"MY BOYS" - AN APPRECIATION

I was sorry to hear that TBS had cancelled the sitcom 'My Boys' after the fourth season ended last Sunday night. The show boasted one of the best ensemble casts among the current sitcoms. What I especially liked was the rhythm to the dialogue, with its throwaway lines and reaction shots serving as the punch lines.

At least this season - now series - ender had some small sense of closure to it. Stephanie and Kenny were leaving for a three-month working trip (for Steff, anyway) in London; Brando bought Crowley's bar; Mike and Marcia got married; and PJ accepted the fact that she wasn't cut out to be the top sports reporter at her paper. Her life, her friends, and her relationship with Bobby held the top priority. (As for Bobby, we already knew what the Future held for him - law school.) I'm particuarly sorry we won't get to see a full season of Rachael Harris as Marcia. Just based on the three episodes we saw of her, Marcia looked to be a worthy successor to Andy (who moved away to China at some point before the fourth season began.) I'll bet Marcia would have proven to be a shark at the poker table. (Being of an unknown quality, she'd be easier to accept as a player than Steff!)

In my Toobworld fantasy, it didn't ring true that we never saw characters from other New York-based sitcoms having lunch at Monk's Diner or enjoying the floor show at the Tropicana. (At least a few sitcom characters did show up in Central Perk.) How come we never saw a character from 'Rhoda' hail a cab driven by Tony Banta? (Okay, I give you that a Tony Danza character did hail a cab driven by Simka Gravas.) NYC sitcoms should be colliding all the time in Toobworld.

But with 'My Boys', we got a breath of fresh air (relatively speaking) with Chicago as its locale. They were able to capitalize on the landmarks, as well as spin a fantasy version of the Windy City found only in Toobworld. (Especially all of the quirky bars and restaurants the gang would visit whenever they felt the need to wander away from Crowley's.)

So... the show is ended, but within the reality of Earth Prime-Time, they'll live on - just unseen by us.

I'd like to think it might still have some influence on any future series set in Chicago, though. Because of the (past) wealth of Bobby's family, there must be a Newman Building in Chicago. Maybe several Newman wings on museums, perhaps a Newman school, and Newman grants and Newman scholarships. Would it be too much to ask for 'The Good Wife' to slip such a reference in every so often?

And please! Can some other Chicago sitcom at least mention the presence of Crowley's?

I'll miss you, guys.....

BCnU!