Happy Together

The jokes could use some polishing, and the concept could easily grow old in a hurry, but the trio of Wayans, Stevens West and Mallard nudge this one a solid notch above your average network sitcom.

The premise of Happy Together could get stale quickly, or worse, start resembling the absurd and corny "Montana." But the cast is so delightful and the jokes come so easily that maybe Styles' 20 months can be stretched into many years of television.

Nothing particularly interesting is done with the premise. ... But Wayans and West develop an increasingly comfortable rapport as the episodes go on, and West is enjoyable all the way through, funny without breathing hard.

It fundamentally lacks a point-of-view or anything that help it break free from the generic--even as its stars struggle against a tide bearing them back to the bygone era where this show’s jokes seem to have originated. ... Stevens West and Wayans are both young and fun-to-watch, and do their oddball-couple routine without Cooper better than they do the script’s overwrought dithering over whether or not they’re washed-up.

Tthe season’s slightest new sitcom on a network that has done much better by this genre in recent seasons with the likes of Young Sheldon, Mom and Life In Pieces. In this case, the premise simply has no foreseeable promise.

Given the opportunity to sing, dance and flail around ridiculously in the pilot, Wayans and West try hard and I smiled frequently at their effort. In the one episode I've seen, Mallard is only asked to be perplexed by a couple talking only about their scheduled sex nights and need for 10+ hours of sleep and yet looking TV pretty, rested and fit at all times. He's convincing at not understanding what's going on or why. Whether that's acting remains to be seen.

Bland, harmless, forgettable.