K Y M C COLOR: 17 PAGE: 4-JAN-2010 DATE: NT NEWS PUB: More comedy gold in them thar hills EVEN before the US artistic ambition, for a genre that had patriarch who is newly economy went south, the stellar casts and an been pushed to the married to a young prime-time seemed ingredient that had brink of extinction by Colombian trophy wife; his hopelessly mired in its own become scarce in dramas and reality daughter and her miserable slump. recent years: shows. On the other suburban family; and his Ratings plunged, critics heart. At the hand, viewers son, part of a gay couple groused, shows fizzled and, forefront of this didn’t want the who have adopted a throughout Hollywood, recovery is Modern same old tired, Vietnamese baby. predictable sitcom. unemployment spread. Family (cast ‘‘We asked ourselves, ‘‘For a while there we were pictured right), a Collectively, the new ‘What is the typical looking worse than the auto series that offers a shows appear to be American family’?’’ industry,’’ says Christopher new take on the succeeding because recalls Lloyd. Lloyd, US co-executive family sitcom with a sitcom about junior-college they maintain a creative ‘‘We finally realised producer of upcoming ‘‘mockumentary’’ device misfits, which edge while also offering sitcom , and a three-tiered focus on has relatable, sympathetic that we’re never going to which will air here on Ten an extended brood. (pictured right) playing a characters who resonate get just one later in 2010. Then there’s Glee, the love-starved single mum and with the audience. (representation). They come in all shapes and ‘‘A lot of my writer hour-long musical comedy The Middle with Patricia Perhaps no new show has sizes these days. struggled. A lot of jobs were that dares to blend earnest Heaton as the frazzled struck the balance as well as lost. It got really dismal.’’ dance numbers with matriarch of a kooky family. Modern Family. Created by ‘‘That’s when we hit But now something funny satirical humour. Meanwhile, among Lloyd and Steven Levitan on the idea of is happening in prime time. Other new shows feeling established shows, The Big (Just Shoot Me), it’s the saga connecting the various Comedy is finally showing the love from critics and Bang Theory has seen its of a sprawling, highly diverse parts of a large, signs of life, thanks to a crop viewers in the US include ratings soar. It all adds up to collection of siblings, kids extended family.’’ of new shows brimming with Community, a twisted a fresh surge of optimism and in-laws. There’s the — CHUCK BARNEY www.ntnews.com.au Northern Territory News, Monday, January 4, 2010 — 17