Netflix has done really well by me. I have had the chance to catch up on some really good shows even if they did not stay on the air very long. Over the last few weeks my wife and I have been testing out a lot of different comedies available on Netflix. While I have not watched all the episodes available for each of these shows, I have watched the first few and can either recommend or pass on them.
These shows are not in any particular order, this is not a ranking, just a run down of some of the things out there.
1) Rita Rocks – I was surprised to see how many episodes this show had. It was apparently on for two seasons but I never heard of it. Its a family comedy starring Nicole Sullivan who you may recognize from her Mad TV days. Rita is a working mom who misses her youthful days and decides to get a band together in between all the regular family drama. The show is average at best. I did appreciate some of the performances by the band however. Nicole and co-star Tisha Campbell-Martin can actually sing although I have no idea if that is them actually playing those instruments. It kinda looks like Nicole is playing the guitar but there is no way that Tisha is playing that keyboard. You can check this show out but don’t expect much. The laughs are light and the witty banter is non-existent.
2) Melissa and Joey – No clue why my wife decided to check this show out. I guess she was just desperate to find another comedy to replace King of the Hill, Scrubs and Frasier all of which got to season 9 and all of which she finished watching. This show did not make it to season 3 and personally I would not have allowed it to reach episode 3. The stars and the fact the show was on ABC Family probably helped it get a little more than it deserved, but the show is horrible. Laughs did not exist on this show and neither actors are anywhere close to as attractive as they believe they are.
3) Better of Ted – This show was very funny and witty. I seldom laugh out loud but I did a few times during this show. It is about a marketing and product development office. Ted is the idea man and he has a staff of weird scientist he uses to help develop products. So I may not be explaining it well but trust me, the show has something. Apparently it had everything but an audience. Critics like me loved the show but the ratings just was not there. It also only got 2 seasons.
4) Accidentally on Purpose – the show only got one season but I think it deserved a little more. I don’t know how it was going to get it but I found myself with a few good laughs as my wife worked her way through all the episodes. Jenna Elfman plays a 40ish working girl who after a drunken night sleeps with a 20 year old goof-off and finds herself pregnant. I think mainly I enjoyed the show because Jenna Elfman is such an engaging comedic actress. I really like her work. The side characters are the show were good as well. I like the sister Abby and the roommate Davis.
5) Samantha Who? – Unfortunately Christina Applegate still has the stigma from her work on Married with Children. She is actually good at what she does and it is way more and way better than her character on Married. Somehow Katie Segal got away from that show but I think its because she completely reinvented herself with Sons of Anarchy. In Samantha Who? Christina Applegate is really good. The show only got 35 episodes and I can see how the concept could fall off after a season. Samantha was a bitch but after a car accident loses her memory. She has to rediscover who she was and decides that she does not like herself.
So there are a couple of short TV comedy reviews. All of these shows are available on Netflix. For my taste stick with Better Off Ted and Accidentally on Purpose first and then check out Samantha Who? You can leave the other two and really not lose much. Also be sure to notice that the new Comedy Central episodes of Futurama are available and those are certainly worth checking out as well.
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