Why Aren't You Watching: Cougar Town

Now I know what you're thinking, but before you laugh and decide to ignore this show because of its admittedly horrible title, try to keep an open mind and trust the creative talent here (who claim "titles are hard!" in one of the second season's many opening title cards mocking the show's name). Although the show did initially begin with the premise of a divorced 40-something who sleeps with 20-something guys, it was hastily abandoned about 8 or 10 episodes in, as the phenomenal cast of characters began to settle in. After being on an unfortunate hiatus since February to make room for the disappointing Mr. Sunshine and the surprisingly decent  Happy Endings (now airing at 10 after its premiere last Wednesday), Cougar Town is finally returning to ABC Wednesdays at 9:30 (with a special episode airing this Monday at 9:30 as well) with red wine and penny cans intact.

Free from the groan-inducing initial premise, Cougar Town has quickly become one of the most hilarious and original comedies currently on television, now simply following the lives of this small Florida culdesac of wine-sipping friends. Of course the show's primary character is Courtney Cox's Jules Cobb, a real estate agent that has difficulty being mean and un-obsessive. Since raising him as a single mother, she harbors a particularly creepy fixation with her son Travis, played with appropriate awkwardness and smugness by Dan Byrd. And with Travis off to college (though of course he still finds time to hang out with his mom's friends...) Jules has been free to focus her attention on her neighbor and boyfriend Grayson (Josh Hopkins), commonly referred to on the show as Tiny Eyes.

That nickname is a perfect example of the light-hearted, but slightly acerbic way the characters in this show interact with one another.  Constantly drinking red wine (Jules often drinks out of Big Carl/Joe, a gigantic novelty wine glass), the group often invent and play ridiculous games such as Penny Can, a game Jules' hillbilly-esque  ex-husband Bobby (Brian Van Holt) coined while living on his parking-lot-docked boat along with his best friend and biggest fan Andy (a hilarious Ian Gomez) which involves, shockingly enough, throwing pennies into a can. The cast is rounded out by Jules' two best friends, Andy's delightfully mean-spirited wife Ellie (creator Bill Lawrence's actual wife, Christa Miller) and the youthfully trashy  Laurie (an outrageous Busy Phillips), who just happen to officially hate each other and deliver most of the show's nicknames and insults toward each other.

As you can see, this is the rare show where each character is equally worth mentioning, where they all pull together as an exceptionally entertaining and amusing ensemble. Since the characters are relied on for the show's comedy and personality instead of a wacky premise or situation, they are what make this such a great show. Though its lead-in Modern Family is just about setting the current standard for reliable sitcoms right now, Cougar Town comes off as edgier and more unique, taking risks with new character types and writing styles that more often than not hit their comedic marks.

Bottom Line: If you can get past the horrible title and just give this show a chance, you'll see that Cougar Town will quickly become a show you look forward to every week, as it keeps you laughing out loud with its original brand of comedy and vivacious characters.