Page 1 of 3
The Jeremy Sisto comedy's first season often laugh-out-loud funny thanks to its top-notch, SNL-familiar cast.....
Warner / 473 Minutes / 2011-2012 / Unrated / Street Date: September 18, 2012
Whenever a sitcom dad (or mom, I guess) decides to move out of the big city for the benefit of their kid's well-being, the results are always patently mixed. In the case of Suburgatory, George (Jeremy Sisto) is convinced that the mean streets of New York City are no place for his beloved daughter Tessa (Jane Levy) to blossom from girl to woman, so he heads to the outskirts - namely, the suburbs - and this is where Suburgatory weaves its goofy, fish-out-of-water tales.
As represented by this cheeky new comedy, the suburbs actually appear to be stranger and more culturally complex than urban NYC. Forget the fear of being mugged: the fake boobs and rampant perfection-mongering that takes place in George's and Tessa's new digs is truly frightening. But what Suburgatory gets so right is the snapshot capturing of this awkwardness. Whether the show hits or misses (and on this debut TV-on-DVD edition, it does a little of both), the zany oddity of this family's new world is always presented in full, outrageous focus.
Suburgatory is all about cast. It offers very little in terms of narrative newness or particular dramatic import, but its performers are stellar across the board. Sisto and Levy act as solid anchors, and supporting presences from Cheryl Hines, Alan Tudyk, and even SNL alums Ana Gasteyer and Chris Parnell are not only reliable - they're reason in themselves to watch the show. In fact, in true sitcom fashion, you pretty much know exactly where Suburgatory is going in every episode, but you're often laughing too hard to really care all that much. That's not a bad spot for a show like this one to occupy.