Remembering the Rules

This week's episode of the always charming, usually amusing, often ignored CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement was laugh out loud funny.

First of all, Rules has added former My TV Actor Obsession Adhir Kalyan to their already excellent cast of series regulars, an extremely welcome character addition, even if it does screw up the show's original premise of 2 couples and their single friend (not that the premise will be missed at all).

The underrated show sports one of the most consistently likable casts on TV (yes, even David Spade, sort of). Central married couple Jeff and Audrey hold down the fort as perfectly complimentary, sweetly flawed curmudgeon counterpoints to their perky and quirky neighbours, engaged couple Adam and Jen. Patrick Warburton (Jeff) and Megyn Price (Audrey) have their "we've been married for more than a decade" dynamic down to a science and form, in a counter-intuitive way, one of the most lovingly functional couples on TV. Oliver Hudson and Bianca Kajlich's Adam and Jen are well-drawn and engaging characters who seem like they could be people I know. In fact all of the characters on Rules of Engagement feel pretty real. So when Audrey's entire storyline has to do with sweating too much at an important party, you laugh with her because it's a human problem to have, not a TV problem.

Jeff's concerns about estrogen entering his system, Timmy's unexpected outbursts of Bruins pride, Adam's random immaturity, for some reason it all just worked this week and I laughed harder than I have at many more lauded shows. I somehow always manage to forget, but Rules of Engagement is reassuringly consistent in its charm and pretty much always brings the funny. Click Here to read my review after the first time I saw the show. The story of these 5 friends has always been a pleasure to watch and now with Timmy on board it threatens to remain that way for a long time to come.

My Current Actor Obsession

25-year-old South African actor Adhir Kalyan was the best thing about the best new (and cancelled) show of the 2007-2008 TV season, Aliens in America. As Raja, the Pakistani exchange student who turns the Tolchuk family's life upside down, Kalyan was consistently charming and unparalleledly engaging. Now, as David Spade's deadpan and ambitious assistant Timmy on CBS's Rules of Engagement, Kalyan is once again a joy to watch. Rules is a sweet but unremarkable show as a whole, but the introduction of Timmy has brought it to a new level. With his adorable accent and perfect comic timing, Kalyan is a gem of an actor. Here's hoping Timmy sticks around and there's much more of my beloved Adhir Kalyan to come; this kid should be a superstar.

Obsessions

Emma Stone- She was the saving grace of the underwhelming Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, a highlight of The House Bunny and played one of the only relatable characters in Superbad. The girl is a serious talent and she's here to stay.

Dubbed Disney- the mad editing skills of "Fantachan" make the Random Disney Crap YouTube videos a scream.

Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse)- I'm obsessed.

Justin Chambers (Grey's Anatomy)- I've been obsessed for a while.

Re-watching Alias- It really did have one of the strongest premiere seasons of all time.

MLB Fantasy Baseball League- I'm leading my division with a 4-0 record!

Rules of Engagement- funnier than you think it is.

Understanding why everyone's always loved Sawyer (Lost)- it took me 4.5 seasons but I'm finally on board.

Obsessions of Two Weeks

OK, after a week off for a family emergency, I'm back and trying to make up for lost time with a double dose of weekly obsessions...

Avenue Q

I just came home from seeing the touring production. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time- go see it. The lead plays both Princeton and Rod perfectly, I swear he almost never leaves the stage- it's amazing! Heartfelt, lovely, hysterical and honest. 

Sandy and Kirsten Cohen

I've just started making my way through The OC. I've seen bits and pieces of it before but this is my first time committing to it fully. Other than "Mischa Barton really needs to learn how to act", all I have to say is "the Cohen's are awesome". They may be the coolest parents ever but they still manage to embarrass their kids in hilarious ways- perfect!

Beating the Yankees

I was in the park last night as the Jays squeaked out a win against their formidable division rivals. The Yankees may be my second favourite team but there's something awesome about watching them fall to 13 strikeouts by AJ Burnett and the best bullpen this side of the league. 

Charlie Bartlett

This movie is awesome. I saw it twice in theatres and recently bought the DVD. Whoever said that Robert Downey Jr.'s big comeback year started with Iron Man clearly didn't see this gem. Anton Yelchin in the lead role is reminiscent of a young Tom Cruise and Michael J Fox mixed together.

Rules of Engagement

In the latest Monday night rerun Oliver Hudson was mocked by a grade-school bully for having girlish good looks while Patrick Warburton dealt with unfortunately timed standing ovation problems. Always good for a laugh, this show is uber underrated. 

Fall TV promos

What's more exciting than constant reminders that in a couple of weeks you'll have no time for work, studying or having a non-fiction life?

10 Things I Hate About You

I watched this movie the other day for about the 20th time and it was even funnier than I remembered. Shakespeare references at every turn, a stellar cast headed by the late great Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles (a personal favourite of mine), a plot stolen from a fabulous play (Taming of the Shrew), fun 90s nostalgia, Allison Janney, the perfect balance of heartfelt cheese and one of the greatest first kiss scenes of all time (Heath and Julia playing paintball)- what's not to love?

The Stratford Festival of Canada

A couple weeks ago I saw an outstanding Romeo and Juliet. Last week I saw Hamlet featuring the always brilliant Adrienne Gould as Ophelia while her father Polonius stole every scene, played by an actor who Slings & Arrows fans will remember as season 2's haughty Macbeth Henry Breedlove. 

Vivah: fine Indian cuisine

The best butter chicken in the city is at the corner of Yonge and Heath St. (near St. Clair). 

Mad About You 

The best couple ever on television and a story about being in love not just falling in love, Mad About You is the counterargument to every Sam and Diane theorist out there. The perfect blend of adorable neurosis and committed understanding makes every fan want to be in love like Paul and Jamie. Seasons 1-3 are available on DVD as well as "The Mad About You Collection DVD". 

and...

Caroline in the City available on DVD

Malcolm Gets' pitch perfect Richard is enough to make me love this show. Add Amy Pietz and you've got me lined up the second season 1 became available. 

A Light Chuckle

With Back to You cancelled and the genuinely hilarious Aliens in America gone I found myself panicking that I had no sitcoms left to watch. Yes How I Met Your Mother is still chugging along and the usually unfunny Office and Scrubs still exist. Samantha Who, Big Bang Theory and 30 Rock all claim a couple of laughs a week but gone are the days when a good sitcom could have you laughing out loud and wanting to watch it over again. In fact, I've gotten used to being slightly amused and settling for that when watching television comedy.

I got so used to not laughing at the TV that a couple weeks ago I turned on a sitcom, that I had accidentally taped on my PVR, while wearing a face mask that would crack if I smiled. Much to my surprise, it cracked. Lack of skin care benefit aside I was so excited that I hadn't been able to control my laughter that I started taping the sitcom whenever it was on. That sitcom was Rules of Engagement.

At first glance Rules of Engagement is nothing more than a 'Til Death meets sleazy single guy mashup. But it's not. I do advise you, however, to ignore David Spade entirely as he has not been funny since Just Shoot Me and seems to be simply the butt of "he's sleazy and short" jokes. The rest of the main cast, however, is hilarious. Oliver Hudson (known to audiences as Joey's hot and enigmatic boyfriend on Dawson's Creek) is apparently very funny. He mixes a sweet childishness and naivete with maturity so well that the engaged Adam is adorable and funny yet never over the top. He is idealistic, quirky and romantic and yet somehow believable. Adam's fun, open sweetness is foiled perfectly by cynical, emotionally stunted, sarcastic and cheap Jeff (as played by Patrick Warburton) whose marriage is comically perfect in all its flaws. Jeff's self centered and ambitious yet thoughtful and sentimental wife Audrey (Megyn Price) is his perfect match as they muddle their way through married life in their own dullset version of Mad About You. Patrick Warburton's comic timing is as close to perfect as you get. Bianca Kajlich (who's character Natasha dated Dawson while Oliver Hudson was romancing Joey) plays Jennifer, Adam's counterpart, well. She balances out his quirks with her own groundedness but somehow manages to keep away from the boring zone (a real danger for her type of character). And every once in awhile, Russell (Spade) makes a funny joke as well.

Completely underrated, Rules of Engagement may not be groundbreaking but it fills the void left by Back to You five times over. Give it a shot, it's certainly enough to break a face mask.