When Does It Start: Wednesday 9th February at 9.30pm EST on ABC

In A Nutshell: Chandler Bing is back… yes it’s the return of Matthew Perry. Can he recapture that Friends ratings mojo?

What’s It About: Ben Donovan (Matthew Perry) is the manager of a second tier sports arena in San Diego, called the Sunshine Center. Upon turning 40, Ben finds himself going through a mid life crisis while juggling a complicated love life and dealing with the demands of his unpredictable boss, Crystal Cohen (Alison Janney). Expect plenty of Perry’s deadpan delivery as craziness erupts around him…

 

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Plus Points: Though Friends came off the air in 2004 there still remains a great deal of goodwill – and interest in – the 6 main cast members. Courtney Cox has found her feet in Cougar Town (and has a fourth Scream movie on the way). After the Joey debacle, Matt LeBlanc has reclaimed his comedy career in Showtime’s Episodes. Lisa Kudrow still has cult appeal. David Schwimmer is now a bona fide director. And Jennifer Aniston is still making movies (with some potential big hits on the horizon this year).

As for Perry – his first big post-Friends project, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip may have only lasted one season but it was a brave failure that still retains cult appeal. Just like Kudrow’s Comeback this is the way to ‘fail’. Plus Matthew notched up an appearance in teen movie 17 Again alongside Zac Efron which did well at the box office. I think Perry is ready for a big TV return now and have a feeling Mr Sunshine may be the vehicle to return him to the spotlight.

In terms of scheduling ABC is giving Mr Sunshine the plum spot, slap bang after Modern Family on Wednesday nights. Sorry Cougar Town fans – that means your favorite show is going on a break for 10 weeks! Sure that means Mr Sunshine is facing off against American Idol but the music talent show hasn’t had much of an impact on Family’s ratings so far this season.

Then there’s Perry’s co-star, the glorious Alison Janney who I adore. Janney is super-smart, talented, likeable and has great comic timing. The trailer definitely has its moments and once the show finds its groove I think ABC could have a potent hit on their hands.

On The Downside: It’s not a huge sign of confidence when a network keeps a show on the shelf for several months – and Mr Sunshine has been knocking around for ages now. Why on earth wasn’t this show launched in the Fall? Were The Whole Truth, My Generation and Detroit 1-8-7 really more promising? And what about Better With You, the star-free half hour comedy that ABC launched last year and has so far only managed middling ratings?

Modern Family is a good launching pad for the show but can’t guarantee big ratings – even now Cougar Town is still only a minor hit at best. And while Idol hasn’t dented Modern Family much the music juggernaut hasn’t slipped as much as many of us predicted and may still hurt Mr Sunshine in the key demos.

Plus do audiences still care about Matthew Perry? Cox and Aniston are tabloid staples, due to their sex appeal and colorful personal lives. But Perry is more like a Lisa Kudrow, a gifted comedian who happened to star in a smash show. Can his success translate to another show – or will he forever be Chandler Bing?

Prediction: I think Mr Sunshine has all the makings of a hit – a fun premise, strong cast and a good timeslot. ABC may have just found another key component in their Wednesday night line-up…