There is really not a single unique quality that According to Jim possesses and yet it has a prime time slot on ABC, all of which confirms the notion that Tuesday night on ABC is the worst prime-time night of the week.

No TV genre is more overdone than the situational comedy. Throughout history this has been the case, and it is still the case today. In addition to being the most overrun genre, every situation comedy is essentially the same, and rarely decent.

More often than not, the show portrays a middle-class family, usually two or three kids, an attractive wife, and an eccentric father who supplies the majority of the jokes. Sometimes this works, as in The Simpsons a satire of a sitcom, while other times it fails to work. According to Jim is one of many examples.

According to Jim could not be any more cliché in its comedy, its situations and its characters. There is really not a single unique quality that According to Jim possesses and yet it has a prime time slot on ABC, all of which confirms the notion that Tuesday night on ABC is the worst prime-time night of the week.

Dancing with the Stars is laughably entertaining at best, Boston Legal is downright boring, and According to Jim begins the night and is not any better than the previous two.

In a recent According to Jim episode, aptly titled Coach Jim, the notion that Jim is a typically bland situation comedy was proven to the fullest extent. The title should give the plot of the episode away immediately, and have no fear; the plot was exactly what you were thinking.

Jims daughters are on a basketball team coached by Jims wife, Cheryl. The league stresses fun, companionship and positive reinforcement all things that Jim does not want to see in basketball. Jim offers to take the job from Cheryl and begins to work the girls hard and stress winning and free throws.

One of Jims daughters leaves the team, although Jim is not overly concerned because she has never made a free throw. The teams face off in the end with Jims daughter deciding the game with her winning free throw.

The biggest problem with According to Jim is the predictability. Its not watchable. When Jim takes over the team and a practice ensues, we all know what is going to happen. Jim is going to exaggerate every word he says and act as manly as possible in front of 10-year-olds. This is exactly what ensues.

According to Jim tries at times to be funny in a Seinfeld way, but fails miserably. Take for example a gag in Coach Jim. Jim is sitting at the kitchen table and is struggling to get his straw in his Capri-Sun juice box. He is yelling at it, trying to jam his straw in the little hole and than his son walks over and does it instantly.

This is supposed to be funny and perhaps would be if Kramer were doing it. But with Jim it fails.

The character traits of Jim are also some of the most overused jokes in history. A mans man who does not like anything that is not manly. Jim is the ruler of the roost who answers to no one, essentially the traits that every male lead on primetime TV exhibits.

Are there worse shows than Jim? Sure. But coupled with the other shows that ABC shows on Tuesdays there may not be a worse night, and Jim certainly is not helping.

> Comments