Like anything else, TV shows often catch a bad rap for no apparent reason or a very stupid one. In no case is this more apparent than the case of ABC’s comedy Cougar Town.
Let me start by saying that I am a big Cougar Town fan. It’s a great, fun, little hangout show. Most people’s reaction (at least in my experience) to the show ranges from “oh yeah, is that good? It looks weird,” to “that’s the dumbest name for a TV show I’ve ever heard.”
Yes, the title is a ridiculous reflection of what was once the conception for the show, but since its first three episodes, Cougar Town has gone from Courteney Cox chasing younger men to a legitimately fun and funny ensemble comedy about adult friendships.
Cougar Town, created by TV veteran Bill Lawrence (creator of Spin City and Scrubs), centers on a single suburban cul-de-sac in Florida. Jules (Courteney Cox) lives with her son Travis (Dan Byrd). The show follows their interactions with neighbors and family members. Like many great sitcoms, the premise is a simple concept, but the show builds a strongly defined world for its characters. Especially in TV comedy, it’s important to create a world that’s comfortable to just hang out in.
Some of the best sitcoms of all time have been these types of “hangout” shows. Shows like Cheers and Taxi paved the way for later hits like Friends to take over the airwaves. These are all comedies that don’t have a high-concept premise; they are simply shows about people who love each other spending time together.
It is a terrible title, though. Even Lawrence has acknowledged numerous times that if he could change the title of the show he would. In an interview on WTF with Marc Maron, Lawrence explained that he used the title Cougar Town as essentially a marketing tool when trying to sell the show. But once the writers started getting further away from the initial premise of Courteney Cox trying to have sex with younger men, Lawrence realized that the title was ridiculous. However, it would be too risky to change the title now, when the show has been constantly moved around by the network and needs every viewer it can get. If you look closely at the title cards each week on the show, you can see the little notes that Lawrence and the writers put in next to the title skewering it. Most recently, they listed several alternate titles they had toyed with for the show.
So don’t be quick to judge this show by its admittedly ridiculous name. It’ll surprise you if you let it.
