Funny is back!

For years, I've only been interested in one-hour dramas. To me, that was really all that was on. Even now, some of my favorites are Friday Night Lights, Lost, FlashForward, Medium, 24, and Lie to Me.

But this year, something has changed. Either I've decided I would rather laugh, or comedies have gotten better!

My husband and I, during the summer re-run season, found out that we actually love Two and a Half Men, and that was the first new (at least, new to us) half-hour comedy that we wanted to let take up space on our DVR. Before that, the only one was How I Met Your Mother, and it is still taking up space, too!

Soon to follow was The Big Bang Theory, which doesn't always bring the major laughs, but is sometimes pretty dang hilarious.

Then, the new season started. Me, like I said, I'm usually a drama girl. My list of new shows I wanted to watch included The Vampire Diaries and the new Melrose Place. I decided the new vampire show was not for me before it even aired, and hated the new Melrose Place one episode in.

Then, the "real" television reviewers started talking about a new comedy on ABC called Modern Family. It was supposed to be the next Arrested Development. Problem was, my husband and I never liked Arrested Development. But, low and behold I got an email with a link to the premiere episode and decided to give it a try.

Let me say, I wasn't halfway through before I called dear husband and told him he absolutely, positively, had to see this show! Especially the part where one of the fathers in the show accidentally shoots the daughter's boyfriend with a toy gun! I could see our family in the show, not necessarily yet since our daughters aren't the age for dating yet, but someday. And the other kids in that family are always fighting, so we can definitely relate to that! We were hooked and our DVR had another comedy taking up space.

Then, a co-worker told me about The Middle, another comedy and this one has Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond and the very good but failed Back to You (the father I mention above in Modern Family was also in Back to You -- just a quick side note). Heaton plays Frankie Heck, the mother in a middle class family who also works as a car salesman. I know, the premise sounds "plain," but this show is simply hilarious! I came to the show late, so I've only seen a few episodes, but when Frankie and her husband have to deal with a social worker after Frankie accidentally hits their son in the arm with a beer bottle (after frantically cleaning up the house to try to meet the trash truck --- yes, I know it isn't as funny in writing), I thought "that could totally be us!" Of course, the only reason they are having to deal with the social worker is because the son, who was told "please don't tell anyone mommy hit you with a beer bottle" promptly tells someone at school who asks "what happened to your arm?"...."Mommy told me not to tell." That always goes well, doesn't it?

So, The Middle goes into the DVR schedule, and my DVR is in overdrive! In fact, I think it might be time for a third one.