Wednesday, September 23, 2009

'Modern Family' & 'Cougar Town' reviews - Sepinwall on TV

In today's column, I review ABC's "Modern Family" (which I like a whole lot) and "Cougar Town" (which has potential but isn't quite there yet). Both shows will be in the rotation for the time being. Look for a post or posts tonight for comments for after they air.

8 comments:

belinda said...

From reading the premise of the show, Modern Family sounds a bit like Sons and Daughters (failed, but a show I remember liking before it got cancelled).

Omagus said...

I have to admit that I'll give anything featuring Sofia Vergara a chance strictly for eye candy purposes. But she's actually surprisingly capable as a comedic actress. I hope Modern Family is a good show.

LA said...

a likable star in Courteney Cox

Really?

Courteney Cox is the biggest roadblock for me watching Cougar Town. She was the only member of Friends who never got an Emmy nod for playing the hateable Monica Geller, and then she was miserable last season in her mini-arc on Scrubs. I'm very concerned Jules is goint to be a mega-bitchy Monica at age 40. I love Bill Lawrence, but I deplore Cox (insert joke here). Cougar Town is going to need more to overcome CC to keep me as a regular. That said, Busy Phillips is a good start.

groovekiller said...

I'm really looking forward to both shows.

Alan, do you foresee a NBC-Thursday-night-like lineup for ABC on Wednesday night comprising of Scrubs, Better off Ted, Modern Family, and Cougar Town?

Of course, this assumes that these shows won't be cancelled by then.

ninaruth said...

I wonder if Cameron and Mitchell were named in tribute to John Cameron Mitchell of "Angry Inch" fame, or even Cameron Mitchell of
"Love Me or Leave Me" fame. Like naming Sheldon and Leonard on "Big Bang Theory" after Sheldon Leonard.

Alan Sepinwall said...

Alan, do you foresee a NBC-Thursday-night-like lineup for ABC on Wednesday night comprising of Scrubs, Better off Ted, Modern Family, and Cougar Town?

Nope. ABC has a very specific plan to air Scrubs and Ted (which only have 13-episode orders) on Tuesdays in the Dancing with the Stars timeslot while Dancing is in between seasons. Plus, Steve McPherson has said he sees Scrubs and Ted as a good combo, and not necessarily something he'd match up with the Wednesday shows (all of which have family themes in some way).

Now, it's possible one or more of the Wednesday comedies could fail quickly (and Hank is quite horrid), but I imagine they'd come up with a different solution.

lizkdc said...

"Cougar Town": Co-creator Bill Lawrence has said that he picked the name to lower expectations.


Job done, then. I won't be watching a show whose title is a paean to self-loathing.

shala said...

“Cougar Town” is a massive waste of time and waste of an opportunity to make something clever and funny with the concept. Imagine a show that honestly portrays a forty-something divorcee looking for love. “Cougar Town” thinks it’s that show but there’s nothing honest or funny about it. It’s a famous star telling sex jokes, not anything normal women can relate to in any way.
It's sad when writers think the average audience are idiots!!