Each and every one of the following series recently given the green light by ABC has comedy thrown into the mix. A couple I’ve mentioned in the past.
Dramedies
CASTLE: In this crime-procedural dramedy, Nathan Fillion stars as the title character Nick Castle, a famous mystery novelist who is bored with his own success. When a real-life copycat murderer starts staging scenes from his novels, Nick partners with NYPD Detective Kate Beckett and realizes he loves the challenge and rush of helping solve the crime. However, Nick and Kate’s styles instantly clash, leading to both danger and a hint …read more

Comedy casting news out of the TV entertainment industry has veteran actor Beau Bridges (Stargate SG-1, Into the West) playing Alyssa Milano’s father on her forthcoming untitled ABC sitcom written by Kristin Newman.
Most recently seen as the recurring character Billie on the last season of My Name Is Earl, Milano portrays a woman struggling to get away from her annoying family, friends, and job. Also joining the cast is actress Meagen Fay (How I Met Your Mother, Malcolm in the Middle), who will play the fiancée of Bridges’ character.
Interestingly, Bridges has been a recurring presence on My Name Is Earl, …read more

Original Air Date: May 15, 2008
Watching the one-hour My Name Is Earl season finale made me realize something — the show is very rarely funny anymore. When I do laugh, it’s usually at the ridiculous sight gag-type situations, such as Randy falling over after a driver throws a bagful of garbage at him when he’s doing what Billie wants him to in order to “earn” a Klondike bar. (Get it? The ice cream’s advertising tag line is “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” So, Randy would do just about anything, including humiliate himself, for …read more

Original Air Date: May 8, 2008
How ironic is it that when Earl gets ecstatic over his alleged soul mate Billie’s decision to start her own Karma list, everyone nearby reacts negatively? Very, and the contradiction — or at least the gunshot — should have warned Earl of the difficulties to come with regards to his new wife.
Once the glow of being newlyweds diminishes, Earl is left with the shocking realization that he and Billie have different opinions on just about everything, from which Van Halen is better (the one with Sammy Hagar or David Lee Roth) to whether …read more

Original Air Date: April 24, 2008
The hospital decides to kick out still comatose EARL, and RANDY is offered a choice: put Earl in a state-run home or accept $2000 in Camden cash, redeemable at over six local locations. After he sees the Camden cash can be used for paintball, Randy chooses the second option, of course.
As he reveals to doubtful JOY and DARNELL later, however, his main concern looking after Earl is to get his older brother better so he can start taking care of things on his Karma list himself. In fact, that’s what Randy becomes preoccupied …read more

Original Air Date: April 10, 2008
Still in a Coma
Following EARL and BILLIE’s double car accident, Earl remains in a coma in the hospital. RANDY has already learned that his brother’s health will improve if he crosses things off on his Karma list for him, so Randy arrives at the hospital to determine which item he should tackle next. Since all Earl does is drool these days, the only way for him to choose the next item is by drooling on the list. His spit lands on “Stole a motorcycle,” to Randy’s great dismay.
Earl and Randy Take a …read more

Original Air Date: April 3, 2008
BILLIE (Guest Star Alyssa Milano) is in the room right next to EARL’s at Camden County Hospital, and while he’s in a coma, his dream TV World has created a new theme for his sitcom The Hickeys. It basically revolves around his blissful marriage to Billie, which annoying RANDY, JOY, DARNELL, and CATALINA constantly interrupt.
In real life, the gang feels Earl’s predicament is their fault, and they decide to draw him out of his coma by enticing him with new stimuli. Randy tries bacon, Joy boobs, Darnell postcards of foreign places, and Catalina …read more

Original Air Date: April 3, 2008
After NBC Universal CEO JEFF ZUCKER gives what he probably thinks is a funny brief recap of the last episode, “Bad Earl,” the show gets down to business.
Lying on the ground unconscious while medical help arrives, EARL’s mind does what he trained it to do as a child when his parents would argue — retreat to a sitcom dream world where he’s the star and everything’s hunky dory because problems are always solved within a half-hour. This time, the imaginary world is like the set of Leave It to Beaver, without the kids, and …read more

Apparently, the gang wasn’t too successful reviving Earl on the previous episode of My Name Is Earl because he’s still unconscious when this one, “Stole a Motorcycle,” kicks off. Fortunately, his brother Randy picks up on a weird thing (as he typically does) and then runs with it to help improve Earl’s health.
Earl’s not doing as badly as everyone around him believes, however, because he’s wrapped up in a dream world where he and Billie (Guest Star Alyssa Milano) are blissfully wed. It’s about time Mr. Karma scored in his love life, even if everything is just …read more

What have we here? It looks like My Name Is Earl is back in business, with an extended hourlong return, no less!
On the two-part, supersize post-strike premiere “I Won’t Die with a Little Help from My Friends,” the series picks up after the car accident that felled Earl and his new love interest Billie (Guest Star Alyssa Milano) at the end of the January episode “Bad Earl.”
Earl is now in a coma, and it’s up to the usual suspects — namely, Randy, Joy, Darnell, and Catalina — to make sure he doesn’t leave this world forever. Can the …read more