In today’s world of blogs and reviewing, “pleasant” is the equivalent of damning with faint praise.  But go back in time, to a period when “pleasant” was a good thing, and you’ll be surprised at how much fun a “pleasant” series like MY BOYS can be.

In the latest episode of MY BOYS (Mondays at 10 p.m. on TBS), PJ (Jordana Spiro) discovers that “Ethics is often the battle between what you want to do and what you should do.  And what PJ wants to do is date the new boy in town.  But there’s that pesky ethics thing.

By: Curt Schleier


MY BOYS is arguably the funniest original sitcom on cable.  Actually, it’s the only intentionally funny original show on cable, but that’s another story.  It’s so funny you’ll laugh out loud even when you’re watching it alone in your room.  And when you realize what you’re doing you quickly shut up before your mother yells, “Hey, what’s going on in there?” That is, if you lived at home with your mother, which I of course don’t. 

    PJ is a sports reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.  So when a good looking young pitcher is brought up by the Cubs, she’s there for an interview.  And when the good looking young pitcher starts making eyes at her, well she’s there, too.  And when the pitcher is named one of Chicago’s 50 hottest bachelors, she’s there.

However, when he asks her to attend the gala celebrating the 50 hottest, PJ has qualms.  So she gathers her boys, and asks for advice.  She doesn’t want to become part of the story,’ she explains.  It’s one of journalism’s unwritten rules.

Fortunately, her brother Andy (Jim Gaffigan) is there to provide counsel.  Unwritten rules are just rules that have to be written down so they can be broken.

It makes sense to me –and PJ, who agrees to attend.  Unfortunately, she realizes at the gala that she can’t do it, and suggests that the ballplayer bring in a reliever.  It’s sad, because he never even got to first base.
   
   
Part of what works in MY BOYS is that the things that make you laugh aren’t jokes, but humor that’s part of the story line.  It’s good for viewers, bad for reviewers who want to make readers laugh and seem intelligent even though they’re using other people’s materials.  But this show is well worth a try.  Soon MY BOYS will be your boys, too.