Better Off Ted

ABC's work place sitcom, Better Off Ted, returns tonight and I, for one, couldn't be happier. It had a short (six episode) run in the spring and has since been approved for another limited season. I think the show's pretty hilarious, and I'm especially fond of its quirky, over-the-top sense of the humor and the fantastic characterizations. It actually reminds me a bit of Andy Richter Controls the Universe, but better, and hopefully with a longer run.

Oh, and did I mention that the show co-stars Portia de Rossi, who is absolutely hysterical (meaning funny, not literally hysterical) as the megalomaniacal, matter-of-fact Veronica, the eponymous Ted's boss. But don't take my word for it; below, Portia de Rossi explains the show:



Ted's definitely the "straight man" of the show, while characters such as Veronica, Ted's co-worker Linda, and scientists Phil and Lem engage in all the comic hijinks. How nice it is to have a television show where all the jokes aren't at the expense of the women (and, when they are, it's never because they're women) and where the male protagonist doesn't feel the need to put down the other characters in order to be funny.

Anyway, check it out. Better Off Ted airs on ABC Tuesdays this summer at 9:30/8:30c.