pilot episode, Amy Huberman (‘Threesome’) stars as Dorothy, but the role is currently being recast.

Update: The new female lead for 'Animal Practice' is Joanna Garcia ('Reba'). She'll play the role of Dorothy in the episodes that still have to be produced, and the scenes in the pilot with Dorothy in it will be reshot if possible.

Co-starring are Bobby Lee (‘Pineapple Express’) as Dr. Yamamoto, Tyler Labine (‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’) as Dr. Jackson and Crystal (a monkey) as Dr. Zaius.
‘Animal Practice’ seems to be quite unfunny from the trailer. The jokes are not really funny and the premise doesn’t really stand out. The woman in the trailer is indeed ‘the only one sensing the sexual tension’, as she puts it. Hopefully the new Dorothy will work out better opposite Kirk.

Bryan (Andrew Rannells, ‘The Book of Mormon’) and David (Justin Bartha, ‘The Hangover’), are desperate to have a child. Only problem: they’re both men, and to have a baby they’ll need a woman. Luckily, there’s Goldie, a single mom from the Midwest who moved to L.A. with her eight-year-old daughter to escape from her life (and her narrow-minded grandmother). Goldie (Georgia King, ‘Little Dorrit’) wants to be their surrogate, and with the money she will get, she wants to fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer to give her daughter a better future. Together, they form one big happy family. Produced, written and directed by Ryan Murphy (‘Glee’), ‘The New Normal’ will premiere on September 11th at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.

I’m not sure what to think about ‘The New Normal’. It seems to be a bit weird. I do see the opportunity for a lot of funny scenes. And it’s certainly a very original concept. I just can’t decide if this is really a comedy series, because the trailer doesn’t really make this series look like a funny show. It rather makes it seem as if it’s a neutral show with a few jokes.

Another new comedy on NBC is ‘Guys With Kids’, scheduled to air 13 episodes starting at September 26th at 8:30/7:30c. The show revolves around three 30-something new fathers, who haven’t grown up themselves yet and still want to be cool. Starring as the three guys are Jesse Bradford (‘Outlaw’), Anthony Anderson (‘The Shield’) and Zach Cregger (‘Friends With Benefits’). Co-starring as the mothers of the babies are Tempestt Bledsoe (‘The Cosby Show’), Sara Rue (‘Rules of Engagement’) and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (‘The Sopranos’).

‘Guys With Kids’ seems like it could be a little funny somewhere down the road. However, the premise doesn’t really stand out and, overall, the show feels already a little dated. Stating the obvious: this is not a show I would watch. My prediction for ‘Guys With Kids’ is that some people will like it in the beginning, ratings will keep declining and the show will get cancelled after its first 13-episode season.

Kate (Dakota Johnson, ‘The Social Network’) is a single mother with two children in her life: her daughter, and her older brother Ben (Nat Faxon, ‘Zookeeper’). When Ben gets a call from his ex-girlfriend he immediately goes to his sister for advise. When he discovers his ex is getting married he thinks of an elaborate plan to stop the wedding. When he finds out the man his sister has been dating is seeing someone else as well, he sacrifices his plan however, so he can prevent his sister from making a huge mistake. After this, he decides to stay with Kate and help her raise her daughter. Tune in to FOX to see the premiere of ‘Ben and Kate’ on September 25th at 8:30/7:30c.

The trailer of ‘Ben and Kate’ made me laugh out loud. I’ve always liked TV series and movies revolving around the ‘grown up sibling, not so grown up sibling’-concept. Also, the Ben-character is funny in how normal he is. Let’s face it; writing something down on the inside of your hand is never a good idea. However, people in TV series always seem to pull it off. Not Ben. His sweaty palms make his notes disappear forever, which results in Ben making kind of a fool of himself. Just like we all would. It’s these ordinary things that made me laugh. If this series continues down the path it has taken in the preview, it may prove to be quite successful.

Created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who also created ‘Will & Grace’, CBS newest sitcom ‘Partners’ will air following ‘How I Met Your Mother’, premiering Monday September 24th at 8:30/7:30c. Partially inspired by the relationship between the creators, ‘Partners’ is about two guys who have known each other ever since they were children. Working together as architects, Joe (David Krumholtz, ‘Numb3rs’) and Louis (Michael Urie, ‘Ugly Betty’) are business partners as well. They are so close that their relationship almost seems like a weird marriage, but when Joe decides to propose to his girlfriend, their ‘bromance’ gets tested.

Co-starring are Sophia Bush (‘One Tree Hill’) as Joe’s fiancée, and Brandon Routh (‘Superman Returns’) as Louis’ boyfriend.
While, at first glance, the show doesn’t look that hilarious, it still seems promising. The preview shows quite some potential, and after all, it’s been created by the creators of the acclaimed sitcom ‘Will & Grace’. ‘How I Met Your Mother’ as a lead-in gives the final boost that will probably make this comedy a success.

Ryan King (Matthew Perry, ‘Friends’), a radio sportscaster, is a charming, funny man who can talk about anything. Except his wife’s death. So, his boss sends him to group therapy. Being the man he is, he doesn’t really take part in the sessions. Instead, he just takes them over and fills the sessions with fun and games. However, after a while, he opens up to his group. Let the healing begin. Go On’ will premiere on September 11th at 9/8c.

Judging from the trailer this show could be pretty funny, if played right. Matthew Perry is a talented actor, and this role seems to really fit him. It is, however, striking that Ryan King and Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) from ‘Community’, another NBC series, have a lot in common. Both of them are ‘the cool guys’ and act like they don’t have feelings, but actually, deep inside, they do. The similarities between ‘Go On’ and ‘Community’ don’t stop there, both shows feature a group that meets up on a regular basis and that’s a little weird. Although ‘Community’ is funny, ‘Go On’ should not try to replicate the show with a different setting.

Initially a pilot for NBC under the name ‘It’s Messy’, ‘The Mindy Project’ is now an upcoming comedy on FOX, after NBC passed on it. Executive produced by ‘The Office’s Howard Klein, the show is written and co-produced by and stars Mindy Kaling (‘The Office’) as a Bridget Jones-esque OB/GYN. Mindy is trying to successfully navigate through both her personal and professional life, while searching for her perfect romantic comedy ending. Co-starring are Chris Messina (‘Damages’), Anna Camp (‘The Good Wife’) and newcomer Ed Weeks.‘The Mindy Project’ will premiere on September 25th at 9:30/8:30c on FOX.

What should one say about ‘The Mindy Project’? The show doesn’t look particularly good, or funny, it just looks really weird. Maybe it’s weird in a good way, or maybe in a bad way, it’s hard to tell of off this short trailer.

The Weavers, a regular family from New Jersey, move into a gated community called ‘Hidden Hills’. As soon as their neighbors greet them with several dozens of pies, which they leave in the middle of the street, the Weavers realize their fellow residents aren’t very average. In fact, they are aliens posing as humans. They’re awaiting a signal from their planet so they can return home. The Weavers consist of Debbie (Jami Gertz, ‘Still Standing’), Marty (Lenny Venito, ‘The Sopranos’), Amber (Clara Mamet), Max (Max Charles, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’) and Abby (Isabella Cramp). ‘The Neighbors’ premieres on ABC, September 26th at 9:30/8:30c.

‘The Neighbors’ reminds me of ‘3rd Rock From The Sun’. Aliens that are not fully familiar with human behavior and have some very strange habits which they feel are typically human. There is one big difference though; in ‘The Neighbors’ the Weavers actually know their neighbors are aliens. This opens up a whole new dimension of jokes. I wonder if they will focus this series on the differences between the aliens and humans, or on the similarities. Or perhaps they will make a mix between these two.

This were all the Comedy TV shows that will premiere in the fall season. Here is, as promised, a recap of the shows and whether or not you should watch it.

Do

• Ben and Kate (FOX, September 25th, 8:30/7:30c)
• Malibu Country (ABC, November 2nd 8:30/7:30c)

Maybe

• The Neighbors (ABC, September 26th, 9:30/8:30c)
• Go On (NBC, September 11th, 9/8c)
• Partners (CBS, September 24th, 8:30/7:30c)
• The New Normal (NBC, September 11th, 9:30/8:30c)

Don't

• The Mindy Project (FOX, September 25th, 9:30/8:30c)
• Animal Practice (NBC, September 26th, 8/7c)
• Guys With Kids (NBC, September 26th, 8:30/7:30c)

Do you agree with this list, or do you think it should be different? Let me know in the comments below!