By Noah Sellinger ’16, Staff Writer

At Newark Academy, time is valuable, and students often struggle to find time to watch their favorite television shows. It is even more time consuming to sort through the endless list of new shows to find the perfect one. This difficulty is especially apparent with TV comedies. It’s no secret that many of these shows are neither funny nor intelligent; every year there are several new sitcoms that are universally panned. As the fall television season is in full swing, the Arts Section of The Minuteman decided to sort this year’s new comedy series for you.

To Watch

Brooklyn Nine-Nine– This FOX show stars Andy Samberg, who you might know as a former cast member of Saturday Night Live and hilarious lead of the band Lonely Island. Nine-Nine is a great show that centers around young detective Jake Peralta, played by Samberg, and his relationship with no-nonsense captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher). The show is at its best when Samberg is free to employ the masterful slapstick comedy around which he has built his reputation. Nine-Nine started with a bang, attracting 6 million viewers for the series premiere, but has since dropped off. This drop in viewership is not reflective of the show’s quality, however. If anything, it gets funnier with each episode. Anyone trying to get an extra laugh in the midst of exams should tune in Wednesdays on FOX.

Hello Ladies– This raucous comedy stars Stephen Merchant, a Ricky Gervais’ protégé, as Stuart Pritchard, an Englishman who comes to Los Angeles with the hope of finding love. However, Stuart finds much difficulty in conversing with women. This show is driven by situational humor; Stuart frequently finds himself going to extremes to find the right woman. Hello Ladies may not be for everyone — it is not yearning for laughs, but also has a sweet, emotional side that creates an interesting duality. The season ended on November 17th, but interested viewers can catch up on HBOGO.

The Goldbergs– This show stars Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and centers around the dysfunctional Goldberg family living in the 1980s. The show is filmed by Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone), the eldest child in the family. The premise is actually based on creator Adam Goldberg’s childhood, where he actually documented parts of his family’s life with a video camera. The pilot, directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses), starts out very solid, and the show has managed to be consistent so far. ABC has picked it up for a full season, and one does not need to start from the beginning to understand the intricacies of the plot. The Goldbergs is definitely one of the most pleasant surprises of the new comedies as Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey are superb at leading this immensely talented cast. Check it out on Tuesdays on ABC.

Not to Watch

Michael J. Fox Show– As much respect as Michael J. Fox deserves, and as exciting as it is to see him back on television, this show fails on all fronts. The show focuses on actor Mike Henry (Fox), who was forced to leave the entertainment industry after diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, and tries to get back into the game after five years. Though the premise is very real and clearly based on Mr. Fox’s personal experience, it fails to deliver laughs. The acting is poor, the writing is mediocre, and one knows there is a problem when a show’s funniest character is an 11-year-old boy. Despite the wonderful cast that includes Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) and Wendell Pierce (Treme) this show just does not work. The jokes do n0t land and the actors do not fit the characters. If you want to give it a try, tune in on Thursdays on NBC.

Super Fun Night– Once news broke that the breakout star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids was going to star on her own show, anticipation quickly built. However, once critics and audiences actually got to see an episode, all of the excitement soon evaporated. Super Fun Night stars Rebel Wilson and is centered around an antisocial friend group, who, for the past 13 years, have stayed home every Friday night. Finally, one woman (Kimmie, played by Wilson) decides to take their nights to the next level and go out to various parties. This show is not only unfunny but the premise is inconsistent and flat. It relies on various self-deprecating jokes and pokes fun at Ms. Wilson’s weight. It’s a rather sad attempt at a comedy. Students, who could so easily relate to Wilson’s last few roles, and were excited to see which antics she got herself into, will be sorely disappointed in her first television show effort. The show airs after Modern Family Wednesday nights on ABC.

Dads– The last show on this list has an ensemble cast consisting of Giovanni Ribisi (Ted), Seth Green (Family Guy), and Brenda Song (Suite Life of Zach and Cody). The show centers around two main male characters whose fathers move in with them. Horrible characters, poor writing, and tired father-son jokes have left this show an utter waste of time. Not only is it unfunny, but also distasteful, overusing jokes centered around race and gender. The show airs Tuesdays on FOX.