George Lopez: 5 Reasons Why I like This Sitcom

I have to admit, I like George Lopez, in fact I love that dang show. I'm glad it's coming back for another season and I hope it gains more fans and more respect. Sure, George Lopez may not have the "break with the traditional" style that some other (very funny) shows have, but it does a lot of funny stuff with the traditional format. And as long as it keeps me laughing, George Lopez will have me as a viewer. What else are sitcoms for? Here are five reasons why I advocate watching George Lopez.

The Man himself. Many of our best sitcoms - and some of the worst ones - have starred a stand-up comic in a leading role. While often the quality of the writing is just as crucial to a show's success as the comedian at the center of things, we can't underestimate the importance of that comic. George Lopez is a natural as a sitcom star. He never comes off as canned. His timing, facial expressions, and bilingunal mutterings improve a lot of the already funny lines. And while he has a good supporting cast, he is strong enough to really take the lead - unlike some other stand-ups turned actors. His character, too, is likable, flawed, sometimes the family jackass, other times, the family hero. And again, he's really funny. I even find I can relate to him sometimes, which is weird, because I am by no means a Hispanic 40 year old with a wife and two kids.

It's funny again! One problem I had with George Lopez in a past seasons was the emphasis on "story" - as in, it got really dramatic and non-funny. Some of the creative people behind Lopez are connected to the show Roseanne, which often had drama in its comedy. It didn't work as well on George Lopez. Some episodes, it didn't work at all. If I'd come back last season to more melodrama about Carmen running away from home, I probably would have turned the channel for good. But the show returned to it's core: good comedy with heart, and has found plenty of ways to turn this into good story.

The supporting cast.George Lopez has an enjoyable supporting cast. I think Belita Moreno is probably the heir to the Doris Roberts Throne of Evil-ish TV Moms. Sometimes, yeah, her character may be a little over the top, but Bennie is usually just funny, and Moreno is great with the sarcasm and the one-liners. I also like wife Angie's pompus Cuban dad, Vic (Emiliano Diez) who's always taking shots at his son and law. I wasn't a big Constance Marie fan when I've seen her on other shows, but I really like her in this role as George's wife, Angie. Angie's her own person, has got her own foilbles. She may not be quite as central, like, say, Patricia Heaton on Raymond, but she's got a good role and Angie's always a good yin to George's yang. Valente Rodriquez as Ernie doesn't always have much to do, but Ernie's a good dumb friend. And the kids- hey, the kids on this show can actually act.

It tells good stories while keeping things clean.George Lopez might be the only family sitcom right now that really lives up to its title- without sucking. Hey, I'm not against language and adult content on a lot of shows, but when people can't find anything to joke about but who's nailing whom, it just gets stupid. Shows like The Office and My Name Is Earl may have their share of sexual humor, but they're not one-note. Same with George Lopez. I think that's part of the reason they're good: they're creative, original, they talk about a lot of different aspects of life. I like the variety on the show. And I like that I can watch George Lopez with my family and no one thinks it's too crass. And I really like that there are females in this show who can be pretty without existing on the show simply to be eye-candy for the adolescent adult males.

It's Relatable. And the last reason I like George Lopez is something I mentioned before: I feel like I can relate to it. I don't know if it's because the family is middle class, but still works to pay the bills. Or because members of the family throw one-liners at each other and make smart alecky remarks all the time. Or if it's just that some of the scenarios- like figuring out what you want to do with the next piece of your life- apply to people with and without kids. But compared to other sitcoms - some of which are ostensibily aimed at my demographic- George Lopez is relatable to me. And it's funny. while it's relatable. Did I mention it's funny?

George Lopez airs on ABC. Check your listings because they've changed the time slot several times.