Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

The fall is just around the corner, which can only mean one thing – the new television season is about to begin. I cannot tell you how excited I am for the influx of new sitcoms coming our way.

ABC leads the pack with 4 new sitcoms, and CBS has added another show to its already incredible sitcom line-up, but out of all the networks, I am most looking forward to what Fox has to offer.

That’s something I never thought I would say.

Fox has placed all of its confidence – and a whole lotta money – in a new show starring Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”) and Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”). The sitcom veterans play news anchors brought back together after Grammer’s character returns to Pittsburgh.

Grammer plays Chuck Darling, a self-centered womanizer, who is “let go” from his job after an embarrassing on-air tirade makes its way to the internet and he must sheepishly return to his old venue.

After a 10-year absence, Chuck returns to his old stomping grounds, and his old co-anchor, Kelly Carr. Kelly (Patricia Heaton) is an uptight know-it-all and single mother. Although the pair spend most of their time bickering, you can’t deny the chemistry, or comedic timing.

Chuck’s return to his old station isn’t the only surprise – he discovers that he is the father of Kelly’s 10-year-old daughter, Gracie Carr (Laura Marano), the product of a brief affair before he left town.

The other characters include the overstressed news director Ryan (Josh Gad), the inappropriate sports anchor Marsh McGinley (Fred Willard), and the dumped on field reporter Gary Crezyzewski (Ty Burrell).

The show was created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, who also serve as executive producers. The duo, who have worked on many successful sitcoms already, also worked with Grammer on the hit show “Frasier.” The show is directed by James Burrows, the mastermind behind “Cheers” and “Frasier,” along with numerous other sitcoms.


Watch it: Fox, Wednesdays, beginning September 19, 8:00 p.m. EST
Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Josh Gad, Fred Willard, Ty Burrell, and Laura Marano