Fall TV Review: FOX Tuesday Night Line-Up

For the last 7-8 years, my favorite television viewing night of the week has been Thurday nights on NBC. With the departure of The Office and 30 Rock, that line-up has been decimated into fractions of what it used to be.

Don't get me wrong, I still love me some Parks & Recreation and Community, but two shows do not a prime-time line-up build. Don't you fret lil' NBC, if that Michael J Fox Show finds a way to formulate plots beyond Marty McFly's Parkinson's disorder and manage to be entertaining, you could find your Thursday night line-up back in my good graces.


So now my attention has been turned to the FOX Tuesday night line-up. I was already a huge fan of New Girl and The Mindy Project, so I planned on tuning in for at least an hour's worth of programming. They also added two more comedies backed by some intriguing credentials.

Batting lead-off is Dads, starring Seth Green, which is executive produced by Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane. In the number 2 hole is Brooklyn Nine-Nine, starring Andy Samberg and what looks like a tremendous ensemble on paper. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was created by key contributors to The Office and Parks & Recreation. 

On paper, this sounds like a can't miss night of comedy, but I have been disappointed before (damn you Will Arnett and David Cross for your stupid and unfunny Running Wilde). Last night was the season premier of FOX's re-vamped Tuesday night line-up, and here's my show by show break down.



Dads, 7 PM CST

Unfortunately, this show immediately started off in the negative with me. I am not a fan of sitcoms with laugh tracks. I don't need to be told when to laugh!!! Also, to me it's just lazy writing. The average half hour sitcom includes about 7 minutes of commercials in every episode, meaning that writers only have to create 23 minutes worth of content. You throw in a 5 second artificial and contrived laugh every 30-60 seconds, and writers for a sitcom with a laugh track only end up scripting for about 19-20 minutes worth of show. Those lazy laugh track bastards.

Besides all of that, the show did make me laugh on occasion. I've always been a closet fan of Giovanni Ribisi, and he had some good moments in the pilot episode. I just couldn't get past the laugh track. I kept feeling like I was watching a re-run of Three's Company. I can easily see the potential in this show, they would have to lose the whole "taped in front of a live studio audience" thing for me to watch on a consistent basis.

Julie Powell Wine-o-Meter Rating: Riunite Lambrusco (Cheap wine, I'll drink it until I know better, or if no one else is watching me.)




Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 7:30 PM CST

I had high expectations for this show going into to it, considering the cast and the people behind it.  Let me tell you, this show did not disappoint. Andy Samberg was really good, even though it is hard to take him serious as a New York detective at times. Chelsea V. Peretti was the undercover star of the show, she is the perfect "sixth man" for this cast. The season pass for Brooklyn Nine-Nine has already been added to my DVR.




Julie Powell Wine-o-Meter Rating: Opera Prima Merlot (Tried it because it was new, and it didn't disappoint, will try it again...and again.)



New Girl, 8 PM CST

I love this show. I was kind of hoping that they wrapped up the whole Jessica and Nick relationship angle during the show, but I guess you always can't get what you want. I don't know what it is, but I think the Nick character is better when he's unhappy. It's like House, the show sucked when House finally got to be with Cuddy. The world loved Gregory House more when he didn't have a heart, and I for one appreciate a grumpy Nick Miller.

The show was hilarious nonetheless. Schmidt was Schmidt, but he might have gotten bumped as my favorite character on the show by Winston, played by Lamorne Morris. Many of Winston's neurotic frailties came to a boil in the first episode. I won't ruin it for you, but it awesome.

Julie Powell Wine-o-Meter Rating: Duckhorn Merlot (Love it, will never stop loving it, will forever be a favorite!)



The Mindy Project, 8:30 PM CST


The Mindy Project played the anchor for this relay team, and helped bring home the gold.  Everything picked up where they left off. They didn't try to give us too much in the first episode back from the summer hiatus, but they did a good job of foreshadowing things to come. Almost every character was back except for Shauna Dicanio, the extremely Italian receptionist played by Amanda Setton. She was replaced by Tamra, the extremely African-American nurse played by Xosha Roquemore.

Oh, they also added a cast member, some guy named James Franco, no big deal. Franco plays Paul Leotard, who knows it all and has done it all, so basically just James Franco in a white doctor's coat. What can't Franco do?

Julie Powell Wine-o-Meter Rating: Bottega Petalo Moscato Spumante (A nice, sweet, and bubbly way to end the night.)

All in all, the premier of FOX's re-tooled Tuesday night line-up was a success. My message to the 2 Seth's (MacFarlane & Green), drop the laugh track or move to CBS where that type of shit is appreciated. You're welcome.