ShareThisBy RICK KUSHMAN
Fox has a pair of new comedies starting Thursday night, and neither are very Foxish, or is it Foxy? Whatever. They're also not particularly good, though one is at least OK.
The OK show is "'Til Death" (8, EDT/PDT). It stars Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher as people who've been married, like, forever. The magic is so gone from their romance, the only time they're excited together is on pizza night.
Their new neighbors (Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster) have been married a few weeks. They still coo. Anyone who's ever seen a sitcom knows what's coming: Veterans spew cynicism. Rookies cluck about love. Viewers gag about bad comedy.
"'Til Death" at least has Garrett, one of the genuinely funny people on TV, and he gives the show some decent moments. Plus, Garrett and Fisher have a real chemistry, and that makes their general exhaustion seem authentic.
There are worse comedies on TV, which is not exactly a recommendation, but there you go. The thing is, this feels like it should be on CBS.
The other, "Happy Hour" (8:30), is just weak. Fox produces lots of bad sitcoms, but they usually have some kind of spark. Not this one. It features a guy (Lex Medlin) who thinks he's Dean Martin and is determined to bring back Rat-Pack-style happy hours. He befriends a neighbor (John Sloan) who's just been dumped by his girlfriend.
So Deano-lite figures he'll save his new friend by introducing him to martinis and cheap woman. That part sounds like a Fox sitcom.
None of this matters much because once "My Name is Earl" and "The Office" return from reruns, the Fox shows are not going to be the Thursday night comedy choice.
(Reach Rick Kushman at rkushman(at)sacbee.com.
