Random TV Shows You Should Watch: The Class
I watch a lot of random TV shows. You’ve probably never heard of most of them. While I write primarily about basketball, I decided that not writing about these random shows no one’s ever heard of is a waste of time. We started doing a segment on my podcast (shameless plug) that inspired me to start writing this series of random TV shows you should watch.
I recently breezed through 19 episodes of The Class on Amazon Prime. It’s the second time I’ve watched the CBS sitcom all the way through since its cancellation in March 2007.
You’ve probably never heard of The Class, but I assure you it was hilarious. The show was a classic multi-cam sitcom about a group of adults from the same third-grade class (a little on the nose, I know) who reconnect at a party. Some date, some become close friends/almost date, some are married/used to date. You get the picture.
I don’t watch a single network sitcom right now — there’s so much better content everywhere else — but The Class is what a network sitcom should be. It follows the necessary family-friendly formula without being corny — yes, that’s possible — and manages to still be funny.
The show was co-created by Friends co-creator David Crane and premiered just two years after the iconic show went off the air. But The Class probably could’ve used a Jennifer Aniston cameo (or at least David Schwimmer) because the ratings weren’t good enough to earn it a second season.
I know what you’re probably thinking. It’s only one season. Why should I watch a show that I know is going to end on a cliffhanger? Fair point. Simply put, it’s hilarious. The references will make you laugh. One episode has a running gag about an overdue movie at Blockbuster.
But if you’re gonna watch this show for anything, it’s the cast. It featured a talented group of then unknowns Jon Bernthal, Jesse Tyler-Ferguson, Lizzy Caplan, and Jason Ritter.
I liked The Class then and now, but maybe it was destined to be canceled. Can you imagine The Walking Dead without Bernthal or Modern Family without Tyler-Ferguson? I don’t really give a shit about either show, but there are millions of people who love them both.
So, The Class begins with nice guy Ethan (Ritter) getting DUMPED in front of a bunch of strangers at the previously mentioned party. The rest of the party is dead silent before Kat (Caplan) says, “This is the best party I’ve ever been to!” It sets the tone for the humor on the show and the antagonistic relationship between Kat and Ethan.
Kat is a cynical photographer who is annoyed by pretty much everything, especially her new best friend, Ethan. Furthering Ethan’s nice-guy persona is his job as a pediatrician. Honestly, the character could’ve been pretty fucking boring if Jason Ritter wasn’t so damn good. Caplan nails it as Kat too. The will they/won’t they dynamic between Kat and Ethan is the brief show's highlight.
Tyler-Ferguson plays Richie, who falls for Lina (played by Heather Goldenhersh), Kat’s twin sister. When we meet Richie, he’s literally about to kill himself, so meeting Lina figuratively saves his life. It parallels Friends' opening — when Ross sees Rachel for the first time since high school during his post-divorce rut. Only Lina’s not in a wedding dress, and she doesn’t friend zone Richie right away. Also, Richie is more Chandler than Ross, and Lina is way more Phoebe than Rachel.
Then there’s Bernthal’s Duncan. He’s still in love with his high school girlfriend Nicole — played by Andrea Anders of Friends spinoff Joey and the criminally underrated Better Off Ted — who’s married to a former football star, but you can see where that one’s going. There’s something remarkable about seeing Bernthal — best known for playing cold-blooded killers in both The Walking Dead and The Punisher— crying over the one who got away.
According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, The Class was replaced by The New Adventures of Old Christine — starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In hindsight, they probably saw that one coming.
Six months later, The Big Bang Theory premiered on CBS, and yada, yada, sitcoms are changed forever. Its creator — Chuck Lorre — rules CBS’s comedy landscape. But that’s a story for someone who really hates Lorre’s sitcoms to write.
This isn’t a “Big Bang Theory Sucks” blog. I’ve seen the show and didn’t completely hate it, but The Class is better. Yes, I said that about the most popular sitcom of all time.
I feel like so many shows now leave me thinking, “Which one of these assholes am I supposed to be rooting for?” The Class gives you several characters that you hope get their happy ending. Whether it’s Lina and Richie, Kat and Ethan, or Duncan and Nicole, this show gives you someone to root for.
