2013-14 saw TONS of new network comedies, mostly family oriented. There was a grand total of 20 new comedies and while they had trouble in the ratings, I felt like there were many quality ones. After a down year in 2012-13, this season gave us a lot of comedies with potential, some of which are coming back and some which are not.
Past Years: 2013 2012 2011
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) - In a year full of family comedies, the best new comedy was a sharply written and hilariously funny workplace sitcom. Set in a Brooklyn police precinct, the show was from Parks and Recreation people and it's easy to see the connection. Each of the characters are so well developed from Andy Samberg on down. The show is clever but silly and the police station setting is an area that hasn't been mined much for comedy since Barney Miller. I'm glad it's getting the acclaim it deserves with its surprise win at the Golden Globes. Few sitcoms are able to clearly define its characters and humor in its first season (remember Parks was a disaster) so the fact that this one hit the ground running makes me excited for what's to come.
The Runners-Up
The Goldbergs (ABC) - I had such high hopes for The Goldbergs coming into the season but the first couple weeks were a little disappointing as it was very shrill and still finding its footing. But then about halfway through the season, it got it together and quickly became one of my favorite sitcoms. The 80s family comedy finally decided to embrace the sentimentality a little bit more and that allowed it to even out its tone. It is one of the warmest and funniest sitcoms on the air right now and it's finally heading to Wednesdays, where it belongs.
Mom (CBS) - I had a tough time deciding the #3 spot but I'm going with Mom which was uneven but trying some different things. Centered on two recovering alcoholics, the show was not afraid to get serious but not in a corny way. At the same time, thanks to Allison Janney mostly, it was often uproarious. I don't know if I plan to keep watching this show because it was never appointment viewing for me, but it has a lot going for it.
Worth Mentioning: Surviving Jack (FOX), About a Boy (NBC)
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) - Andy Samberg was never my favorite actor on Saturday Night Live so I was only mildly excited about the prospect of him as the star of a sitcom. However, he has exceeded all expectations as Detective Jake Peralta. Sometimes the "man child" character can be annoying but Samberg makes the silly Peralta very endearing. Samberg delivers an interesting type of comedy because sometimes he can be very dry and sarcastic but other times he is full blown into physical comedy. He does both of them so well and that has helped the show not be too niche or too broad.
The Runners-Up
Robin Williams, The Crazy Ones (CBS) - Robin Williams' highly anticipated return to TV did not work out as well as CBS hoped as The Crazy Ones was cancelled after a single season. But the show did a nice job of containing Williams and making him enjoyable. Too often Robin Williams can be too much for me but it was familiar and fun in this show. If anything, I think the show might have benefited by loosening the strings on Williams just a little bit more.
Christopher Meloni, Surviving Jack (FOX) - Surviving Jack was a real underrated gem of the season and Christopher Meloni proved he can definitely do comedy after years on Law & Order: SVU. As the gruff 90s dad Jack Dunlevy, Meloni was definitely playing a caricature, but he was playing it well. His complete lack of sentimentality and militaristic ways of teaching lessons led to some very funny moments.
Worth Mentioning: David Walton, About a Boy (NBC), Sean Giambrone, The Goldbergs (ABC)
Wendi McLendon-Covey, The Goldbergs (ABC) - As smothering 80s matriarch Beverly Goldberg, Wendi McLendon-Covey is the best part of a pretty strong ensemble. Overbearing mothers are commonplace in TV sitcoms but Beverly Goldberg goes above and beyond that with absolutely no restraint. McLendon-Covey has great comedic timing and is a perfect foil not just for onscreen husband Jeff Garlin but the three kids as well. My favorite moments from The Goldbergs, starting with her locket gift to son Barry in the pilot, have all involved her. She's like a younger, 80s version of Marie Barone and it's wonderful.
The Runners-Up
Ari Graynor, Bad Teacher (CBS) - Bad Teacher will quickly be forgotten as a late entry and low rated show. But, Ari Graynor's performance shouldn't be forgotten and she should get some other TV role soon. She elevated mediocre material with great comedic timing as her sickly flirtatious approach to teaching made me laugh. I never saw the movie so I can't compare her with Cameron Diaz, but I was pretty impressed.
Anna Faris, Mom (CBS) - Anna Faris came to TV as a stressed out former alcoholic Christy Plunkett, who spent the season trying to make amends with her mother and her children. Faris was at her best when she was reacting to the various eccentrics surrounding her, most often her mother. She was also pretty good at self-deprecating humor.
Worth Mentioning: Malin Akerman, Trophy Wife (ABC), Maggie Lawson, Back in the Game (ABC)
Albert Tsai, Trophy Wife (ABC) - Trophy Wife was up and down in its first and only season as it never quite lived up to the potential it showed in the pilot. However, Albert Tsai's eight year old Bert was as much of a scene stealer as there ever was. In a year filled with children on screen to varying degrees of success, Bert was the only truly hilarious one. Whether he was cursing or speaking well beyond his years or hiring friends to do his chores, he made the most of every scene he was in. One of my favorite episodes was when Bert had coffee and experienced a high and then crash during his soccer game. You don't find children who have such a range and comedic timing easily so somebody needs to snatch this kid up for another show!
The Runners-Up
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) - Andre Braugher is pretty much only known for dramatic work so it was surprising to see him cast in a new sitcom. But as Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he is one of the best straight men on TV (ironic, because his character is gay). In a show filled with wacky characters, Braugher is so extremely serious and it works so well, especially as a foil to Andy Samberg's character. The dynamics between those two is at the heart of this great show.
Jeff Garlin, The Goldbergs (ABC) - Jeff Garlin has taken the same trajectory as his show for me. As Dad Murray Goldberg, I found Garlin to be pretty irritating and loud in the early episodes. But then the writers gave him some depth and a softer side and it paid off nicely. Now he still has his outrageous moments but they're complemented by genuinely touching moments.
Worth Mentioning: Benjamin Stockham, About a Boy (NBC), James Wolk, The Crazy Ones (CBS)
Melissa Fumero, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) - As Detective Amy Santiago, Melissa Fumero is a perfect foil to Andy Samberg's character in a much different way than Andre Braugher's Ray Holt is. These two are buddies but also sparring partners. With their endless competitions to be the better detective and their flirty yet insulting relationship, they are one of those great male-female workplace duos like Pam and Jim from The Office or Mary and Murray from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It looks like the show is moving towards the Pam and Jim route with the hint of a relationship but I hope they take their time to get there because they are the best when they're at playful war with each other. Melissa Fumero is beautiful, smart, and witty. It's easy to see why Jake Peralta has a hard time not having a crush on her.
The Runners-Up
Allison Janney, Mom (CBS) - I have yet to see Allison Janney be bad in anything she has done. From the great CJ on the great The West Wing to a hilarious turn on an otherwise bad show in 2011's Mr. Sunshine, Janney makes the most of her material and Mom is no exception. Her trashy yet caring portrayal of Bonnie Plunkett has been one of the season's more layered performances because she can be dry and funny but also tackle serious topics. I didn't put her first because I felt like the writers never quite gave her enough, but I liked everything she did with what she was given.
Margo Martindale, The Millers (CBS) - The Millers is not a very good show. I have given it multiple chances and always find myself tuning out even if it has a good episode here or there. But a bright spot in an otherwise mundane show has been Margo Martindale as Carol Miller. Despite being a bit of a Doris Roberts knockoff, Martindale has such a funny and dry delivery that she elevates both the actors around her and the material. Martindale has done some acclaimed shows and she'd be better off in something better.
Worth Mentioning: Hayley Orrantina, The Goldbergs (ABC), Michaela Watkins, Trophy Wife (ABC)
WORST NEW COMEDYWe Are Men (CBS) - It's hard to even remember this dud since it was mercifully cancelled after two episodes but this was one of those shows that makes me cringe to think of the shows CBS passed on to pick up this crap. Everything was tired and unfunny and the show tried too hard in every area. Plus it had Jerry O'Connell so that's strike three. I don't know what CBS was thinking with this one but it seemed like they instantly regretted it. Tony Shalhoub can do better than this.
The Runners-Up
Dads (FOX) - The most panned show of the year definitely deserved its panning. Dads set multi-cam sitcoms back 20 years with its weak punchlines and borderline racism. I don't know why networks seem to think "broad" means dumb because there have been plenty of smartly written multi-camera sitcoms over the years. Dads was just plain dumb and silly.
Mixology (ABC) - There's only one type of sitcom I hate as much as the "broad multi-camera approach" and that's the sitcoms that's trying way too hard to be edgy or cool. Mixology was most certainly that thanks to its setting in a trendy bar and unusual approach to the season as it all took place on one night in an exclusive bar. ABC tried to be hip and new with this show but the quality has to match the gimmick or logline, and it didn't.
Worth Mentioning: Super Fun Night (ABC), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)
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