I can’t think of anything better to pull me out of a blog-coma than Judy Greer’s TV train finally coming in. Judy’s been the sidekick in countless films – some nightmarish (13 Going on 30) and some fantastic (Jawbreaker). She’s even had supporting roles on varyingly successful shows like Love Monkey and Arrested Development, but never has she ever been at the center of attention. And that’s a crying shame because she sure as hell deserves it. Judy Greer steals pretty much every scene she’s in.
Well, now with Miss Guided, she’s in every scene, and they’re finally hers to steal. Its hard to tell if all the show’s merits can be attributed to her. The teachers’ lounge comedy succumbs to the clichés of its genre on more than one occasion, but irreverent writing and a clever cast are hard at work to pull their own weight. Still, Miss Guided finds itself in the odd position of being one of those comedies with a commendable premiere, an even better follow-up and a whole lot of mystery over where it could go next. It seems equally likely that this show could give ABC the half-hour comedy its been hoping for (I just cannot count Samantha Who?) or just completely lose steam. I have a few other thoughts over at Metromix.
Miss Guided‘s first episode shows up on Tuesday night, but it’s official premiere isn’t until Thursday when it settles in its regular time slot. Both episodes demand the attention of your DVR. If you don’t share my blind love for Greer though, you’ll want to pay particularly close attention to the second episode when executive producer Ashton Kutcher and “can you tell or can’t you tell?” Jamie Lynn Spears make cameos. The Spears girls may be trashy, but no one can accuse them of not being able to pull it together long enough for a few coherent moments on prime time TV.