The best comedies these days don’t have laugh tracks. You know, the dubbed laughter that is supposed to cue up at every “funny” joke. Today’s TV viewing audience don’t like being told when to laugh. So when I new comedy comes along with a laugh track, you have to cringe a little bit. ABC’s first attempt to fill a hole in their new Wednesday Night Comedy Lineup with quality comedies is Better With You and its laugh track.
Here is the synopsis of Better With you straight from ABC:
“Maddie and Ben have been dating for nine years. They know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection, seeing their commitment to one another as a “valid life choice,” something they proclaim often – and often loudly. Maddie’s younger sister, Mia, has been dating Casey for seven weeks. With a shared c’est la vie attitude, Mia and Casey are smitten with each other, and thrilled to explore the oh-so-many things they don’t know about each other yet. But when they announce they’re getting married and having a baby, it’s news that throws Maddie for a loop. Surprisingly, the girls’ parents, Vicky and Joel, couldn’t be more pleased. Married 35 years, they have recently adopted a carpe diem sort of philosophy, rather like Mia’s, cptfc maybe because they’re getting older and lost a good portion of their savings when the economy tanked. With three very different relationships tightly intertwined in one family, will it be free thinkers vs. over-thinkers, or will each couple begin to see things a little bit differently?”
My First 10 Thoughts on the “Pilot” Episode of Better With You:
1. Just your typical relationship comedy.
2. The premise is not that original.
3. Still it is somewhat interesting examining three different relationships in various stages of life.
3. Joanna Garcia is also great, and this series is no different.
4. Josh Cooke and the rest of the cast are also solid.
5. The one weak spot is Jake Lacy, who is newcomer, but he doesn’t ruin the show or anything.
6. The biggest negative is that it’s just not that funny.
7. It also has a horrible laugh track.
8. It is in a good time slot, which will allow it to survive longer.
9. But compared to The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town, it just feels WAY out of
place.
10. This show has a decent chance of making through its initial 13 episode order, but will likely get replaced mid-season by something else, which hopefully won’t have a laugh track and cheesy music.
