"Are We There Yet?" and the American Dream

TBS has launched a new sitcom to join Meet the Browns and House of Paynes on their Wednesday night lineup and this new show also caters to the African-American/Tyler Perry-loving demographic, though less extremely as its predecessors. The show is Are We There Yet? and it is indeed based on the 2005 family comedy starring Ice Cube and Nia Long. The sitcom is a continuation of the film (thankfully erasing the dreadful theatrical sequel Are We Done Yet?). While the film was about a road trip, the sitcom is a traditional family sitcom, sort of a "black version" of The Brady Bunch with about 5 fewer characters.

The basic premise: Nick (now played by Terry Crews, of Everybody Hates Chris fame) is adjusting to life with his new wife Suzanne (now played by Essence Atkins AKA Yvette from Smart Guy) and her two kids Kevin (Coy Stewart) and Lindsay (Teala Dunn). Nick's friend Martin (comedian Christian Finnegan) and Suzanne's assistant/best friend Gigi (Keesha Sharp) help the two figure out how to achieve familial and financial success. The sitcom offers a new interpretation of the American Dream, the "there" in the title. Are We There Yet? is essentially about a couple who wants to have it all--the house, the kids, the friends, the job, the life.

I first wanted to watch this show because of Essence Atkins, who was my favorite on Smart Guy. But after I saw the first episode, I realized that this sitcom was BAD (but luckily not worse than TBS's other original sitcoms). The jokes are predictable, the characters are obvious and the show has a 1990s feel to it. It's a show that wants to be one of those comfort food-sitcoms like Full House or The Cosby Show--but it's sadly about 12 years too late.

Not to say that the "family sitcom" has disappeared completely--it's just evolved. We now have shows that are single camera, laugh-track-free and that tell the stories of less traditional families. For example, we have the happily struggling family on The Middle, the wacky extended family on Modern Family and the hilariously self-obsessed surrogate family on Cougar Town (all of which are coincidentally on ABC). These new shows are the face of the 21st century family sitcom. So when Are We There Yet? premieres with its tired dialogue and sleepy plots, it looks like a failure.

Even the episode titles are lazy--"The Day Off Episode", "The Soccer Episode", "The Rat in the House Episode" and so on. I take it as an attempt to give these episodes the same iconic feel as a Friends episode or a Seinfeld episode (both of which had episode titles that maintained a pattern) but both of those shows were groundbreaking and iconic, which Are We There Yet? certainly is not.

But, like with all bad sitcoms, Stockholm syndrome sets in and I start to enjoy the show (I once had obsessions with both Yes, Dear and The Steve Harvey Show). Are We There Yet?, despite its old-school sensibilities, has some charms. Most of them come from the charming and likable cast, who rise aboce the dreadful material. Essence Atkins, Terry Crews and Teala Dunn all excel in their roles and they have great chemistry. Less impressive is Coy Stewart, but he's young and will probably improve in the future. As the two sidekicks, Christian Finnegan and Keesha Sharp all too easily slip into boring best friend cliches.

The thing is, I don't know if I would recommend this anyone. It's pleasant, inoffensive and harmless but it's no outstanding piece of television history. Let me put it this way. The opening credits has the four leads walk into a brightly colored but empty room. Then Terry Crews does some awkward breakdancing while the other three look at him. Then they all sit on a random couch. If that repulses you, stay as far away from this sitcom as possible. If not, then check it out--you might just enjoy it.