Ground Floor

Season 1 – 70% – Bill Lawrence knows how to send unforgettable sitcoms out into the world, and even though he only wrote the first episode of this contrast in situations between the people from the highest and the lowest floors, his signature is apparent. Whether it's because he's combining work and relationships again or because the main chauvinistic boss with an occasionally soft heart is played by John C. McGinley, who is a few wrinkles richer and a handful of hair poorer. All of Mansfield's intimidating tactics are reminiscent of Perry Cox in full force, and it's a shame that, unlike Scrubs, he doesn't have as many people to play off of. Surprisingly, the series works much better on the waves between him and Skylar Astin, who are clearly on the same comedic wavelength, while the main love story between Brody and Jenny sometimes feels like just a box to be ticked. Nevertheless, the first ten episodes flew by, and despite the inconsistent humor of the individual storylines or the well-crafted supporting characters, it's hard not to wonder where the whole plot will go without getting stuck in one place. Season 2 – 80% – The more annoying the Harvard and ground floor storylines are, especially in the first episodes, the more pleasantly Brody's effort to achieve previous successes and deserved happiness comes across. The second year of this crazy party burns even bolder (Threepeat's appearance in news reporting), more relationship-oriented, and surprisingly, even more cohesive. And as is often the case with pleasant and mood-lifting sitcoms in recent years, the best came at the end. The phenomenal two-part wedding episode, loaded with great ideas, life-like dialogue, and surprising twists, remains the last thing that TBS gave me. The fact that it was the best of the series is a sad irony because the singing Brody, the forever cheerful Jenny, and the perfectly arrogant Mansfield grew on me more and more with each episode. (12/02/2015)