What’s this show called … Cougar Town?

Yeah, no … I don’t think so.

For the purpose of this week’s column, I think I’ll be “reminiscing guy.” It’s about the only option last week’s episode of Cougar Town left me with.

Remember Courteney Cox on Family Ties as Lauren Miller? Me neither, but I’ve re-watched the series so many times that I have seen her season five episode of Seinfeld, “The Wife,” more times than I can count. Not bad.

Her movie roles have been largely forgettable … Melissa Robinson in Ace Ventura? Gale Weathers from the Scream movies? Yikes.

Of course, Cox’s most memorable role was as Monica on Friends. For five seasons she soared high, peaking when she and Chandler were still keeping their relationship a secret, the good times even spilling over to their pre-moving in together public couple time. But once the living situations got juggled around, Monica became possibly more annoying than Phoebe; believe me, that was a huge mountain to scale … but she managed it.

Christa Miller did some not-instantly-memorable spots on Seinfeld as well, on “The Sniffing Accountant” as Ellen de Granmont — the lady whose fabric George felt after a job interview — as well as two years later on “The Doodle,” as Paula, the woman who didn’t care what George looked like. Of course she starred on The Drew Carey Show as Kate O’Brien, but I’m not sure I know anyone who ever watched that. Do you?

Miller’s real peak was as Jordan Sullivan, Dr. Cox’s life-partner and the mother of his children on Scrubs. It took a while for her to click for me, I’d say roughly until she and Perry settled into a comfortable zone of mutual loathing, but by the end of season eight she was easily one of my favorite characters. And I loved the closure when she and Dr. Cox finally grudgingly admitted that they loved one another while away at Janitor’s wedding.

I can’t seem to place Busy Philipps at all, even as her filmography tells me that I’ve seen her in a number of things, including Malcolm in the Middle, Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, and He’s Just Not That Into You. No idea … but I guess that’s better than my having enjoyed her in one of those other roles before seeing her as Laurie Keller.

Dan Byrd got robbed. Aliens in America was a great show, and I loved him as Justin Tolchuck. Despite the roles he’d landed before, to me he was a brand new face and I found him to be utterly refreshing, even as his character was relatively cliche and predictable. I suppose for him as an actor — as well as for costar Adhir Kalyan, now on Rules of Engagement — it’s always better to be on a show that’s still on the air, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss a show that I looked forward to week after week.

I’m not overwhelmingly familiar with Josh Hopkins, but I did enjoy his role as ADA Kite on Cold Case. He and Lilly were good together.

Ian Gomez and Brian Van Holt … one I’ve never heard of, and one surprises me by his ability to keep on getting cast. You be the judge.

Anyway, yeah. I watched Cougar Town. Thanks!

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jan 24, 2011 @ 12:00 EST5EDT