"Oh, that's cool...really hurtful and cool"

I have high hopes for Mr. Sunshine. What I didn't realize the last time I wrote about it is that the show was created and produced and at least partly written by Matthew Perry. No wonder the show is so perfect for him! It was literally created by and for him and plays precisely to his dry sense of humor and wry delivery that I've loved so much in Matthew Perry for years.

And the work really shows! Ben already has all of my sympathy, Crystal is a miracle, and the pace of the show makes me feel like I've been watching it forever. I want to watch all the episodes right in a row! But I'll be content to wait and watch at a normal pace, I suppose. There are classic sitcom mishaps, but somehow it feels fresh and new - several opportunities for lazy, traditional punchlines were passed over in favor of new, much funnier jokes.

Besides the fact that the show is great, the writing is inventive, and the cast doesn't have a bad note in the bunch (more Kathy Najimy please!), Mr. Sunshine is gonna be around for a while for two other simple reasons. One is that it is lucky enough to have Modern Family as a lead-in and I know that the show will appeal to a similar audience. The second is what I realized with tonight's (surprisingly hilarious) guest appearance by Nick Jonas - because of the setting at a giant stadium it provides countless opportunities for rating-drawing guest stars that can effortlessly show up for an episode and then leave. In so many other shows those guest appearances can feel kind of forced (Jack Black on Community, I'm looking at you), but this show is tailor-made for some great guest stars. And guest stars mean ratings, which means money, which means longevity for the show. Hurrah!

Seriously though, you really should watch it. Quite, quite hilarious and totally demonstrative of the awesome rebirth of network comedy on channels other than CBS.

Notes & Quotes

"In the same spirit that drove America to defeat all those lazy countries and win the Statue of Liberty...we're having a contest!"

"She lights people on fire and then they burn up."

"A giant Churro cake? Mama says wow!"

You know YOU want a giant Churro cake.

"'Dance, Dance, Dance...Dance' - that actually made me want to dance!"

"Oh good, 'cause that was the intention."

"Well, Benjamin, I'm off to the mysterious life I lead outside this place."

I love the running gag with the mascot. I loved it last week, I love it now.

And I won't ruin the Larry King joke for you. Just go watch the show.

"Mis-ter Sun-shine, yay."