George Lopez

George Lopez has never been funnier. A fantastic comedy that provides nonstop laughter and stays true to itself from the first episode to the last.

While the plot waivers at times with storylines that don't always come to the most satisfying conclusions, it never takes away the comedic charm of this family sitcom. Not to mention, George Lopez is not afraid to tackle real world issues and provide real life lessons in a way not seen in any other comedy at the time. Ultimately, this is a truly revolutionary series in American television.

And, if you never woke up at 3am to the beats of "Low Rider" then you haven't truly lived.

Sabas que... George Lopez remains an all-time classic. 7/10.

Network: ABC; Genre: sitcom; Average Content Rating: TV-PG (strong adult content); Classification: Contemporary (1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: Season 3+

While ABC's decision to put the slightly cruder 'George Lopez' as the lead-in to it's re-launched TGIF line-up is a judgment call I question, it does make for a slightly out-of-field comparison: 'Lopez' is cooler, edgier, funnier and more substantive than anything I remember from the line-up once populated with 'Full House' and 'Family Matters'.

Developed by the Deborah Oppenheimer/Bruce Helford crowd that brought us 'The Drew Carey Show' back when self-titled sitcoms from stand-up comics were all the rage. 'Lopez' falls somewhere between the crude, edge of 'Carey' and the standard family sitcom. But the scripts are consistently a triumph of avoiding standard sitcom clichés, instead the show has turned toward a comedic spin on domestic drama where George Lopez (obviously as himself) struggles though (sometimes cataclysmic) events in his work and family life all the while trying to make sense of his family's past and his maniacal, brazenly without shame mother Benny (Belita Moreno). Season 3 (I could take or leave seasons 1 and 2), was ripe with domestic confrontations, family secrets revealed and a long lost father and siblings for George. In more than one way the tone of the show recalls you might get if you burned away all the rawest, sharpest edges from Fox's 'Titus'.

George Lopez shines in the show. The biggest crack in the armor is in the supporting cast. Where 'Titus' had a strong one in the legendary Stacy Keach and Cynthia Watros, Moreno doesn't have the presence of a chief antagonist and often just comes off obnoxious - so much so it will prompt me to change the channel during her scenes. Constance Marie is stuck in a largely thankless role as Lopez's wife, much of the time just staying out of Lopez's way. The show hasn't put her in the typical whiny sitcom mom role which is appreciated more than anything she does, but when the story requires Marie is able to step up in a way that the rest of the cast can't. Really, that only marginally matters, because it's quite literally all Lopez's show. George Lopez tears through the sharp dialog like a Tasmanian devil, spitting it all out with an impeccable comic delivery able to get big laughs from little lines like "Stitch it on a pillow sister, we need cash". He is the tent pole that almost all the laughs swing around and the show is at it's best when it knows that - allowing for the supporting cast, in all their limited acting ability, to stand as plot-device in Lopez's way.

'George Lopez' is the first mainstream, successful American sitcom with an almost all Hispanic cast. It sprinkles touches of cultural authenticity all around - and in ways I'm sure I don't get, but for the most part the family is largely mainstream. I can understand that some might view is a copping out. I see it more as the show's desire to present a traditional sitcom family that happens to be Mexican. Now, if there were a lot more shows on TV like this, then we might have an issue.

One of my favorite bits in the series is the way it brought back the time-tested tradition of a conservative father debating with his liberal daughter (Masiela Lusha). Season 3 opened with a bang in the hour-long episode "Dad, Dubya and Dating" where Lopez tries to keep daughter Carmen from joining an anti-war protest. In a later episode, in a funny spin on preachy series, Carmen says her rights have been violated by "the New England Patriots Act", to which George replies "That's about gay marriage, don't you pick up a newspaper". We get the sense that 'George Lopez' doesn't want to be seen as a pioneer sitcom, nor does it want to make a political statement. It just wants to be funny - and it is that. It's also substantive and genuine which is rare. It's one of the better family sitcoms on TV right now.

* * * / 4

This is a hilarious show, contrary to what veestar614 thinks. A laugh is a laugh is a laugh, especially since we're talking about a 1/2 hour family sitcom, not a documentary. I know zip about Latino culture (my Spanish is limited to "yo no hablo español") but this is only of my favourite shows on TV right now.

George Lopez overacts somewhat, but it is in character, and Angie Lopez (played by Constance Marie) is the perfect serious foil for George's over-the-top-ness, as are George's kids, Max and Carmen, his mother Benny and his friend Eddie.

So many comedies based on the "name brand" aspect of successful comedian end up being ego trips with the "star" so greatly overshadowing the rest of the cast that it's like they aren't even there. But on the George Lopez show, the co-stars are truly that - they get decent screen time and they get some good funny lines which they can all deliver perfectly, even the kid playing Max. And Masiela Lusha is great playing the overwrought teenage girl so much like how her father is so excitable without becoming an un-funny stereotype.

I give the show a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I love this show! Lopez is a very clever comic, who can deliver a punch line sometimes simply with a facial expression. They did a great job in casting his family and friends, especially his mother. As with most shows named after a stand-up comedian, the primary intent is to give Lopez a vehicle to deliver his comedy. But they surpassed this by casting several very funny costars who can get good laughs on their own. I hope that there are more people like me who appreciate this humor.

For some reason, I had a hunch that this would be a funny show--judging simply from the teaser previews. Well, I was right. I'm pretty sure George Lopez is a stand-up comedian, and I would love to see his act. He is extremely funny, with great timing. And of course, I'm always a supporter of Latino shows and movies. When people think of minorities being snubbed from the media, they immediately think "blacks," but I would argue that we need to see a lot more Latinos on TV and in the movies. And just like "The Cosby Show" didn't play out stereotypes of an African-American family, "George Lopez" doesn't play out stereotypes of a Latino-American family. The characters are universal, and could be played by actors of any race. I don't know why it is, and I'm definitely not complaining, but it seems like they always cast a real hottie to play the wives on these sitcoms. In "Everybody Loves Raymond" there's Patricia Heaton, in "King of Queens" there's Leah Remini, and the actress who plays Lopez's wife is also a hottie! The old lady who plays his mother is just as funny as him, and steals every scene she's in. I sincerely hope this show lasts at least 3 seasons.

My score: 7 (out of 10)