Quick DVR Guide To Some New TV Comedies Of 2012

Here's a handy DVR guide to help try some new TV comedies, judge them for yourself, and quickly resolve those recording conflicts.

TV shows, especially new comedies, come and go every Fall. While we're always hoping for the next Arrested Development to appear, we're hesitant to commit to new series without knowing it has a little staying power.

The solution? The DVR, to help you with reasonable new TV commitment through the all too common 1st season growing pains.

Here's an easy guide to give some good new shows on a number of different networks a shot on your DVR that is getting tired of the same old crap that you watch less and less of anyway.

5. Go On (NBC)

Go On - IMDB / Via imdb.com

Tuesdays 9/8c

Worth DVR-ing one+ episode to try out.

Metacritic gives it a 66, and this may actually be a little underrated. Therapy as a foundation gave Tony Soprano a fantastic psychological base, Frasier a noble career, and translated to (dark) comedy, Go On sports a quirky cast of characters without being too goofy. This shows signs of early season growing pains like Community, Seinfeld or even The Office, where given some time, this could be a series that really finds its voice and remains a keeper on the DVR.

4. Ben and Kate (Fox)

Ben and Kate - Fox / Via fox.com

Tuesdays 8:30/7:30c

Worth 2+ DVR-ings to see a nice character progression

The "traditional" American family is long gone in sitcoms. TV parted ways with it long ago, because most of us have parted ways with it too. So don't expect patriarchs like Cliff Huxstable, Homer Simpson, or even Danny Tanner...Ben and Kate is a nice comedy that hones in on grown up siblings that are family. It's a refreshing angle with strong characters...good single camera comedy.

Extended trailer for the series HERE

3. The Neighbors (ABC)

The Neighbors - ABC / Via beta.abc.go.com

Wednesdays 8:30/7:30c

Worth 2+ DVR-ings...it's kind of weird, and weird can be good.

In the spirit of My Favorite Martian, Coneheads and Bewitched, former Pixar writer Dan Fogelman creates a neighborhood sitcom about a human family that accidentally moves to a gated community exclusively for aliens. Haven't seen a mainstream science fiction sitcom in a while since 3rd Rock, and this one could be a sleeper hit based on premise alone.

2. The Mindy Project (Fox)

The Mindy Project - G+ / Via plus.google.com

Tuesday 9:30/8:30c

Worth a series DVR-ing.

DVR'd this one and finally forced myself to hit play after reading a recent issue of Fast Company covering Mindy Kaling's take on social media. Conclusion...she's smart, funny and deserves her own show. Don't be surprised to see friends from The Office drift on through, like a recent appearance by Ed Helms that doesn't disappoint.

This clever show is worth a DVR-ing if you like The Office, awkward single people, and find yourself often laughing out loud at clever tweets.

1. Wedding Band (TBS)

Wedding Band - TBS.com / Via tbs.com

Saturday 10/9c

Series-record this one on the DVR. Worth it.

Quality cable comedies always creep up regularly on the networks' doorsteps with sneak attacks like Wedding Band.

This one almost passed me by on TBS Saturday nights, but glad I DVR'd when it caught by eye while debating recording SNL (which I watch on Hulu anyway). The cast is really funny with Brian Austin Green (including a great cameo in one episode from his wife, Megan Fox), Harold Perrineau from Lost, and Derek Miller as the drummer, who I also loved from the short-lived Comedy Central Series, Secret Girlfriend (which is a 1st person POV buried treasure if you give it a quick Googling).

If Glee's pop covers are a little too campy for your tastes, the fellas in this show cover an impressive roster of music in much more of a, "my ADD caused me to accidentally downloaded this cover song on iTunes of the song I really wanted...but I actually prefer this cover now anyway, and I'm keeping it," sort of way.

Interesting clip about the music of the show HERE