Series Rundown: Partners, a new series, falls squarely in the sitcom category. Louis and Joe couldn’t be more different, however, they’ve maintained a friendship for decades and start an architecture firm together. Their friendship is tested when Joe gets engaged and Louis gets into a new, same-sex relationship. Upon pre-screening the pilot, I felt myself skeptical at first but (begrudgingly) laughed out loud multiple times. Joe and Ali are cute together and Louis and Joe are cuter. Louis’s embarrassment of his boyfriend’s job as a nurse and not a doctor was topical and definitely garnered a few laughs. There has been a certain amount of controversy surrounding the show, however. Critics have mentioned the show closely resembles a 1995 Fox sitcom of the same name. In addition to sharing a title, both shows had the same director, concept, characters with similar occupations, similar name for the main female lead, and even the same timeslot. Does it really matter? I don’t think so – in this industry it’s as much about execution as it is about concept and the almost 20 year buffer should provide some breathing room.

Highlight(s): David Krumholtz is the glue that holds the show together. He’s funny without being over the top, accessible without being schlubby, and genuine without being schmaltzy. Coming off his stint on The Newsroom, it’s fun to see him in a lighter role and returning to his comedic roots.