Suburgatory 2011

Having spent the past few weeks rewatching most of this show, I can say with utmost confidence that Suburgatory is basically the millennial version of 30 Rock, only far less racist and far, far funnier. While it's clear to see why the final season was cut short (seriously, bringing in an adoption storyline when there was still so much unexplored territory with the Shays can be seen as an allegory for the entire show's attitude towards pre-existing storylines at that point), the first two still shine as tremendously silly yet ultimately grounded looks at suburban life in America, a setting that is more than ripe for satirisation. The entire cast is a parade of talent, from Cheryl Hines as overly-chirpy Dallas and Alan Tudyk as demented dentist Noah to Ana Gasteyer as insufferably perfect Sheila and Chris Parnell as perpetually cuckolded Fred, and the newer players, like Jane Levy as no-nonsense Tessa and Carly Chaikin as mean girl Dalia, more than prove themselves as talented comedic and dramatic performers alike. The comedy is brilliant, poking fun at the vapid nature of suburbanites and the overly cynical attitude stereotypically associated with individuals from Manhattan through the use of clever wordplay and a healthy amount of absurdism. In short, the first two seasons of Suburgatory were two of the best ever produced for television. Just...do yourself a favour and don't watch Season 3; you'll thank me later.