With the departure of Friends, Frasier, and Everybody Loves Raymond over the past two years, I don't think anyone can argue with the fact that before the new season started (and in the aftermath of last season), things had been looking a bit bleak for TV comedy:

Joey sucked hard. Crap like Still Standing still cluttered the airways (along with Yes, Dear). And worthy comedies like The Office, Arrested Development, and Scrubs? No one watched 'em.

But in a time when it's usually the new dramas that are making the big news, it now appears that the comedy is in a bit of an upswing. A big one.

How I Met Your Mother, Everybody Hates Chris, and My Name is Earl have pretty much done the impossible, at least for sitcoms: garner favorable reviews AND good ratings.

And with Two and a Half Men now a bonafide hit, it looks like the sitcom may actually NOT be dead. We're nowhere near the heyday of NBC's Must-See TV line-up, but I think we're getting there.

And even if these three new shows somehow bomb in the coming weeks and I'm somehow completely wrong about this, just remember...

We always have The Office, Arrested Development, and Scrubs.

Even if we're the only ones watching them.

No? Mmmk, well...

Here's an article to read in the meantime:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9285517/site/newsweek/

I like How I Met Your Mother, in fact it might be one of my new favorite shows if it holds up.

fav new show would have to be my name is earl. Good laughs during last weeks episode.

Scrubs, Less than Perfect and Desperate Housewives are 3 of the most consistently funny shows on TV right now.

There is one huge problem that attributes most to why comedies and sitcoms aren't doing as well or even as near half of what they did a decade before...

Since there is such large pressure on making a sitcom hit and raking in viewers or making an edgy critical gem which could possibly alienate a large portion of the audience, they seem to try to hard to please alot of people or try been-done formulas.

They aren't giving their sitcoms enough chance or time to find their niche in the TV chaos that si the 21st century entertainment. Even those comedies that survive past a first season aren't given enough room or opportunity to be the best it can; the networks are too nervous and would prefer they stick to what has been working, which may be fine but could get old pretty fast.

Also... the focus in the television industry right now seems to be drama. The masses favor entertainment that to them seems like an event! Presenting some dramas in widescreen, increase of viewers to cable shows with no commercials and/or edgier content that really make the hour worth sitting through.

There isn't a large demand for sitcoms right now; that's why so many of them fail. Or, maybe up until now!

I agree that this year holds the most promising season in the past 3 or so years for the sitcom. Everybody Hates Chris and My Name is Earl at least seem to be bonafide comedy hits if they hold up come second week! IT will start paving the way for others. You have to build around it, but not necessarily clone or copy it!

I think Mother, Earl, and Chris will survive the season.