'Must-see TV' back on NBC this fall

NBC is bringing back its Thursday night “Must-See TV Lineup,” but the shows are a far cry from the traditional late ‘90s fare.

Back then there was “Friends,” “Will and Grace,” and “Frasier.” All were smart, sassy Emmy-winning sitcoms that stuck to the traditional formula but improved upon it exponentially. With the help of syndication, I have probably seen each and every episode of those three shows. They broke new ground, and in some ways even changed society, especially “Will and Grace,” the story of a straight-girl-gay-guy friendship.

The NBC Thursday night prime time block stopped being so “must-see” right around the time someone thought “Friends” spin-off “Joey” would be a good idea. “Friends’” last episode ran on May 6, 2004. “Joey,” starring Matt LeBlanc, began its run soon after, but it was nothing more than a shadow of “Friends.” Ratings for the night plummeted.

But NBC is changing that with its current lineup, which includes comedies “My Name is Earl” and “The Office,” game show “Deal or No Deal” and the been-on-air-forever drama “ER.”

The two comedies, “Earl” and “The Office,” are special because they push the boundaries of the sitcom. Where the previous line-up improved upon the established formula, these shows turn the formula itself on its head. I would think they aren’t even classified as sitcoms as there is no studio audience and different production values. And instead of the relatively normal surroundings of New York City or Seattle, both shows are based in fictional locations. With all the crazy stuff that happens, suspension of disbelief is a necessity.

“Earl” is the twisted story of a mustached lowlife named Earl Hickey, played by Jason Lee. Earl develops a belief in karma after surviving being hit by a car and rediscovering a lottery ticket worth $100,000 soon after. The show is all about Earl and his “list” of wrongdoings he intends to repay. Since Earl is a former petty criminal, the payback situations are endless.

Earl’s world is a weird landscape of shady, unique characters — one doofus brother, a classless ex-wife, a one-eyed mailman and a hooker who works only in the daytime. And there’s a killer soundtrack.

“Earl” is part situation comedy and part goofy Ben Stiller movie, which makes it one of the greatest things on network TV.

Meanwhile, “The Office” uses the techniques of reality television to a hilarious result. Based on a British show of the same name, it is filmed as a mockumentary with no background music or laugh track. There’s an improvisational feel to the show, which is helmed by “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” alum Steve Carrel. Carrel’s character, Michael, is an awkward, unsocialized supervisor who always seems to mess up sensitive situations. Dwight is his nerdy-but-thinks-he’s-cool suck up assistant manager. The rest of the cast watches their antics in embarrassed horror and offer commentary via one-on-one interviews that remind me of “Big Brother.”

But there’s also a serious side to “The Office” with the romance between Jim and Pam. Thankfully, though, the series doesn’t delve into drama very often.

And then there’s “Deal” with host Howie Mandel. I wrote a column completely dedicated to the show a few months ago. I hate that I love this show. There’s no other word to describe it other than “addictive.” If you haven’t seen it, tune in to NBC at 8 p.m. Monday, Thursday or Friday. Even if you’re not a gambler, the adrenaline rush is hard to turn away from.

Finally, “ER” has been on the air since 1994. I used to be a religious viewer of the medical drama (to me it will always be better than “Grey’s Anatomy”), and thanks to the lead-ins, I’m becoming interested in it again.

All of these shows, too, besides the recently started “Deal,” have won Emmys. “Earl” and “The Office” have been on less than four years. That’s got to mean something.