Hot in Cleveland

Yes, the writing's mediocre, and the laugh track is really annoying - However, there are four actresses here that are fun to watch, and I'd rather watch this than some lame reality show.

When I wake up in the middle of the night and want to watch something I've recorded, I would choose a new "Hot in Cleveland" episode over an episode of something that I've seen three times before. Sure the situations are not realistic, but it's fun to watch Valerie, Wendy, Jane and Betty work at turning those silly scripts into something funny.

P.S. Love the look on Huey Lewis's face as he asks "Victoria":

"Is it magically delicious?"

With all the reality TV shows that are nothing more than people cursing and generally being cruel to each other, this show is a welcome breath of fresh air. There's nothing necessarily all that unique about the format, and of course it has the standard sitcom canned laughter, but the 4 actresses really are funny in their respective rolls and have great chemistry together. Maybe some of the jokes aren't even all that original, however few sitcoms in history actually made me laugh out loud, yet this one does. And good lord, could Valerie Bertinelli be any prettier at 50?! I'm glad to hear this show will be back next year. We need to be able to turn on the TV and watch a new show without being assaulted by nonstop reality garbage.

Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me), Jane Leeves (Frasier), and Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time) are all sitcom veterans who play best friends who decide to take a trip to Paris but are sidetracked in Cleveland, Ohio. There, they rediscover themselves as their hometown of Los Angeles has appeared to have forgotten them. Malick's role as a soap opera actress was cut short by it's cancellation after 27 years. Leeves is the eyebrow plucker to Oprah until she goes elsewhere. Valerie's character has written a book about 200 things to do before they die. Once in Cleveland, they are rediscovered by actual middle American men who try to pick them up at a bar. Valerie's character Melanie declares that she's moving to Cleveland and renting a Victorian house. After all, her kids are grown and her ex-husband has moved on. Even the men in Cleveland appear to appreciate the older woman, that was their reason for going to Paris to be appreciated more instead of discarded. I wished the show would have more than 8 episodes but it's nice to have anything. Betty White steals the scene from all of them as the caretaker, Elka. At 88 years old, Betty White is at her best and funniest. Okay, I'm sure people in Cleveland have a sense of humor and will enjoy the show. Just enjoy the show! We have such few sitcoms on the air! the more the merrier and the laughs galore!

Wendy Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Betty White are "Hot in Cleveland" in this new TV Land series produced by "Will and Grace" star Sean Hayes.

It's a slim premise - a soap star (Malick) whose show has been canceled, a new divorcée (Bertinelli), and a makeup artist (Leeves) set off for Paris from Los Angeles only to be grounded in Cleveland. With bleak prospects waiting for them back home, and noting the attentive looks they get from men in a local bar, they decide to stay a while. The Bertinelli character rents a house, where the caretaker is Elke (Betty White).

So far, this is a very funny show, with marvelous performances. With Malick and Frasier's Daphne starring, that's to be expected. White is amazing - 88 and still going strong and still a master of timing. The weak sister for me is Bertinelli, whose comedy seems forced.

As a baby boomer myself, I like seeing shows relating to my age group featuring older actresses, who, like the Malick character, really do find the going rough in Hollywood, particularly if they're too attractive for character roles. And it is true, particularly in a youth-oriented town like L.A., older women are pretty much invisible to men their own age. It's probably true anywhere, but particularly there.

I'm really enjoying it, and I hope it's picked up for more episodes.

When I heard about this show, I figured it would be "cute." What I was not prepared for was how spot-on it really is. I've lived in the L.A. area off and on for over 20 years, and all the L.A. references are painfully HONEST.

Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, Valerie Bertinelli and Betty White are hysterical!

The story lines are very realistic ...L.A. is really a very SADLY over-rated place to live, for many reasons. The sunshine is nice, but even that gets boring after a while. Between the high price of living, the traffic and the shallow people, it's really an awful place to live for any "average" person. Ironically, this show comes at a time in my life when I have decided to relocate to my home town of Chicago.

I routinely experience just about all of the ones depicted on this show whenever I go back to Chicago. While it is true that there are shallow people everywhere in the world, L.A. seems to be the U.S. capital of "the beautiful people." Living here is very exclusionary; everything is about money, status, power and looks. If you have those things, you'll be included; if not, you are SOL, no matter how good or nice a person you are.

It is true that in Chicago - and other Midwestern cities, most of the real men are not salaciously panting after women 1/2 their age. It is true that in other places, mature women are appreciated more than merely discarded after the age of 30.

My only regret about this show is that it is not on a major network ... it would get more exposure that way! So glad that it got picked up for more episodes.

If you're a fan, let's all get the word out and keep this show on the air!