‘C
ougar Town” — which sounds like it ought to be an animal preserve in Kenya or, in this case, Florida — ends its first season tonight and changes its name tomorrow.
Well, as in the figurative “tomorrow,” at any rate.
Market testing has shown that too few people will watch a show called, “Cougar Town,” the creator of the series says, so he wants to change it. Now he goes and has the title tested?
Anyway, the incredibly offensive title ended up having very little to do with the actual show.
ABC is trying to get people to give this show a second chance.
I didn’t even review it when it debuted last fall — probably because I figured something with a title like “Cougar Town” couldn’t last.
I was sort of wrong.
Instead of lead character Jules (Courteney Cox) constantly on the hunt for young bones to nibble, she has — in the months since its debut — developed a grown-up relationship.
OK, it’s with her ex-husband Bobby’s (Brian Van Holt) second-best friend, Grayson (Josh Hopkins). That’s as grown-up as not being able to look for love outside your immediate circle can get, I suppose.
So, on tonight’s season finale, it’s up to the whole gang — including Ellie (Christa Miller), Andy ( Ian Gomez), Laurie (Busy Philipps) and Jules’ and Bobby’s son, Travis, (Dan Byrd) — to figure out how to tell Bobby about Grayson.
OK, maybe it’s not that funny but there is a giant dearth of really funny out there right now in case you didn’t notice.
And “Cougar Town” has enough funny stuff going on to lure people back next season — no matter what the title of the show.
Like? Like: “How did Bobby’s Uncle Ricky lose his nose?” “Dynamite fishing!”
Of course since the show started with a yucky premise, they still have lines that will yuck you out such as when Travis’ 14-year old girlfriend says she ate the last of the, yes, fancy salami, Dad Bobby says, “Oh man! I wish I was your mouth!”
No-o-o-o. Do not go there with an underage kid, thank you.
The most uncomfortable aspect of the revised “Cougar Town” for me is the oddly gay-acting Andy, husband of Ellie, and his man crush on Bobby.
Scenes with Andy al ways end up with him sitting on his bed in his underwear with Bobby, while Ellie, in a sleep mask, is under the covers. This leaves the men free to buddy up together at the foot of the bed.
If my husband ever played on the bed in his underwear with his best friend while saying things like “Bros before ‘ho’s!” I’d be calling for backup. Or tear gas.
No wonder the women in town turned into boy-chasing felines.