Working Class starring Melissa Peterman: A Keeping It Real Sitcom

In 1988, Roseanne, a sitcom starring it's name sake Roseanne Barr, focused on the average, middle-class family and America fell in love. Of course, when those working folks won the lottery, their viewers could no longer relate and Roseanne found itself as just another piece of television history.

If there's anybody who can relate to America's "Joe Six Pack," it's gotta be CMT. So it should come as no surprise that their first scripted sitcom should center around "normal folk."

What's the show about?  Well, I think CMT says it best:  Carli Mitchell (Melissa Peterman) is a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to "the good life" is harder than she thought. She's unwittingly befriended by her cranky, misanthropic neighbor, Hank (Ed Asner). Her only career prospect is a glorified deli job at the local grocery store, and the man she falls for not only already has a girlfriend, but he's also her boss, Rob (Patrick Fabian). But Carli's attitude is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade ... then add booze. With her catnip-to-the-ladies brother, Nick (Steve Kazee), to help her out (when he's not acting like one of the kids himself), Carli faces the challenges of parenting, dating and making friends in her new community by doing more with less, staying true to herself and approaching each day with a touch of working class.
I had a chance to view the pilot episode which will premiere next Friday night, January 28, 2011, 8:00 EST/7:00 CST/8:00 PST, and, boy, was I impressed.

New sitcoms are typically funny but don't really produce their best work until the second or later season.  Not so with Working Class.

Peterman's Carli character is at her best with her quick-witted comebacks that leave you laughing long after the next scene is headed for another crack-up. 

A future episode will guest star Reba McEntire and John Schneider and fans of Reba will love the flip-flop of roles for Peterman and McEntire - but that's all I'm gonna say 'bout that.

Sitcoms come and sitcoms go.  Some are good, some are horrible.  As a sitcom addict, I'm placing my bets that Working Class is going to stick around for a while.

It's a show about all of us, how could we not love it? :)

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