Episode 210

Comcast just upgraded their system with some sort of "migration" -- all very complicated, but after having connected my new spiffy equipment all by myself (I'm thinking of quitting school and becoming an electrician) we now have the new on-screen guide. What does this mean? No more channel surfing! The awesomeness of not having to channel surf is twofold: 1) my brain doesn't explode from hearing .8 second sound bites all at different volumes and in different languages and 2) I realize sooner that nothing is on, so I can just pick the "Oh, I've been meaning to watch that" show right off the bat.

Last night, that show was My Boys. I had actually been pretty intrigued from the previews, but had never gotten around to watching it. Last night was the night, and it was quite weird. It reminded me a bit of that new show Roommates on ABC Family, because they both unsuccessfully aspire to be the new Friends.  But Roommates is somewhat funny, in a you-laugh-because-you-feel-like-you-should kind of way.  My Boys, however, just falls completely flat. See for yourself.

What's the problem? No laugh track. In an age where non-laugh-track shows are the highest rated, a lot of new shows have decided to follow suit. The problem is, when there's no laugh track, the show has to be funny. If your show isn't funny, put a laugh track in, and people will be forced to laugh, or at least imagine that they're laughing (read: Roommates). If your show is not funny and there's no laugh track, it's just painful. It's like sitting in a room of people and someone makes a bad joke and instead of laughing out of discomfort, everyone just sits there in silence, making it even more uncomfortable.