Maybe another year?! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Kristen81 · 01-20-2006, 01:27 PM

Here is another article, looks like KOQS is doing good, I put in bold where it mentions KOQS

'Courting Alex,'
returning to romance

New CBS sitcom steps beyond stale formulas

By Toni Fitzgerald
Jan 20, 2006

Jenna Elfman should be thanking the agents for John Goodman, Jason Alexander and Jon Lovitz that all three were otherwise engaged this season. They were thus not available to drag down “Courting Alex” into the muck of sitcom sameness that has dominated network comedy in recent years.

Elfman, unburdened, rises to her role, and out of that comes the first attractive, intelligent, single female to carry a CBS show in years, seemingly going back as far as the Mary Tyler Moore years, if not in fact at least in spirit.

The show premieres Monday at 9:30 p.m. in the enviable post-“Two and a Half Men” slot, and that tells you two things. First, that CBS really believes in "Alex.” But also, and perhaps more important, it tells you how far CBS has come around. This was a network whose idea of fun was long pairing pretty women such as Jami Gertz, Patricia Heaton and Leah Remini with shockingly inappropriate--inadequate works here too--mates like Mark Addy, Ray Romano and Kevin James.
That was the premise for six of CBS’s comedies the past two years, mostly uninspired variations on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Of those six, only “King of Queens” is still performing decently. The others have either been canceled or will be soon.

Even more encouraging, "Alex” speaks to a new era of sitcoms, and at a time when the genre had been written off by so many for its utter staleness. "Alex” joins “Desperate Housewives,” “My Name is Earl,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Jake in Progress” and “Crumbs” in that regard. And while perhaps not as witty or creative as the best of them, it works because of Elfman’s credibility as the harried career woman and because of clever writing. "Alex” rarely stoops to the obvious joke.

It helps too, for the presumably female audience CBS is looking to woo, that Elfman and her male suitor, Josh Randall ("Ed"), might actually belong together. They show more chemistry in one brief on-screen kiss than Gertz and Addy of "Still Standing" have generated in four seasons.

Think about it. How many sitcoms have we watched with smart, attractive women whose entire lives seem bent on serving as emotional anchors for rudderless, clueless men? What anger does that speak to?

With "Alex" we return to the classic sitcom career woman whose life is about possibilities, not foregone conclusions.

The Alex of “Alex” is lawyer Alex Rose, a woman who has everything together at the office but can’t seem to hold anything together at home. We're talking about relationships. She takes business calls during dates and gets lectured by her divorced father and boss, Bill (Dabney Coleman), about her pulseless love life.

Then Alex meets Scott (Randall), a tavern owner and a spontaneous sort, and she realizes the fun that's been missing in her life. Type-A Alex fights her attraction to him. After all, he's refusing to sell his tavern, and that's mucking up a big business deal for Bill. But ultimately she acts on her attraction.

Elfman has grown considerably as an actress since playing flaky hippie Dharma on ABC’s “Dharma and Greg,” and she seems much more comfortable in this role. Single women who don’t quite have it together will relate better to her than to Heather Graham’s whiny list-maker on ABC's quickly canceled “Emily’s Reasons Why Not.”

“Alex” is flawed, for sure. The plot is thin, and more conflict must arise to keep audiences interested. But the jokes work because of the solid writing. And the writers create an identity and a consistent voice for Elfman.

If “Alex” succeeds, CBS could pair the show with the similarly female-skewing first-year hit “How I Met Your Mother” next year, perhaps sending dopey family sitcoms “Still Standing” and “Yes, Dear” off the schedule.

HuntingtonM15 · 01-20-2006, 04:33 PM

Right now, it seems like it's up to the actors to decide whether or not there will be a 9th season. CBS isn't going to want to get rid of KOQ if Still Standing and Yes Dear are potentially being cancelled. It seems as if Leah implied she would do another year, so perhaps it's up to Kevin.

LivinLaarge · 01-28-2006, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

Right now, it seems like it's up to the actors to decide whether or not there will be a 9th season. CBS isn't going to want to get rid of KOQ if Still Standing and Yes Dear are potentially being cancelled. It seems as if Leah implied she would do another year, so perhaps it's up to Kevin.

i once read on the internet that kevin likes to do staand up more than doing the show, i dont know how true it is

01-20-2006, 01:27 PM	#1
Kristen81 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 06, 2005 Posts: 38	Maybe another year?! Here is another article, looks like KOQS is doing good, I put in bold where it mentions KOQS 'Courting Alex,' returning to romance New CBS sitcom steps beyond stale formulas By Toni Fitzgerald Jan 20, 2006 Jenna Elfman should be thanking the agents for John Goodman, Jason Alexander and Jon Lovitz that all three were otherwise engaged this season. They were thus not available to drag down “Courting Alex” into the muck of sitcom sameness that has dominated network comedy in recent years. Elfman, unburdened, rises to her role, and out of that comes the first attractive, intelligent, single female to carry a CBS show in years, seemingly going back as far as the Mary Tyler Moore years, if not in fact at least in spirit. The show premieres Monday at 9:30 p.m. in the enviable post-“Two and a Half Men” slot, and that tells you two things. First, that CBS really believes in "Alex.” But also, and perhaps more important, it tells you how far CBS has come around. This was a network whose idea of fun was long pairing pretty women such as Jami Gertz, Patricia Heaton and Leah Remini with shockingly inappropriate--inadequate works here too--mates like Mark Addy, Ray Romano and Kevin James. That was the premise for six of CBS’s comedies the past two years, mostly uninspired variations on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Of those six, only “King of Queens” is still performing decently. The others have either been canceled or will be soon. Even more encouraging, "Alex” speaks to a new era of sitcoms, and at a time when the genre had been written off by so many for its utter staleness. "Alex” joins “Desperate Housewives,” “My Name is Earl,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Jake in Progress” and “Crumbs” in that regard. And while perhaps not as witty or creative as the best of them, it works because of Elfman’s credibility as the harried career woman and because of clever writing. "Alex” rarely stoops to the obvious joke. It helps too, for the presumably female audience CBS is looking to woo, that Elfman and her male suitor, Josh Randall ("Ed"), might actually belong together. They show more chemistry in one brief on-screen kiss than Gertz and Addy of "Still Standing" have generated in four seasons. Think about it. How many sitcoms have we watched with smart, attractive women whose entire lives seem bent on serving as emotional anchors for rudderless, clueless men? What anger does that speak to? With "Alex" we return to the classic sitcom career woman whose life is about possibilities, not foregone conclusions. The Alex of “Alex” is lawyer Alex Rose, a woman who has everything together at the office but can’t seem to hold anything together at home. We're talking about relationships. She takes business calls during dates and gets lectured by her divorced father and boss, Bill (Dabney Coleman), about her pulseless love life. Then Alex meets Scott (Randall), a tavern owner and a spontaneous sort, and she realizes the fun that's been missing in her life. Type-A Alex fights her attraction to him. After all, he's refusing to sell his tavern, and that's mucking up a big business deal for Bill. But ultimately she acts on her attraction. Elfman has grown considerably as an actress since playing flaky hippie Dharma on ABC’s “Dharma and Greg,” and she seems much more comfortable in this role. Single women who don’t quite have it together will relate better to her than to Heather Graham’s whiny list-maker on ABC's quickly canceled “Emily’s Reasons Why Not.” “Alex” is flawed, for sure. The plot is thin, and more conflict must arise to keep audiences interested. But the jokes work because of the solid writing. And the writers create an identity and a consistent voice for Elfman. If “Alex” succeeds, CBS could pair the show with the similarly female-skewing first-year hit “How I Met Your Mother” next year, perhaps sending dopey family sitcoms “Still Standing” and “Yes, Dear” off the schedule.

01-20-2006, 04:33 PM	#2
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	Right now, it seems like it's up to the actors to decide whether or not there will be a 9th season. CBS isn't going to want to get rid of KOQ if Still Standing and Yes Dear are potentially being cancelled. It seems as if Leah implied she would do another year, so perhaps it's up to Kevin.