The three CBS sitcom television shows returning on Monday night are How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Two and a Half Men, all of which received prime time Emmy nominations for the 2008-2009 season. While Rules of Engagement filled the fourth Monday night prime time sitcoms spot through the spring and summer, Accidentally On Purpose featuring Jenna Elfman is being added to the fall line up. It is unclear when or if Rules of Engagement will return.
How I Met Your Mother - 8:00pm EST
How I Met Your Mother is in its fifth season and continues to chronicle Ted Mosby's (played by Josh Radnor) relationships and follows his search for the one, which the audience is told will be his children's mother. Each episode begins with the narrator (voiced by Bob Saget), which is supposed to be an older Ted's voice, speaking to his teenage children about how he met their mother, then the show segue ways into the present and shows the incident the narrator was just discussing.
While a knowledge of the previous four seasons may be helpful, it is not necessary for new audience members to enjoy the show. However, there are inside jokes and storylines that have continued from season to season. These inside jokes and storylines may not be integral to each new individual episode's plot, but they do make the show as a whole richer and deeper while adding a great deal of character development.
At the show's conclusion there are no previews for next week's episode. Viewers must continue to watch CBS later in the week if they would like to catch a commercial for the upcoming episode.
Accidentally On Purpose - 8:30pm EST
Accidentally On Purpose is the only new sitcom in CBS's Monday night prime time line up. Accidentally On Purpose stars Jenna Elfman as Billie, a thirty-something newspaper journalist. Still pining over a past relationship with her boss James (played by Grant Snow), Billie goes on a girls' night out with her sister Abby (played by Lennon Parham) and co-worker Olivia (played by Ashley Jenson), meets a much younger man, and winds up pregnant.
While all of the above events happened in the pilot, they were also shown in numerous previews for the show, not leaving much room for the pilot to elaborate, surprise, or entertain viewers. Accidentally On Purpose seems to be CBS' attempt to gain a larger share of the female demographic, however the humour is relatively simple and it's unclear how the show will contain when Billie is no longer pregnant.
Two and a Half Men - 9:00pm EST
Fresh from an Emmy award for Jon Cryer for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Two and a Half Men is entering its seventh season. The show follows Charlie Harper (played by Charlie Sheen) and his womanizing ways. Early in the first season Charlie's brother, Alan (played by Jon Cryer), goes through a divorce so he and his son Jake (played by Angus Jones) move in.
Season six ended with Charlie's engagement to Chelsea and it seems that some of his womanizing ways will have to end, however, in the season seven opener his ex-fiancee Mia reappears. The show appears to be cyclical in nature because Charlie has been engage before (to Mia) and almost made it to the altar. The previews for season seven don't give any indication of whether Charlie goes through with his engagement to Chelsea, although she has moved in with Charlie and doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving any time soon.
Unlike How I Met Your Mother a knowledge of previous episodes and seasons isn't necessary for viewers to find the show funny. Each episode stands alone and includes enough dialogue regarding what has previously happened to fill the audience in on the relevancy of what is currently going on. The show is moderately funny.
The Big Bang Theory - 9:30pm EST
The Big Bang Theory returns for season three with two geeky scientists living across the hall from a cute blonde. Unfortunately, not much has changed for Leonard (played by Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons). Leonard is further along in his quest for a relationship with Penny (played by Kaley Cuoco), however, as in the previous two seasons, events continue to happen and his roommate and friends continue to conspire against his budding relationship.
One unfortunate turn in season three is that Sheldon has managed to embarrass himself more than usual. Typically it is his own social awkwardness and his lack of knowledge regarding acceptable social standards that gets him in hot water, but this time his friends Leonard, Raj and Howard help him.
It seems like this season will be spent rebuilding friendships and relationships, along with the show's usual view of the ups and downs of close kinship between four like-minded people.
What Shows to Watch
The two can't miss shows in CBS' Monday night prime time line are How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother's love story in reverse continues the mystery of who the mother of Ted's children really is and it looks like this season will be focusing more on the developing relationship between Robin and Barney instead of the established relationship between Marshall and Lily. The Big Bang Theory continues to develop in season three and provides an intellectual form of humour not typically found in other prime time sitcoms.
If there is only one hour of tv to watch a day, spend it watching How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory on CBS.
Tracey Carter - Tracey holds a B.A. in English from Hood College and is an avid reader, educator, blogger, and aspiring librarian.
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