All of my favorite things rolled into one video

I just finished making and posting a music video. Anyone who loves TV, dancing, or the Scissor Sisters will enjoy this video. I tried to include as many shows as I could, but since I tend towards dramas (where characters rarely break into spontaneous dance), I could only include about 25-ish different shows. Also, I didn't want to include shows I don't watch. It's my vid, after all, and I wouldn't know how to hunt down clips for other shows anyway. I just hope other people have as much fun watching it as I did making it.

"Cougar Town" - a salute to the Cul-de-Sac Crew

"Cougar Town" has basically no plot these days. The name is misleading and pointless. The characters never go to work. We never see Ellie and Andy's infant son. Travis is home every weekend despite going away to college. There aren't really many romantic entanglements or new love interests. There's hardly ever more than one occasional guest star. The show is completely aware of its faults and unreal aspects. It's all about a bunch of adults who act like kids, except for the copious amounts of wine they drink every episode. And it's one of my favorite shows on television right now.It's just the definition of 'silly fun.' You want to hang out with these people. For them, adulthood means drinking wine and playing Penny Can or one of the other hundred games they make up. This most recent episode, "Lost Children," exemplified this basic core of the show - friends having a blast. They played one big grown-up version of hide-and-seek. In the process, they snooped around their friends' houses, encountered "Waiting for Superman" (which is not about Superman), and dealt with some conflicts along the way. "Cougar Town" isn't genius. It isn't meticulously crafted like "Arrested Development" or random and non sequitur heavy like "Family Guy" or "Scrubs," but instead it could follow "Seinfeld"'s motto - it's a show about nothing. But, like "Seinfeld" taught us, a show about nothing can be incredibly hilarious and entertaining. "Seinfeld" derived humor from everyday life and relatable humorous situations, while "Cougar Town" derives humor from a make-believe version of what we wish our lives were like.

"Cougar Town" is getting the solo love-fest this week because "Modern Family" was a repeat. I will point out that "Modern Family" has definitely had a creative upswing in the latter half of its second season. My fears were unfounded and the writing is top-notch and whip-smart again. That being said, "Cougar Town" isn't just the highlight of my Wednesday, it's the highlight of my week.

Best quotes:

This week's title: Do we have to do this joke forever? "Cougar Town"

Travis: "Mom, I'm trying to fix the TV, but I need to know what you did to break it."
Jules: "I just pushed one of the buttons on the remote and it went to black."
Travis: "Mmhmm. And then?"
Jules: "After it went black, I pushed about a hundred other buttons and then I plugged and replugged a bunch of wires."

Travis (about "Waiting for Superman"): "It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a depressing expose about the failing public school system."

Barb: "You used to be one of us - stalking prey without mercy or shame."
Jules: "When are people going to understand? That's not who I am anymore. I mean, what do I have to do? Change my name?"
Barb: "You'll be back! The filth is strong within you!"

Everybody's 'trucker whoo'

Moving target Penny Can!

"Tossing copper" as new slang for Penny Can

Jules (on not being able to watch the documentary): "Damn it. I wanted to feel smart tonight. Smart and depressed about the world. Not dumb and happy like always."

Travis (talking about an article from his Psych class): "Adults can reduce their stress levels by embracing the activities they loved when they were little kids."
Grayson: "So we should all go hide in the shower and watch my babysitter pee?"
Jules: "No no no, this is good. I mean, not your thing. We're going to have to talk to a professional about that."

Laurie: "I love me some beef and bubbles. Oh! That should be our detective names! He's Beef, a grizzled ex-marine with a secret - he's a vegetarian. She's Bubbles, his plucky hot partner with a secret of her own - she's Beef's daughter. Together, they fight crime and each week, maybe they grow a little bit closer together."

Bobby: "We might as well watch this fake boring Superman documentary."
(later)
Bobby: "You know what's scarier than Lex Luthor? The decaying public education system that's cheating our young people out of a future."

Jules: "Now, you have an outside perspective of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. How do you see us?"
Travis: "Well, I see you guys as a bunch of old people with surprisingly good skin given the amount of wine and sun you take in."
Jules: "Yeah, I think the alcohol preserves us."

Grayson: "Hey, look, Travis' ironic t-shirt collection! 'Hey, I'm moody and sarcastic and I'm home for the tenth straight weekend because I don't understand how college works!'"

Ellie: "Look, when Andy's parents first moved here from Cuba they scraped up enough money to send him to prep school. So in walks this husky, balding 11 year old with a whole fried fish for lunch. He got terrorized by pretty boy D-bags like you named Wyatt or Deckland. And every time you tease him you remind him of those guys. Don't feed into it and you'll be fine."
Grayson: "No problem. Except for I just tied him to a tree, I gotta go get him."

Tom: "Why aren't you at college?"
Travis: "You know, Tom, I...don't...know."

Grayson: "Put my ice cream away and go get some wine and pillows and hide from Jules in the truck. I gotta go get Andy because I tied him to a tree."

Grayson: "Okay, so I probably shouldn't have tied you to a tree."
Andy: "Since I'm Cuban it's almost a hate crime."

Grayson: "Most of those cool guys, they're like me - divorced, struggling through life, peaked at 18..."
Andy: "Wow, you're a total loser."
Grayson: "What? No, I got Jules now."

Jules: "I swear to God, I will burn this whole Cul-de-Sac down!"

Bobby: "So ya'll bag on Sam once we left?"
Grayson: "What could we possibly say about her? We met her for like two seconds."
Bobby: "Well, that's all you're gonna get because she dumped me. Go ahead."
Ellie: "Bad hair, weird nose, thick neck."
Grayson: "She shook my hand with her fingertips. What are you, the Queen of France?"
Laurie: "Her face made me want to learn how to box."

ABC Wednesday - nutty neighbors, dopey doves, and product placement

"Modern Family" - Slow Down Your Neighbors"Modern Family" returned with a strong episode this week that revolved mainly around crazy (and crazy hot) neighbors. James Marsden guest starred as the hot tub intruder Barry while Claire fought to slow down a reckless speeder. Meanwhile, Jay tried to teach Gloria to overcome her fear and ride a bike. Each storyline was solid and had plenty of hilarious gems. Honestly, I can take or leave the stunt casting. But that being said, Marsden was still fun. And still smoking hot. I loved Mitchell and Cam's pre-credits sequence.

Best Quotes:

Cam: "Mitchell, there's a stranger in our hot tub!
Mitchell: "Who is it?"
Cam: "You do know what 'stranger' means, don't you?"
Mitchell: "Oh my god, how long has he been there?"
Cam: "I saw him exactly one second before you, you know everything I know."
Mitchell: "Okay, I'm calling 911."
Cam: "I'm getting my bat."
(They get a good look at 'the stranger')
Mitchell: "Maybe we're overreacting."
Cam: "Yeah, he could have a very good reason."
Mitchell: "We should at least say 'hello.'"
Cam: "It's only polite."

I have to say that they use Luke perfectly on this show. He's turning into my favorite Dunphy.
Luke (scoffing): "Police. Order a pizza and call the cops, we'll see who gets here first."

Phil: "'Luke, I am your father!' That's what I said to you when you were coming out of your mom's lady parts."

Claire trying to remember the car's license number while Phil wrote down an address was great. "Okay, 10-4. This could be my best year since 2006!"

Jay: "Two-thirds of my house can't do what a billion Chinese do."

Phil: "Bring it, Laura. You want to test me? I've been tested my whole life. They could never find anything."

Cam: "You do this every time we meet a new friend. They say one thing you don't like and you just write them off."
Mitchell: "I do not!"
Cam: "Oh really? What about 'But-Yet Rachel'?"
Mitchell: "'I'd love to go, but yet I don't feel like parking.' It's either 'but' or 'yet', not both!"
Cam: "You're lucky no one's kicked your butt, yet. What about Thomas? You wrote him off because he serves the salad after the meal. Which, by the way, is very common in Europe."
Mitchell: "What part of Europe is he from? Pretentious-stan?"
Cam: "Okay, fine, keep judging. Don't let anyone in. I could care less."
Mitchell: "I think you mean you couldn't care less because if you could care less it means that you care a little bit."
Cam: "All right. I'm going into the hot tub. If I stay in here one more minute my head is literally gonna explode."
Mitchell: "Well I hope not because if you mean literally-"
Cam: "-I don't feel safe in my own home!

Mitchell (about his tendency to roll his eyes): "I once saw a picture of myself at a friend's poetry slam, and all you could see were the whites of my eyes."

Jay: "We're riding bikes, we're not training police dogs."

Luke as a teacher was my favorite thing in this episode.
Luke (offering to teach Gloria to ride a bike): I never taught anyone anything. But my playdate canceled, so I was wide open.

Phil: "I wish I were one of those people who thrives on the danger of leading a double life - you know, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Hannah Montana."

Phil: "Claire was furious. She said I betrayed her on every level. So, I called the florist, and I have ordered one dozen Mylar balloons. Good luck staying mad, honey!"


"Cougar Town" - No Reason to Cry
"Cougar Town" is still at the top of its game, silly and quirky as ever. I'm so happy to have the Cul-de-Sac Crew back! I loved the running gag of Andy and Ellie providing fake names to screw the other person over. At first I thought that they were a one-note couple, but they're really cute together. Especially when they're trying to escape "Jules' friend prison." The changing of the coffee sizes was fantastic as well and I knew instantly I had to include Laurie's entire speech for the quotes section. I wish the Emmys or someone official would recognize how awesome Busy Phillips is on this show.

I know the whole Diet Dr. Pepper product placement is going to ruffle feathers among people who go crazy over that sort of thing. To them I say 'get over it!' I rather a show do product placement like this than awkwardly make the characters suddenly all drink the same drink all the time. I thought it made perfect sense in context, for the character of Bobby as well as in the context of him wanting a sponsorship for his golfing. I loved Travis' little "is someone filming this?" comment as Bobby went on about Diet Dr. Pepper. I think people overreact anytime any real product is mentioned or shown in a positive light. I know I've gladly extolled the virtues of Coca Cola before and I don't find it unrealistic for a person to talk about a drink they love. If you can't just do the lingering shots of certain brand names on a show, then I prefer the writers try to be a little creative about it. I was never bothered by the "Chuck" Subway product placement because I know people who willingly rave about the place. Just be happy that primetime shows aren't nearly as awkward as soap operas are with their product placement.

Best Quotes:

Title this week was a long one! "New Year's Resolution: Embrace Our Stupid Title & Lose Six Pounds "Cougar Town" (We love it!)"

Jules: "It's so cool that you and Kirsten are staying for a movie."
Travis: "You said if I didn't, you wouldn't give me money for food."
Jules: "Just say 'you're welcome,' dude."

Jules: "Oh, sweetie, Grayson and I are a better couple than you."
Travis: "Well this sounds like a healthy road to go down with your mom."

Jules: "Grayson, pop quiz! What is my favorite food? What makes me really sad? Who's my celebrity crush?"
Grayson: "Veal, veal again, and Vince Vaughn."
Jules: "Nailed it!"
(Later)
Grayson: "How many did I really get right?"
Jules: "None, but you knew to lie and that's why we work!"

Bobby: "You see those guys over there? One of them just might be a Diet Dr. Pepper executive."
Travis: "Or just a doctor with the last name Pepper. I mean, the odds are about the same."

Tom (after the dove/frying pan collision): "Did someone have a pillow fight out here?...Whoa, there's a dead bird. And a real sad one right next to it."

Andy: "I know it sucks. But this is what happens when doves cry."

Travis: "My dad isn't just my dad. He's part of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. You meddle with one of them, the entire group responds. They're a collective consciousness, like the Children of the Corn."

Jules (after Grayson isn't appropriately sad about the dove dying): "If it was a person, would you still make jokes?"
Grayson: "Probably, because it meant they died sprinting into a frying pan."
Jules: "I bet that's how Bobby goes."

Bobby, while freaking out about the world, screws up his putt. "Will the Internet ever be safe again? Some experts say NO!" And I loved that all the next putt needed was a "DARFUR!" to get shaken. And later, "yeah baby! The world sucks but who cares!"

A perfect example of the difference between men in women in relationships:
Jules: "You get why murdering two animals would make me spiral right?"
Grayson: "I don't."
Jules: "Deep down, you're probably feeling just as sad as I am."
Grayson: "I'm not."
Jules: "You're gonna change someday."
Grayson: "I won't."

Grayson: "You know, I think you're a little emotional right now so I think the smart thing for us to do would be to just chill, not get into any deep conversations."
Jules: "Do you even think we're right for each other?"
Grayson: "Thanks for listening."

Grayson: "Put Big Carl down."
Jules: "No, he understands me!"

Kirsten: "Are we really at a dead lizard's funeral in your mom's yard?"
Travis: "You did this to us."

Grayson (to Jules): "You're an idiot. You're worried that we're not alike enough to be together. One of my favorite things about us is how different we are. It's the couples that are different that really work. I mean, look at these freaks (to Ellie and Andy). His favorite movie is "Die Hard." And she's a horrible person. I've been scared to say this, but all those ways that you're different from me...that's why I love you. I love you Jules."

And now, Laurie's crazy brilliant order at the coffee shop! You can tell they had so much fun with this one and Busy Phillips handles it wonderfully. (It's on Youtube, too, if you feel like watching it)
Laurie: "Oh hey Rache, now bear with me, I have to order for everyone. Okay, I'll have one Soy Largey, one teeny tiny, one teeny teeny tiny unleaded, one Plain Jane, extra yum, (what the hell make it a double yum), a Baby Joey, a Midnight with a Full Moon - hold the pumpkin, a medium coffee, I need a Heavy D in a travel mug please, two Crazy Ivans, a Sauron's Eye. Also I need a 'Damn!' and an iced 'Damn!', a Sneaky Pete, a double drip with a snip of whip, and a frap cap heavy on the (makes crushing sound). Oh, and let's see what's fresh...okay, well I'll take three raisin happy muffins, a French mustache, and, ick, a fart muffin - that is not for me. Oh, and I forgot to order my own coffee! Can I get a Taye Diggs, which is black and extra strong and smooth but also very sweet?" (Barista stands frozen in place) "Would it be easier if I just came back there and made it myself?"

ABC Wednesday - Chirp Chirp, Bang Bang

I'll only be covering "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" since I only watched the season premieres of the other two and never want to have to watch "Better With You" ever again. But the second hour of ABC Wednesday's comedy line-up is like a gift from above, filled with great pop culture shout-outs and fun characters doing what they do best.

"Modern Family" - "Chirp"
This week's episode found Claire and Hayley sick, Phil hunting for a chirping smoke detector, Jay and Gloria celebrating a mysterious anniversary, and Cam and Mitchell fighting about Lily's acting debut. I normally love Cam and Mitchell, but their storyline was the weakest in this episode. It's unfortunate because normally the show fires on all cylinders, but even when one storyline is weaker, the episode is still pretty good. The smoke detector was used to great comedic effect, with it chirping and secretly saying that Phil isn't a man, because men are in charge of the smoke detectors. When Claire's gym buddy comes to return her lost cell phone and he says that Claire never mentioned she had a husband, the smoke detector chirps and it's a perfectly timed moment. Meanwhile, an old but reliable gag was going on between Claire and Hayley, when Claire tried to convince her daughter not to settle down with Dylan or else she will regret it. (Sidenote: I was thrilled to see the return of Dylan. He's great in small doses though). Of course Hayley didn't get that Claire was talking about her and Dylan, she thought Claire was talking about Phil. Jay had a heartwarming little moment with Manny but I also loved his confusion over which anniversary he was celebrating with Gloria, since she celebrates every little moment in a relationship.

Best of:

• Jay saying he "took care of Jack" and Gloria asking if he killed him.
• Gloria insisting that Jay's "resort wear" was more like "last resort" wear
• Hayley reassuring Dylan that he "doesn't have to conceive of a world without [her]"
• Luke wanting to sell the "organ" and asking Phil to drive him to the black market.
• Jay trying to get Gloria to finish his sentences and expose their plans for the night (unsuccessfully)
  
• Dylan's sex dream about Claire. Made even funnier later by Hayley telling him "I'm just in bed with my mom. Stop freaking out! It is not coming true!"
  
• Every time the smoke detector chirped, especially the last time that sent Phil into a destructive rage
• Luke in the background trying to eat a cookie with the space helmet on.
  
  

"Cougar Town" - "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)"
If I could recommend only one show for a person to watch this week, it would be "Cougar Town." It had its usual mix of crazy gags but added in a "Spaced" reference and a brilliant homage to "The Usual Suspects." It was Jules' birthday and, naturally, this was turned into a big contest between everyone trying to get her the best gift. Travis and Bobby had their own odd adventure conquering a neti pot, which is apparently some fancy thing for clearing up congestion.

Best of:

• "(Modern) Cougar Town" this week. I absolutely adore the opening credits gag. It's a small, self-aware way to address the title debate.
  
• Calling sensitive men "sensies." A nice "Scrubs" callback.
• If a couple actors hadn't already crossed over from "Scrubs," I would wish that they took place in the same universe. I'm not sure what that would mean though...maybe some guest spots from alumni as their old characters.
  
• Jules takes her Disney characters very seriously. It was mighty impressive, rattling off the dwarves' names that fast.
  
• Laurie finding an app for dramatic sound effects. Sabotage should always be announced in fabulously dramatic fashion.
  
• Jules forcibly changing Grayson's age, especially since it makes her absolutely NOT a cougar!
• Andy and Jules, Hot Dog and Stick!
• The visual gag of Bobby's nose leaking.
• Laurie tricking Grayson and winning the contest.
• Bobby asking about Travis' neti pot. "Is this another one of those snooty college things like that picnic basket you take to the shower?"
• Jules laying down the law about her birthday. "Okay, a few birthday ground rules: no gag gifts, no gift cards, and nothing that I'm supposed to love because it's charitable. Laurie, I'm still pissed you saved an elephant in my name!"
• Bobby: "Hey College! I'm calling you College now because you go to college." Travis: "Yeah I pieced that together."
• Barb's appearance, wanting to tell Jules "about my trip to London and all the time I spent under Big Ben." Andy led her away with "look! A high school track team hosing each other down!"
• Ellie: "Jules, he's an evil genius. He's Keyser Soze!" Jules: "No he's not!" Ellie: "Yes he is!" Jules: "He's not! God! (pause) Who's Keyser Soze?"
• Ellie sitting Jules down to watch "The Usual Suspects." Jules: "You told me before it started that Kevin Spacey was Keyser Soze and I was still surprised! Wait, was he Keyser Soze?" Ellie: "Yes!" Jules: "Alright, so the crippled guy was his evil twin?" Ellie: "No, same guy!" Jules: "Well let's just agree to disagree."
• Jules: "I know you want me to believe Andy is Kiefer Doozy" - even after Ellie makes Jules watch the movie.
• The flashback to Andy making up a story about his grandmother based on random things behind Jules. Also, the parody of the ending where they show that Andy really was faking his sprained ankle. Andy as an evil genius was unexpected but fantastic.
• After Bobby comes back from the hospital. Travis: "So you poured this whole pitcher directly into your lungs? I mean, at some point you must have know you were drowning. Why didn't you stop?" Bobby: "Bobby Cobb never quits!" Travis: "Not even at killing himself?" Bobby: "Not even. That stupid college death pot!" Travis: "Still not a college thing." Bobby: "Whatever, man, it's still the most dangerous thing on my boat." Travis: "Really? I'm going to spin around and say the first thing I see. Loaded flare gun on a jar full of gasoline!" Bobby: "Well that's for when the rats come!"
• Later, Bobby: "You ever looked death in the eye, Trav?" Travis: "Well now that that jar of gasoline has a flaming can of Sterno next to it, I'd have to say yes."
  
• Travis: "Dad, let me list some actual college things, like indie bands, freshman 15, dabbling in lesbianism (that's for girls), encouraging girls to dabble in lesbianism (that's for guys), ramen noodles, keggers, having a black roommate that makes you feel self-conscious about singing all your favorite rap songs..."
  
• Travis walking in on the Finger Guns Mexican Standoff, asking "what are we doing? Somebody tell me what we're doing!"
  
• The final Finger Gunfight. Utterly silly, but all the better because it was a reference to "Spaced." Bill Lawrence confirmed it, even though Travis said "I love 'Spaced'" as he was falling.
  
• Because it's awesome, Entertainment Weekly posted a whole article about the reference and posted all the videos of it and in reference to it: "Cougar Town" does "Spaced"-inspired finger gun shootout: Watch!"

In Defense of "Cougar Town" - Why It's Not the Show You Think It Is

At the beginning of the TV season last year, I, like many other people, thought that "Cougar Town" would be the last show I would want to watch. The main cast, the concept, the title - it all sounded absolutely dreadful. I'm ashamed to admit that I had no idea Bill Lawrence was one of the creators of the show. I probably would have given the show a chance if I had known, since he brought the wonderful yet tragically underrated "Scrubs" to my life. One day, I ended up leaving it on after "Modern Family" and found it to be a totally different show from what I expected. Today, it's one of my absolute favorite, must-see shows of the week. I just wish other people would give the show a chance to defy their preconceived notions. So, to do my part, I decided to make a list in defense of the show by clarifying what it's about and why it's worth adding to your weekly schedule.

You may think...

it's all about being a cougar

You'd be wrong because...

the title is incredibly misleading. I do wish they would change it, although I don't know if that would help it or hurt it. Really, only Courteney Cox's character Jules is a cougar. And furthermore, it was only for a short period after Jules' divorce when she yearned to relive her glory days. Currently, she's been involved with someone age appropriate and most of the cougar humor is used sparingly if at all (these days, it's relegated to brief appearances by Barb, a hilarious cougar who pops into a scene just to deliver a perfectly awkward one-liner only to disappear moments later. She did get a fun extended bit with Jules' son Travis in one episode, though). The other characters on the show either date others their own age or are, like Andy and Ellie, happily married.

You may think...

it's all about older people

You'd be wrong because...

there's actually a range of ages portrayed on-screen. I know being the age I am that I wasn't the target demographic for the show, at least initially. But I think that's what's the hidden beauty of the show. It was originally marketed towards older women, maybe 30s onward, but I think it has appeal for a younger audience as well. A recent episode involving Jules' son Travis choosing a college was entirely relatable for me, as someone who had gone through the same thing relatively recently. Any young adult would have identified with that plotline and found it hilariously on-point. Travis and his relationship troubles (romantic and familial) get a good amount of screentime and the actor, Dan Byrd, shows that he really does have some solid comedic chops. I remember him being good in the shortlived "Aliens in America" on the CW, but he absolutely shines here and plays off of his neurotic mother and redneck father perfectly. Busy Philipps as Laurie is another part of the Cul-de-sac Crew (as Jules calls their group), and she's only 30 and dates age appropriate men as well. Between Travis, Laurie, and Jules, this show does a fantastic job of showing the relationships of people of all ages.

You may think...

it's all about the women.

You'd be wrong because...

the men get a lot of focus as well. And they're excellent, non-stereotypical male characters that you sometimes get and think, "well those were obviously written by women." Bill Lawrence creates great male characters. It's fun to see just as much camaraderie among the men on this show as among the women. Grayson plays like the male version of Jules, dating much younger women after his painful divorce. His side, along with Andy's marriage drama and Bobby and Travis' family drama are all given just as much time as the ladies'.

You may think...

it's completely unoriginal.

You'd be wrong because...

it's a unique show with inventive running jokes each episode and bizarre characters. My favorite character, Bobby, is so different from the others as he revels in his redneck persona in a genuine, not annoying, way. He's so sincere that it's hard not to like him. A lot of the jokes seem very realistic in that they seem like jokes any group of friends could come up with. Whether it's the guys playing a game of Penny Can or the women turning the "that's what she said" joke around into "that's what he said" so the guys know how annoying it is, you never get the feeling like you're hearing tired old sitcom jokes. Each episode normally has a running joke or two, like the gang creating "gay traps" for each other to reveal the inner gay in each other. They play random, made-up games like Emotional Chicken, where Bobby and Andy competed to see who would cry first to "Cats in the Cradle" while holding eye contact. One of the things I love about watching this show is hearing their new jokes and games every week. It's like hanging out with your friends, if your friends were witter and more endearing. And if your friends sang spontaneously.

You may think...

it's about rich, Hollywood women.

You'd be wrong because...

the show is set in Florida, just to give it a different setting than LA. I get sick of shows just settling for their filming location as their setting, because it gets unrelatable for people living somewhere like the Midwest. Like I commented on before, it's not all about the women. It follows the normal sitcom rule of "everyone has a nice house but not necessarily a high-paying job," but it's a fantasty comedy, so that's fine. The two main women work in realty, one guy works in a bar, and it's definitely not all about living like a socialite and it's not a very "Hollywood" show. These seem like average, albeit pretty, normal people.

You may think...

it's all about the romance.

You'd be wrong because...

it's also about family drama between husbands and wives, ex- husbands and wives, parents and children. It's about friendship, finding yourself, chasing after a balloon filled with cash...okay those things sound cheesy and weird, but the show isn't all about sexing it up with young hotties. Much like "Scrubs," there are real life lessons grounded in real human emotion.

You may think...

the guest stars suck.

You'd be wrong because...

um....Beverly D'Angelo was pretty fun as Laurie's mom? All right, so far, their guest stars haven't been fantastic. Lisa Kudrow was fine enough, but I was never a "Friends" fan so any spark of reunion between her and Cox was lost on me. Scott Foley was also okay, but I thought he was better utilized on "Scrubs." Mainly I write this because Sheryl Crow's guest stint was really underwhelming. And here I thought it was impossible to be that boring when you at least have an accent. She had no presence onscreen and no chemistry with Grayson, so I cheered when she finally left. The characters on this show are dynamic and each humorous in their own way. Crow had no personality and could not compete with the other stars onscreen.

You may think...

Josh Hopkins is just as annoying here as he was on "Private Practice."

You'd be wrong because...

he's a totally different person here. Yes, for the five other people on the planet who watch "Private Practice," you don't want to rip his throat out on this show. He's much better in a comedic setting. And he can sing and play guitar! I love that they incorporated that into the show. My favorite song idea so far is "Someday Girl." (As Laurie puts it, "a someday girl is someone who someday someone else can see themselves ending up with someday. It's really serious.")

Now, I know comedy is really subjective. People swear by "The Office," yet I keep waiting for someone to say something funny on that show. But "Cougar Town" has a very "Scrubs"-esque feel to it, so I can say with a degree of certainty that anyone who loved "Scrubs" will appreciate "Cougar Town." I hope I knocked down some mistaken ideas people had about the show, because it really is fun. It has a great tone and clever jokes and I hope it finds a larger audience. It's only a half-hour long show - how hard is it to give it a chance one week? If it's not your thing, all you've lost is about 20 minutes after commercials are taken out. If you like it, you'll be really happy you gave it a chance.

(Here's a great Entertainment Weekly article debating what to do with the show's title)

I wanted to include some clips from the show that I love. So the first one is all about Grayson and includes some of his fun moments, musical and otherwise. (I have to say I love his "Sex with the Ex" song.) The second clip is another of my favorites, where the gang gets converted to the Snuggie (or Slanket, as they call it) and I think it introduces all of the characters well.