So here’s what’s going to happen in this post:

You might learn a few things about me. Maybe some revealing, eye-opening things. It might help explain why I like some of the things I like. At least … I think it will. You may not agree. And that’s okay. I can’t please everyone. And I can’t put stuff out there that makes sense to me but might confuse you. I figure so long as there’s that basic  understanding — possible revelations which may not make sense to you — then I’m pretty certain you can at least wrap your head around some of what I’m going to say.

By nature, I’m not a comedy-watching kind of guy; that might come as a surprise. I shy away from comedy films and I routinely avoid comedy television programs. The Big Bang Theory? Puzzles me to no end. I don’t get it. Brainiacs who make fools of themselves or who find themselves out of their element socially. Not funny to me in the least. Adam Sandler films? Will Ferrel movies? I don’t watch them and wouldn’t voluntarily go to one. You couldn’t entice me to one of these men’s flicks with free popcorn, soda and Jujubees. They’re inane and pointless to me. (The films, not the Jujubees.)

Comedy I like? Hit me up with The Blues Brothers. Sixteen Candles. Dark Star. Bob’s Burgers. Even the Charlie Sheen years of Two And A Half Men in small doses. (I don’t care what anyone says about Sheen or the show back in those days; there was some smart writing goin’ on.)

I like dark humor, too. Six Feet Under. Leaving Las Vegas. Breaking Bad. Classic humor I like: Young Frankenstein. Laurel & Hardy. The Marx Brothers. Robert DeNiro in Midnight Run, Jeff Bridges in Starman. Comedic plays such as Man Of La Mancha.

And I know what you’re saying right about now: “Michael? I happen to know you’re a funny guy. Don’t give me guff and don’t make me put on boots to wade through your bullshit. You like comedy! ” I am funny. And I do like comedy. But I don’t like watching comedy as a rule. “Hogwash! You reviewed the entire first season of New Girl a couple years ago! If that’s not comedy, what is?!?” And you would be right. I stepped out of my viewing element (and I called myself out for doing so many a time) and watched that premiere season. I’ll admit: It had its moments. I was completely on board with The Douchebag Jar. I was hit and miss (often “miss”) with Zooey Deschanel’s Jess, mostly on board with Jake Johnson’s Nick and often vacillated with Max Greenfield’s Schmidt. But after a season of the show, I was done. I don’t believe I’ve watched a single episode of New Girl since. And I don’t feel as if I’ve missed anything in spurning it.

I’d like to like a comedy television programs … really, I would. A lot of friends (no comments from the peanut gallery, Ivey) and associates say there are some worthy things out there in TV Land. I would dig giving myself whole-heartedly to something guffaw-inducing, slapstick-ish or sly. But picky me, I haven’t found anything yet.

Now? Here comes FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

And — surprise wowzah! — with one of my favorite actors, Andre Braugher! Loved, loved, loved his underlying snark in Homicide: Life On The Street. Dug him (mostly) in Men Of A Certain Age. As an actor of stature and command, I was thrilled to tune in to the too-short Last Resort with Braugher as the obstinate Captain Marcus Chaplin. And in House as Dr. Darryl Nolan? You betcha. (There’s another show with dark and not-so-dark comedy elements I enjoyed.)

But, sorry to say, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is lacking in some basic elements … “comedy” being one of them. At least, sustaining comedy by its star that will weather it through an initial season. There’s of course the mandatory set-up to get us familiar with the characters, but it feels forced, like someone is shoving it down our throats or waved before our eyes when it doesn’t need to be. Especially in the case of Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg (as extremely smart/smart alec Detective Jake Peralta) who steam rolls along in the pilot, any obstacles in his way be damned. And it doesn’t sit well within the context of the show. Instead of letting Peralta sway us with his charms while tossing yucks at us, we’re force-fed sarcasm and shenanigans when there is no need for them. And it leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. The viewing audience isn’t dumb, for Pete’s sake … why do the producers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine feel the need to bombard us as if we need an 800-pound gorilla hovering over us making sure we get the joke? Samberg overplays the role. For example: When we see Peralta giving in to his new captain’s demand that ties be worn by the men of his command, it’s just dumb to see Samberg lift his shirt, his tie wrapped around his mid-section. It’s so contrived it isn’t even funny. In fact, it’s stupid … and not in a good way. It’s not even “good” stupid comedy. It’s just dumb.

Much more appealing is the easily swallowed Captain Ray Holt (Braugher). His demeanor is infinitely more comfortable than Peralta’s. It comes effortlessly without the in-your-face bombast. It helps that all Braugher has to do is shoot a look someone’s way and you know exactly what he’s conveying. Comedy without words. The show’s writers should know better, being they’re obviously doing this for Braugher.

Yet … there’s hope. Hope in that the rest of the cast gels together to overshadow some of the daftness Samberg showcases. Their “straight man” roles help soften the harsh edges of Samberg’s character and give me at least a little optimism that the current circus doesn’t revolve around the stark and glaring clown-star. (Stephanie Beatriz‘ strong Detective Rosa Diaz is a welcome relief.) There’s hope in Braugher reining in some of the stupidity of Samberg’s antics and working an uneasy but better pairing of the two. This could yield a more cohesive comedy that doesn’t rely completely on dippiness for laughs. Because right now? Out of the gate? It’s not working.

So … did you learn anything about me? Maybe that my comedy likes are too high-falutin’? Too picky? (Nah. Hello! Blues Brothers! Two And A Half Men! Bob’s Burgers!)

Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe my love for Andre Braugher comes with blinders and a notion of hopeful trust that smartness will eventually come out of this new show instead of an insipid 24 minutes of slough. As with my previous New Girl “adventure” a few seasons back, I’ll stymie my judgment and go along for the ride and see what comes out the other end.

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So far this week, CliqueClack has previewed the new upcoming drams from ABC, CBS and The CW. We’ll be finishing up the week with both Fox and NBC’s new offerings. Fox developed quite a bit more this year than last, where only The Mindy Project and The Following survived from the slate (The only other drama, The Mob Doctor premiered to horrid ratings and was put out of its misery in short order). The four new dramas this year are diverse, though do fit in to the “high concept” craze that affected all of the networks.

I was particularly impressed with Sleepy Hollow, probably because I came in with no expectations whatsoever. Almost Human is a show I was destined to love. Rake will probably do well enough, but I’ve got some questions about Gang Related.

Almost Human (late Fall — after baseball)

A year or so ago, I was complaining about the distinct lack of science fiction programming on network television. Looking at this year’s slate of new shows, it looks someone was listening in on my conversation NSA-style. Almost Human is a show that was built for me to like: Sci-Fi? Check. Actors I really like (Karl Urban, Minka Kelly, Michael Irby)? Check. J.J. Abrams nerd quotient? Check. Michael Ealy in particular stands out; I’m not sure we’ve seen this level of a well-conceived android character since Brent Spiner’s Data.

Verdict: I think there’s enough “special” in the first hour to reach a wider audience but, like I said, I’m the show’s demographic so I’m probably a bit biased.

Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: As I see it yes.

Gang Related (Midseason)

I think if Gang Related premiered 11 years ago, it would be called The Shield. In 2013 however, it isn’t nearly as gritty as it would have been years ago. There’s really only two reasons to watch this show: Terry O’Quinn and Cliff Curtis. TV fans are likely much more familiar with O’Quinn’s work after Lost, but Curtis has done some phenomenal under-the-radar work in a couple of roles in the past couple of years, especially NBC’s Trauma. Beyond those two, however, there was little that earned my interest in the first hour; the “double-agent” aspect that’s been played up in the show’s previews wasn’t nearly as interesting as it should have been.

Verdict: Yeah … not so much.

Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Very doubtful.

Rake (Midseason)

I know Rake is an Americanized version of an Americanized version of a popular Australian show — which is apparently loosely based on a real guy — but it feels like it is supposed to be a spin-off of House, MD. Just trade doctors for lawyers and drug addiction for a gambling problem, rinse and repeat. However, the pilot does have two very good things going for it: the “case of the week” is as unique has anything you’ll see on network television, and the defendant is played by the always-great Denis O’Hare. I’m also interested in how the show is going to be exploring Rake’s relationship with the myriad women in call-girl Nikki.

Verdict: I haven’t been truly interested in a lawyer show since Eli Stone went off the air, and Rake certainly shares Stone‘s love of quirk. I’ll probably give it a short leash. However, I think audiences will like it much more than I did.

Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Signs point to yes.

Sleepy Hollow (Mondays 9:00PM)

Other than ABC’s Betrayal, Sleepy Hollow was one of the biggest surprises of the whole slate. I went in with no expectations; I wanted to like Grimm but wasn’t really able to connect with it, and I expected the same from Hollow. Considering how the story spans history — Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horsemen have been mysteriously transported to our present — the pilot shows considerably more “depth-of-mythos” than most new shows generally attempt in their first episode. There’s also a Di Vinci Code quality to the story, which includes witches and George Washington (Yes, that George Washington).

Verdict: More than anything, this is a show I didn’t think that I’d watch but now will probably give it a full season to convince me otherwise.

Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Reply hazy try again.

FOX’s The Mindy Project and New Girl are two of FOX’s stronger comedies. So, it makes sense to place them back to back. But this week I noticed eerie similarities between the two. Admittedly, beneath the surface they aren’t the same show; but on the surface they look pretty similar. Tuesday night I got total déjà vu watching them back to back. 15 minutes into the Mindy Project, I kept wondering why everything seemed so similar until I realized I watched it earlier on New Girl …

My top five reasons why Mindy Project and New Girl are the same show:

1. They Share the Same Plot

Both shows are about strong female characters re-defining their lives after their former boyfriends kick them to the curb. But, that’s pretty surface stuff. That didn’t bother me. But, this Tuesday both shows had similar premises. New Girl focused on Jess and Nick’s friends-without-benefits relationship while the Mindy Project surrounded the antagonistic Mr. Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet relationship between Mindy and Danny.

2. The Male Characters Are the Same

The male characters cut from the same template. New Girl features vain wannabe playa Schmidt, curmudgeonly Nick, and ambiguous yet awesome Winston. Likewise, The Mindy Project features vain, womanizer Jeremy alongside curmudgeonly Danny. This week, The Mindy Project introduced a male nurse character, who like Winston arrives after the other characters gelled.

Hell, two-thirds of the characters look like each other. Danny’s scruffy beard and dark hair perfectly reminds me of Nick’s scruffy beard and dark hair. Likewise, Schmidt’s wavy pretty boy hair definitely mirrors Jeremy’s wavy pretty boy hair.

3. They share the same love setup

Both shows have the same Mr. Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet I’m totally-not-into-you-even-though-we-think-alike-and-spend-too-much-time-together, setup. Both Danny and Nick pretend to dislike spending so much time with their female lead and complain about her uber-female quirks while not-so-secretly obsessing over her. Also, Jess and Nick are roommates while Danny and Mindy are office mates. So yea, both couples are friends by living/work association.

It’s pretty obvious that Nick and Jess will wind up together. Mindy and Danny also make the perfect couple. Part of me is tired of TV series where we have two single, attractive characters who are clearly right for each other, not hooking up. But, considering Jess still needs single time, Nick needs to organize his life, and Danny’s getting over his divorce; those are impediments to both relationships. Also, you don’t crap where you work/live. Both couples better be certain before going forward.

4. They’re Unfailingly Honest

Not only do they share the same characters and love interests, but they also have the same outlook. Not because they’re shows about women, but because they’re unfailingly truthful. Both shows point out life’s idiosyncrasies.

My biggest pet peeve surrounds women’s clothes on TV. If I wore half of what most “professional” female characters wear on TV, I’m certain my manager would send me home. I loved that Mindy’s best friend mocked Mindy’s denim corset top, horn-rimmed glasses and fitted blazer as porno wear. While in TV land, her outfit says “professional woman,” in the real world, it says, “I charge $150 per hour.”

My second pet peeve surrounds female relationships. I have a friend who dates jerk after jerk. But, she doesn’t know how to stop dating them and typically winds up in long-term relationship after long-term relationship with guys she partially considers dodgy. That’s basically’s Jess’s scenario. She’s a serial dater. Even when she sees issues with the guy of the hour, she pushes her doubts aside to focus on the positive … until she can’t focus on that anymore. I love that New Girl incorporated that fixation tendency of humankind with Jess’ latest piece of the week.

5. They have the same wardrobe

Somewhere network executives decided that female leads in comedy series could only wear brightly colored clothes. While Mindy’s style is more of a stylized professional with colors, a cross between what New Girl’s Cece and Jess wear, many of Mindy’s wardrobe choices wouldn’t look out-of-place in Jess’ closet and vice versa.

Final Verdict

While the Mindy Project and the New Girl aren’t carbon copies of each other, they share common core ingredients. Does that make Mindy Project a copy of New Girl? Hmmm … Remember when Jess met Paul’s new girlfriend, who looked, acted and sounded like her … except she was Asian? Well, Mindy Project isn’t Asian New Girl. Sure, they share similar character constructs, similar plots and a love of irreverence, but they’re both good TV and good TV is hard to find. So, even if they’re similar, I don’t care. I’d rather have two original shows that look like each other on the surface — but have sincerity and hilarity underneath — than one original show *cough* Friends *cough* with watered down copies peppered throughout.

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FOX’s live-action comedies haven’t done historically well. Other than Married with Children and That ’70s Show, only their animated comedies have lasted more than a season or two (OK, maybe three). So is it smart to take the risk this season and build an entire night’s schedule around potentially short-lived half-hour comedies? For FOX, the time is ripe, and they are smart enough to run with it.

Last season saw great success with Raising Hope and New Girl. FOX decided to expand Tuesday nights to an all-comedy block and add two new half-hour comedies, Ben & Kate and The Mindy Project. No drama is going to fill House‘s eight-season-sized shoes and FOX isn’t even trying — a smart move. Sure, there’s The Mob Doctor, but the similarities to House end with the time slot and the hospital setting; FOX is not putting their eggs in that basket, which is proven by the amount of marketing being done for the comedies in comparison with The Mob Doctor‘s promos.

It’s immensely brilliant for FOX to build on current successes and not try to carbon-copy past hits. Hop on over to NBC and you’ll see failure after failure, because they’re trying to recreate the success they’ve had with The Office and it’s just not happening. FOX, on the other hand, is making radical decisions and taking risks, letting the past eight seasons of success go and moving on to what’s working for them now.

Ben & Kate has the perfect lead-in in Raising Hope. While not quite as irreverent as Raising Hope, it is a zany family comedy that I suspect will retain much of the Raising Hope audience.

New Girl is also the perfect lead-in to The Mindy Project. People who love the quirky Zooey will stay around to watch the quirky Mindy. Just an aside here — what is NBC thinking, letting Mindy Kaling‘s show go to FOX, especially when she’s a big part of their only hit comedy in recent years? Or perhaps it’s another point on FOX’s scoreboard, that they swiped what could have been the formula for a possible success for NBC. Either way, the chemistry between Mindy Kaling and Chris Messina will keep the New Girl viewers around, after they delight in watching Jess and Nick’s flirtations.

What’s the secret formula? It’s not putting the two comedies you’re going to let die this season on a Friday night as a lead-in to one of your more successful dramas from last season, that’s for sure. Whitney and Community to lead-in Grimm? Really NBC — do you want Grimm to die too?

Back to the secret formula: pay attention to what is working, and expand on that, add to it and break out of your former successes. If The Office is dying a slow death, it’s time to move on. FOX stopped relying on their House formula, and the focus on the expansion of their successful comedies is a smart move that will pay off.