Despite a dreadfully misleading title, ABC's sitcom "Cougar Town" starring Courtney Cox is a surprisingly crass yet heartwarming TV comedy about family, friends and growing up.
Airing Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. during the alphabet channel's winning comedy block, "Cougar Town" focuses on the life of Florida real estate agent Jules Cobb (Cox).
While Cox is engaging as clingy, wine-guzzling Jules (a role vastly different from her former Friends persona), the show's strength lies its in stellar ensemble casting and unafraid, off-the-wall writing.
The cast include includes an insatiable Busy Phillips as Jule's younger employee Laurie, Dan Byrd as her slightly awkward son Travis, and Christa Miller with Ian Gomez as the fantastically dysfunctional couple, Ellie and Andy Torres, among others.
When the show debuted in September 2009, it initially began as a stereotypical glimpse into the life of the recently divorced 40-year-old recapturing her youth by dating younger men. But five episodes into its second season, the show has transformed into something more. Ditching young men and hollow storylines, the show now focuses on Jules as a caring, if slightly neurotic, mother and friend.
The antics she and her neighbors get into (lying about the Torres' son Stan being dead to get free food, turning a neighborhood watch effort into a way to spy on others in the cul-de-sac, etc.) may be highly unrealistic, but the show is self-aware of its kooky characterizations and storylines. The result is a hilarious guilty pleasure of epically inappropriate proportions crammed into a bright and shiny, 30-minute package.
Final Grade: A- (3.5 out of 4 stars)
Tune in Wednesday nights at 9:30 p.m. to watch "Cougar Town" on ABC.
Next week's episode: The Halloween episode, "You Don't Know How It Feels," airs Oct. 27th.
Sources:
ABC's Official "Cougar Town" Web site
IMDB: Cougar Town (2009 Series)
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