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It may not be the most popular, but the best comedy debut of the year has to be ABC’s Modern Family. Unlike the much-beloved Glee, which whilst being enjoyable has already begun to lose momentum, Modern Family has been able to be consistently hilarious with a fantastically executed fusion of the classic family sitcom with a modern mockumentary twist.
Also debuting this year, again from ABC, is Cougar Town which has improved immensely from its lacklustre pilot and has become the perfect show to watch after a long day of revision. This sadly cannot be said of the Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show which has somehow managed to get worse and still clinch a second season renewal. The fact that this show caused the cancellation of the excellent King of the Hill last season makes this all the more bitter.
Many series have truly come into their own this season with a personal highlight being Showtime’s United States of Tara. Whilst it has never been laugh-out-loud funny the second season of Diablo Cody’s show remained incredibly addictive, with a third season commissioned soon after the season opener was broadcast. Also showing vast improvements are The Big Bang Theory and The Office, both of which have hit their stride and quickly gained viewers, hinting at yet more seasons to come.
Some of the great returning series, however, are still to make a debut in the UK. Starz’s Party Down has survived since the departure of Jane Lynch, having left for a role in Glee, and has actually been able to improve itself to become one of this year’s greatest critical successes. Also awaiting a UK premiere is NBC’s Parks and Recreation which has managed to overcome a shaky first season and is now being hailed as the first comedy of the Obama presidency to emerge with its own distinct personality.
Some minor casualties have been 30 Rock and Desperate Housewives who, despite no discernable fall in quality since their previous seasons, have witnessed a fall in ratings. Both of these are still coming back for a season next year, just like Two and a Half Men whose consistent popularity remains a mystery.
In terms of ending series the standout is Flight Of The Conchords for the reason that it is the only one who decided to call it a day in order to move on to other projects. While there are many who will mourn the loss it was a perfect call by the writers to end it just after they peaked.
In terms of cancellation however, the big casualty is the once great show Scrubs. Having made the odd move of creating a season with a new batch of central characters, it was officially cancelled a few days ago, with Zach Braff’s hint in April being the only prior clue to the programme’s fate. Also ending is the once-great Ugly Betty, which was never able to truly recapture what made the first season great, and Comedy Central’s unexpected axing of The Sarah Silverman Program.
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