As he championed "the new journalism" in the late sixties, Tom Wolfe suggested no one ever would write anything truly compelling"”fact or fiction"”about the suburbs; he asserted, "There is no life there." During the New Depression, however, the suburbs have gone ghetto, suddenly teeming with life and depravity; and television writers are producing all kinds of compelling stuff about what they have discovered beyond the white picket fences. Witness Showtime's smash-hit "Weeds," the life and times of a "proper" suburban widow keeping-up appearances while she deals more dope than a six-pack of Mexican cartels. As in "The Office," the basic premise for "Weeds" is an import from Great Britain, adapted from the British film Saving Grace which showed a widow and her gardener conspiring to maintain the widow's lifestyle by supplying the locals with their favorite herbal refreshment. Critics frequently compare "Weeds" with American Beauty for its exploitation of the idea "Normal is the face we wear to cover how f***ed-up we are." By contrast with "Desperate Housewives," Nancy Botwin, our entrepreneurial heroine, has far more good reason for desperation than her difficulty achieving orgasm; she has a house, a mortgage, two sons, and a reputation. Since Bonfire of the Vanities tanked and "Weeds" flourished, Tom Wolfe may have to consider the distinct possibility that there is no life in Manhattan.

"Not Dead Yet" is a British comedy television series that was created by Ben Elton and aired on ITV in 2017. The show follows the life of Richard Wilson, a retired actor who is trying to stay relevant in the entertainment industry. Richard is determined to prove that he is still capable of performing despite his advancing age and declining health.

"Rain Dogs" is a new comedy-drama series available on HBO Max, created by Cash Carraway. The show follows the story of an unconventional family consisting of a working-class single mother, her young daughter, and a wealthy gay man. The show premiered on HBO on March 6, 2023.

Previewing "Breaking In" for the press, star Brett Harrison suggested, "If you like "The A-Team", you'll like "Breaking In". If you like "The Office",'you'll like "Breaking In". And if you like breaking-in, you will like "Breaking In!". Harrison's observation proved strangely prophetic in at least two ways: First, the new Fox comedy does combine comic elements from "The Office" with "The A-Team's" dark, sarcastic point of view. Office humor"”there's just no such thing as too much. Second, the weak attempt at humor in Harrison's last line is sadly characteristic of the writing for "Breaking-In." Apparently, the B&E crowd lobbied for its own version of appointment viewing. Who knew? Although it's becoming this season's standard"”bad guys gone good, the premise nevertheless has promise. Five exceptionally skilled and highly specialized burglars team-up to operate Contra Security, a consulting firm that tests companies' security systems by breaking into them. Borrowing liberally from "Leverage" and "Breakout Kings," this wickedly bland team includes a hacker, a bad girl who can pick any lock, a semi-skilled con man, and a mysterious boss. First episode ratings may prophecy the sitcom's fate. Scheduled right after a big-big episode of "American Idol", "Breaking In" carried approximately 19 million viewers into its time-slot; by the end of its half-hour, 12 million of them had tuned-in elsewhere.

Drunk History is a comedy series that airs on Comedy Central. It was created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner and first premiered in 2007. In the show, guest comedians and actors get drunk and then recount an event from history while the story is reenacted by other actors. The result is a hilarious retelling of history that often features slurred speech, rambling tangents, and off-color humor.

"Flight of the Conchords" is a television series that aired on HBO from 2007 to 2009. The show follows the lives of two New Zealand musicians, Jemaine and Bret, as they try to make it in the music industry in New York City. The show combines elements of comedy and music, as Jemaine and Bret frequently break into song during the episodes.