Hot in Cleveland

Love this show. Watched for the first time as streaming video from Netflix. Betty White steals the show. Actually, I laughed out loud for the first time when she said her first line in the pilot. I've lived in California so I know how plastic it is. Three women of a, ahem, "certain" age are on their way to Paris for fun and men when their plane makes an emergency landing in Cleveland. They go to a bar and find that "real" men are giving them the eye. There are some really funny lines in relation to that scenario ("They're looking at me and not through me!") - so true after you hit a certain age. Anyway, the Valerie Bertinelli character decides to rent a Victorian house for a monthly rent that would be the amount charged in LA for one night and stick around a while. Betty White's character comes with the house as the caretaker. It's a fun show, especially for women of a "certain" age who can relate.

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!

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.

Hot In Cleveland is certainly the new Golden Girls. They're all smart, funny, beautiful "mature" women who are not ready to fade away quietly just yet. They prove that you don't have to be young to make a hit TV show. And although Betty White does carry a fair bit of the show the other women are vital contributors. There is a lot of comedic talent in this show and the cast and the many celebrity guest appearances only serve to add value.

The premise may be a little odd at first and may not be completely plausible but when you learn to roll with it you can really enjoy all the craziness and zany antics. It brings me back to the times when comedy shows were organic and didn't take themselves so seriously. It's refreshing to see and most importantly makes me laugh.

This show takes a few episodes to really find its nitch, but once it settles down things get very good! And after season 1, it just gets funnier. Of course Betty White steals every scene with the great one liners. Give this show a try, hang in there after a few episodes and you wont regret it! There are a lot of funny stories in this show. Well worth it!