TV Report: Weekly Comedy Rankings

Weird week for comedies as almost half of the ones I regularly watch were off the air for one reason or another (actually it's baseball's fault). It made ranking them that much easier though, but man I really wanted a new Parks and Recreation, didn't you?

1. The Rhinitis Revelation (Big Bang Theory) - One of the great things about this show is its roster of great recurring characters and Sheldon's mom played by the very funny Laurie Metcalf is right there on top as one of the best. While it's always good fodder when Sheldon becomes even more childlike at her presence, it's a real treat to see her interacting with everyone else and sizing them all up and their situations. Of course, capping off the episode with Sheldon sick and her singing "Soft Kitty" was just perfect, but I really wished we'd gotten a scene with her and Amy!

2. Go Bullfrogs! (Modern Family) - Off-the-bat have to say that my favorite story line is Phil bringing Haley to his alma mater for a college visit mostly because I just love Ty Burell in anything he does and he got to do two of his best roles: silly crazy dad and awesome caring dad. Claire going out with Mitchell and Cam was also fun, but I saw the whole "Gilles Marini is really straight uh-oh" from a mile away. As for Sofia/Jay/Manny, just one word: "pooberty."

3. Mystery vs. History (How I Met Your Mother) - This episode would've been higher up on the list if the ending to Ted's date had opened up for Janet McIntyre (played by the adorable Amber Stevens of Greek fame) to recur. Yes, she's the alpha woman who's smart, sexy, kind, and rich, but it felt oddly out of character for Ted to be so flabbergasted by that. Still I loved the whole "dating in the age of Facebook" theme of the show. I'm still undecided about Kal Penn being part of the group. He felt a bit stiff and it didn't help that Robin clearly preferred to hang out with Barney. Also... a boy for Marshall and Lily! Aww!

4. Birth (Up All Night) - I quite liked this episode, probably one of the better ones this show has had. But I just think it's WAY TOO EARLY to show us the birth of Amy. We're just getting to know all of these characters and this episode felt like something that could've waited until next season or at the very least the finale. As it is, it's just a good episode, but it could've been MUCH MORE if we had invested more time in them.

5. Secrets and Limos (Happy Endings) - The whole vision board thing was a little funny and a little weird, which kind of encapsulates the show. Kudos to Jane for being able to get "tickets to Greece" and "5 pounds of muscles" on the cheap. The Max/Brad/Brad's boss storyline was just okay, but then again the whole "He jellied my belly!" line was worth it. Also fun to see one of Dave's girls judge the group (like Megan Mullaly's character did last week).

6. And the '90s Horse Party (2 Broke Girls) - Definitely one of the stronger episodes of this show. I didn't even hate all of the diner stuff which I usually do. Of course it's also their umpteenth show where they mock hipsters, but if it works, it works. Though if they can pay off Max's student loan after one 90s horse party, it begs the question WHY NOT DO THIS SEMI-REGULARLY to make money? In any case, the show just needs a more regular dose of heart to go along with its snark.

7. Don't Call Me Shirley (Suburgatory) - I didn't hate the episode, but it felt off to me somehow. It actually felt like this was supposed to be the second or third episode so its placement here as the fourth felt weird. Tessa doing everything in her power to leave the suburbs is a bit of a rehash though I suppose it's okay just to see Dalia and her together for a sleepover. I still love the show, but hoping for better next week (Halloween episode!).