FOX's The Winner is Not a Total Loser

The premise is this: Glen Abbot (Rob Corddry, The Daily Show) is 32 and living at home in Buffalo, New York with his parents. From the creators of Family Guy and American Dad, the sitcom takes place in 1994, but the opening credits occur in the present, when Glen has become rich, famous, and the proprietor of a lavish-looking, pool-filled backyard. Therefore, sometime in the 14 years between his life with his mom and dad and his financial success, a lot must happen. But how?

In the first episode, there doesn't seem to be much of an impetus for Abbot to abandon his nest. He has no job, no love life, and no desire to leave his mother's cooking and cleaning. His parents, Rob (Lenny Clarke, Fever Pitch and Rescue Me) and Irene (Linda Hart, A Perfect World and Desperate Housewives) are used to his omnipresence, though it's a point of contention. Rob wants him to grow up, but Irene likes having him around, making his bed, and perfectly garnishing his breakfast.

Everything changes when Dr. Alison McKellar (Erinn Hayes, Everwood and Rumor Has It) and her son, Josh (Keir Gilchrist, The Waldo Cumberland Story and Saint Ralph) move next door. Alison, who has returned to Buffalo take care of her ailing mother, is the only girl Glen has ever kissed -- and she's recently divorced. Though Glen's not yet confident enough to make any romantic moves with Alison, he does instantly form a friendship with Josh, a fellow hypochondriac.

Alison's arrival is just the kick he needs to get a job and get his life going. After a botched interview with Black and Decker, to which he brought no resume but an impressive knowledge of the show "Wings," he is serendipitously hired as a clerk at a video store. His friendship with Josh grows, and he takes more responsibility for himself. And the 90's become to the 00s what the 80s was a decade ago.

The Winner puts a creatively fun spin on what could have been a stereotypical sitcom. The twist on the typical "boy meets girl - boy chases girl for two seasons" is refreshing. We don't know if Glen and Alison end up together, but we know from the show's opening that there must be much more ahead for Glen than simply renting movies (VHS only please, this is 1994). The flashback to a not-so-distant past is also packs some laughs ... the O.J. Simpson chase, the Nanci Kerrigan scandal, the split up of who Irene calls "The Joels" (meaning Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley) ... it's a reality check that the nineties were actually that long ago.

While not as extreme as its Sunday-night animated companions, The Winner has a sweetness and a nostalgia that makes it worth the thirty minutes.