Wednesday TV Report

Who else was caught completely off-guard by the sudden somber turn that Cougar Town took last night?


I mean there we were going through the episode with the shows signature slapstick humor and suddenly things get real with Smith and Laurie breaking up. What hit the moment home was Busy Phillips crying and Courtney Cox (who weirdly enough announced her separation with her long-time husband a few days earlier) comforting her. It was a nice heartfelt moment in a show that usually goes wacky for most of its laughs. The first few episodes so far has shown that this show knows exactly what it is now, a kooky and hilarious ensemble show, and they're delivering it week after week.

The other half of ABC comedy power hour is of course Modern Family and it was yet another great episode. I had three favorite moments. The first is the meeting of the siblings at the gym where in the midst of Mitchell doing "troga" (treadmill + yoga) they decide to help each other with their respective problems with their partners. The second moment is the hilarious freak out by Alex during her final phone call with the "popular" girl from her class. Finally, the third moment was the touching and organic way the show sneaked in a Mitchell/Cam foamy kiss. The rest of the episode was also solid and the first few episodes have more or less confirmed why this show is one of the best comedies out there right now.

Even though it was preempted last night, just want to quickly give The Whole Truth a positive shout-out. It's a show I shouldn't find interesting, but week after week I tell myself I'll only see the first five minutes and before you know it I've seen the whole episode. Most of it I think has to do with Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney. Unfortunately I wish I was as thrilled with NBC's Undercovers as I am with the three shows I just wrote about. The two main leads are gorgeous and I do like their chemistry. I'm also warming up to the supporting players, but I just can't help thinking that I've seen this type of show already and it was done better (think Alias, Chuck, Covert Affairs). I like the overarching mystery of their secretive past as well as the "real" reason they were both activated, but I need more to keep me interested.

Now it's time to talk about ratings. Modern Family, like Glee, is a bonafide hit and will be a staple in the schedule for years to come. Cougar Town, probably helped by a great lead-in is also locked for renewal. The new shows, however, I'll be surprised if they survived the season. Both Undercovers and The Whole Truth are pretty much dead in the water with Undercovers in a slightly better position since NO SHOWS are doing well on NBC. But if you're a fan of either show, try not to get too attached.