Through no fault of their own, veteran TV shows relegated to the dreaded “midseason” slot are often unfairly branded — not worthy of a vaunted fall slot, but good enough to be thrown onto the schedule to save a network’s butt when one of its “can’t miss” shows misses. Badly.
So color me surprised when ABC decided that “Suburgatory,” which has performed decently for the network, wouldn’t return for its third season until Jan. 15. And with its second episode airing Wednesday night, I’m here to tell you that it’s a sitcom worth checking out, if you haven’t done so already.
“Suburgatory” doesn’t rewrite the sitcom book, nor does it break any creative ground. What it does offer is a winning, likeable cast — particularly stars Jane Levy and Jeremy Sisto — and some clever writing, which is enough of a reason to come back week after week.
Particularly strong is the chemistry between Sisto and Levy, who play the father/daughter combo of George and Tessa Altman (the mature-beyond-her-years Tessa calls him “George” and not “dad” — don’t ask). The crux of the series lies in George and the teenage Tessa dealing with life in the tony suburb of Chatswin (ostensibly in Westchester County), to which they moved from New York City so George could give Tessa a better life.
Since “Suburgatory” is a sitcom, their fish-out-of-water surroundings continually throw them for a loop: overbearing neighbors, bored, lusty housewives and much teenage angst for Tessa and her best friend, Lisa Marie (Allie Grant) — particularly in the form of spoiled-rotten-but-doesn’t care “mean girl” Dalia Royce (Carly Chaikin). You get the picture.
What I find appealing about “Suburgatory” is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and never seems to be talking down to its audience — letting us in on the joke and keeping its tone lighthearted. Yes, the characters are embellished “types” — it’s a sitcom, after all — but they’re gift-wrapped by appropriately over-the-top performances by a supporting cast including Cheryl Hines (as Dalia’s busty man-eating mom, Dallas) and “Saturday Night Live” veterans Chris Parnell (who’s always good in whatever he does) and Ana Gasteyer.
If you’re coming late to the “Suburgatory” game, and haven’t seen the show in its previous two seasons, you can easily catch up (it’s not rocket science) and get comfortable with its stable of characters.
And, with a enviable timeslot — it’s sandwiched at 8:30 between “The Middle” and “Modern Family” — “Suburgatory” has the chance to stake its claim in the crowded sitcom field.