Being a TV critic is easy because there's so much about which to be critical

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If you didn't already know, most of the TV I watch are time-tested sitcoms brought back in reruns - M*A*S*H, Cosby, and Cheers are my current favorites, and I went through a long Roseanne phase there for a while. Otherwise I'll watch the news or sports, and very few new shows. Given that I'm recovering from Monday Night Football withdrawl (I'd even take a Seahawks vs. Bengals game right now) I thought I'd try a few new shows tonight. There seems to be a theme with some of the new programming. First, ABC's "The Wayne Brady Show" and second, NBC's "The Colin Quinn Show". Yes, Wayne Brady is talented. Does that mean he should have his own half hour of sketch comedy? I'll let you decide for yourself, but don't be surprised if I've already forgotten who Wayne Brady is by next Monday night. As for Colin Quinn, well, I think I hold him in a little higher regard because although he's never really been great, he sure has stuck around a long time. Plus, he's doing his show live and it sounds like he has some good writers (including SNL's Tina Fey). Remember Remote Control? It used to be that game show that MTV played when they weren't showing videos. (Remember videos on MTV? That's another issue altogether.) I remember Colin Quinn from that show, then he sorta disappeared, then he had some good recent years on Saturday Night Live, and now he has a new prime-time TV show. Maybe the trick for Colin Quinn is not for him to change and possibly get funnier, but for him to be the same funny he's always been only in different situations. What am I trying to say? I'm saying that he'll be funny on this show, but somehow we'll get tired of it, then he'll show up somewhere else, and we'll all still think he's funny. This seems to be what he's done so far, and it's worked (to a degree), but if you're the new biggest fan of "The Colin Quinn Show", you'd better tape it so you have something to watch a year from now.

Too bad I'm not old enough to have seen "The Flip Wilson Show". I think I'd have some greater insight into all this. I have tapes of "The Red Skelton Show", but maybe that's a little dated for comparison. Or maybe it's just too good for comparison - I'll take Gertrude and Heathcliff over Wayne Brady's Posse Troi skit any day.

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