It is incredibly likely that Happy Endings, one of my favorite shows, is going to get canceled. The show is a favorite of a small cult following. The time slot in which it currently airs was moved to Friday nights at 8pm on ABC. Yeah, I know.
I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about it when it first aired. I think the name of the show had a lot to do with it. It’s the Cougar Town curse. That also happens to be one of my favorite shows. I enjoy situational comedies that center around a group of friends who have fun together and know each other well and are able to work off one another. I am not, however, a fan of laugh tracks. Sorry, How I Met Your Mother. The people who see the value in the show have been trying to fight the cancellation via Twitter hashtag (#SaveHappyEndings) and other means. I am joining the fight. I find the show to be very enjoyable and I hope that if ABC does cancel it, another station will pick it up and save it.
Happy Endings consists of Jane, the type-A control freak; her goofy husband Brad; Jane’s younger, lovably (slightly less intelligent) sister Alex; her ex-fiance Dave; Dave’s best friend and college roommate Max who is gay; and Max’s ex-girlfriend Penny who is a hopeless romantic. They have known each other for a while and have hung out together for many years, and have cartoon-ishly fun adventures. Their lives are ridiculous and they know it. They go out of their way to deceive each other. In that way, it has the shenanigans of a Disney Channel show and the humor of an adult comedy.
The show can sometimes be compared to Friends and Cougar Town, yet it is way kookier and quirkier. One difference between these shows is that Happy Endings has a progressive gay character in Max. In the episode where the gang tries to help Max find his gay subcategory, they make a reference to the “sitcom gay,” which is definitely not who he is. Max is hilarious and not stereotypical at all. He is my favorite character because I find him to be incredibly realistic and I wish more shows highlighted normal, lazy people like him, even if he may exaggerate that characteristic.
The characters also bash each other a lot, which is incredibly amusing. A lot of the plot lines revolve around proving a point to someone else in the group. Honestly, if you spend that much time with a small group of people, this is exactly what would go down. Even better, the actors have a fantastic dynamic and great chemistry. I would absolutely love to hang out with them because they are all funny and would make my life even more entertaining.
The actor who plays Max, Adam Pally, was first a comedian and currently has a stint on Funny or Die called “Riding Shotgun with Adam Pally.” The actress who plays Penny, Casey Wilson appeared as a featured cast member on SNL, which was one of the reasons why I started watching Happy Endings. And, Damon Wayans, Jr., who plays Brad, comes from a line of talented comedians and is the son of Damon Wayans from My Wife and Kids. The Wayans family created the Scary Movie franchise among other things.
ABC, please don’t give up on this like Fox gave up on Arrested Development, which was canceled prematurely. That situation may not be the best example because Arrested Development had arguably better writers and more complex plotlines that suit a specific audience; one that is able to understand all of the jokes. Happy Endings is simpler, yet hilarious, and could be a favorite in a very lucrative demographic: college kids and young urban professionals. If ABC realized that the show has so much potential, they could market it like they market Modern Family, which gets hilarious Emmy promos. There are shows that we at college hear about all the time, like How I Met Your Mother and the Big Bang Theory. I only know of a few people who have even heard of Happy Endings and I bet most of my friends would like it. I implore ABC to give it a second chance. I find myself thinking about the show quite a lot and quoting it all the time. I would be incredibly sad and would hate to see it go.
