The Top 25 Shows of 2015, No. 11: ABC’s Family Focused Comedies

At a time when other broadcasters can rarely concoct a satisfying situation comedy of any kind ABC has come up with five distinctive smartly written and above all genuinely funny shows that have modernized a genre as old as television itselfamp160And as an obvious extra bonus ABC should be commended for bringing us the most ethnically diverse slate of comedies on televisionAt the start of the season amp8220blackishamp8221 presented an episode about the Nword that positioned the show as the closest thing we have to a classic Norman Lear comedy The cast of quotblackishquot is pictured above I feel the same way about amp8220Fresh Off the Boatamp8221 with its priceless comic performance by Constance Wu that belongs in the company of Beatrice Arthur in amp8220Maudeamp8221 Isabel Sanford in amp8220The Jeffersonsamp8221 and Bonnie Franklin in quotOne Day at a Timequot The only other comedy on television right now that comes close to Lear greatness is the marvelous amp8220Momamp8221 which explores contemporary themes and issues while also depicting with great humor life as it is lived by more people than we might think But thatamp8217s a CBS show and this column is all about ABCOf all of these shows the one that I have found to be the funniest and most consistently relatable from day one is amp8220The Middleamp8221 about a white working class family struggling to live paycheck to paycheck in the town of Orson Indiana Its humor is generally broad and sometimes wacky but when it wants to connect on an emotional level it does so with a deep understanding of the frustrations and fears that come with a life devoid of financial security One of the great pleasures of the current season has been the exploration of oldest son Axlamp8217s insecurities as adulthood looms Dim jock Axl Charlie McDermott was always the carefree goofball amp8211 even though he has been in college a couple of years he still is doing his best to be irresponsible amp8211 but lately he has been made to think about the challenges of his future and has been reduced to uncharacteristic tears Eden Sher the crazy talented actress who portrays his indefatigable kid sister Sue is still the scenestealer here but the rest of the cast continues toamp160findamp160ways to keep their characters fresh and funny McDermott and Sher are pictured belowIf amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 and amp8220blackishamp8221 take the usual sitcom route one in which money is not a concern for the primary families on their canvases and amp8220The Goldbergsamp8221 and amp8220Fresh Off the Boatamp8221 feature families that arenamp8217t necessarily welloff but arenamp8217t hurting either amp8220The Middleamp8221 and amp8220Momamp8221 dare to acknowledge that most Americans simply do not have money and arenamp8217t too happy about it This is something most television writers in Hollywood would prefer to not think about while socking away their big bags of moneyLike amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 which has won a truckload of awards the egregiously overlooked but no less deserving amp8220The Middleamp8221 in its seventh season shows no signs of getting old or slowing down It belongs alongside amp8220All in the Familyamp8221 which somewhat alarmingly seems as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago quotGood Timesquot in its early seasonsamp160and amp8220Roseanneamp8221 ditto on the very short list of the very best comedies about families in perpetual financial distress that nevertheless find ways to survive and thrive Itamp8217s a marvelThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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The Top 25 Shows of 2015, No. 11: ABC’s Family Focused Comedies

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Ed Martin

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The Top 25 Shows of 2015, No. 11: ABC’s Family Focused Comedies

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FEMA and the Ad Council Encourage AANHPI Communities to Enhance Disaster Preparedness in New PSAs - Ad Council InSites

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