Programing Alert: My Boys

Television should be good, but it doesn’t have to be great. For every TV show that is a critical or popular hit, there is an abysmally bad show, and another twenty-odd shows you’ve likely never seen or possibly heard of. Often there is nothing particularly notable about these mid-level shows, but every so often one will come along that resonates for some reason.

For me, My Boys is one of these programs.

There is nothing specific to recommend with this show. The cast are all dependable, but don’t really stand out. The writing is solid, nut ultimately not noteworthy. And the production style is fairly average (though, admittedly, they do make some great use out of location shooting in Chicago).

Despite its average-ness, the show has me coming back every week without fail.

So, what’s it about? Well, PJ is a sports writer. Also, she’s a woman. Most of PJ’s friends are guys and they all live for their weekly poker game. So, while PJ’s life is very testosterone-heavy, she faces the internal conflict of wanting, every so often, to engage in traditionally girl-ish activities.

One of the weaker elements of the show is the on-going ‘will they or won’t they’-esque romantic dalliance between PJ and one of her ‘boys’ Bobby. It doesn’t feel forced, but it does feel more like a generic sitcom trope that holds the show back from doing its own thing. And ultimately, this is what stops me from wanting to rave about the show. The show seems hell-bent on trying to bend to the conventions of a sitcom (which makes sense in that it is produced for the US cable station TBS, of which primarily plays popular sitcoms). The shows reliance on playing to the expectations one has on a sitcom is truly what holds this show back from at least being more of a critical darling.

Channel 9 are currently screening My Boys on Saturday afternoons at midday (paired, with all things, The Hills). It’s a show that deserves a better time-slot, but will at least capture unaware viewers with a pleasant surprise. Episode 5 is set to air this coming Saturday.