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2 • February 9 - 15, 2014 TVWeek By Shona Dustan TV Media F ox kicked off this season by putting a lot of faith in its comedies. Stacking Tuesday nights with laughs, ex- ecs hoped for a successful two-hour comedy block with the tried and tested quirky "New Girl" as its backbone and strong sophomore comedy "The Mindy Project" for support. Crossing their fingers, they added two brand new comedies to the lineup: the Seth MacFarlane-led "Dads" and the off-beat cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." At the time, the smart money was on "Dads." MacFarlane is a television veteran who has proven that he can deliver, and his show stars well-known, big-screen faces. The other new show was an unconventional police procedural helmed by a former pro footballer, a nutty SNL alum and one Emmy-winning actor. But now that the season is half gone, it's more than clear that the latter is this season's big winner, and for good reason. While "Dads" has been put on hiatus due to low ratings (its last episode airs Feb. 11 and no return date is scheduled), "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," which also airs Tuesday, Feb. 11, on Fox, has thrived, garnering critical acclaim and awards as well as good ratings – not an easy feat. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's" greatest strength is in its refusal to allow itself to be defined. The premise of the show seems simple enough, possibly even boring: the eccentric police officers in a Brooklyn precinct must adjust to a new, super-serious cap- tain. It's the details, the character breakdowns, that make the show great. Det. Jake Peralta is the class clown, not above walking around the office in his underwear to prove a point. What you may not see coming, though, is that he's also an extremely talented detective, not the bumbling idiot most would expect. Played by former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Andy Samberg – who's known for his wacky, unnuanced comedic style – Peralta is a loveable weirdo whose skills command respect. He's likeable, a weirdo you can root for. Respond- ing to questions regarding the type of comedy the show would exhibit, executive producer Michael Schur said "This is not 'Police Squad' ... as big a fan as I am of 'Police Squad,' we want it to seem like it's a real police precinct. And that was the goal the whole time." In that, the show succeeds. Instead of the stereotypes and over-the-top investigations that could have easily been relied upon to move the stories along, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" takes time to build characters who have somewhere to go and room to grow. In the role of the tough new boss, Capt. Ray Holt, Andre Braugher shines. He's the straight man to Samberg's ham, and he deadpans even his most ridiculous lines flawlessly. Capt. Holt is a very lay- ered guy – as a gay black man, climbing the ranks of the NYPD was no easy feat, though it's unclear if his struggles contributed to his emotionless demeanor or if he's always been that way. Peralta takes it upon himself to shatter the captain's stoicism, and in the process the two develop an unlikely friendship that is both challenging and rewarding for both men. Braugher is the most ac- complished, television-wise, of the cast. He can be seen in many films, such as "Glory" (1989), "City of Angels" (1998) and "Frequency" (2000), but TV is where he really shines. Braugher won an Emmy for his work on the award-winning police drama "Homicide: Life on the Street," a gig that almost certainly helped prepare him for his current role. Former NFL defensive end Terry Crews ("The Expendables" (2010)) stars as Sgt. Terry Jeffords. Being huge and incredibly muscular, Crews is typi- cally cast as a meathead, the strong, silent type. Not here, though. Sgt. Jeffords, as we meet him in the first episode, is on desk duty and he likes it that way. He's had a terrible experience with a man- nequin in the field, and can't abide the thought of putting himself in danger when his girls (his wife and children) need him at home. The Jeffords char- acter turns Crews' usual stereotype upside down, making him a soft, family man, and the results are delightful. Rounding out the main members of the unit are Stephanie Beatriz ("Short Term 12" (2013)) as Det. Rosa Diaz, a hard and grizzled cop who keeps everyone as afraid of her as she can; Melissa Fumero ("One Life to Live") as Det. Amy Santiago, the straight-arrow keener and rival/love interest of Peralta; and Joe Lo Truglio ("Superbad" (2007)) as Det. Charles Boyle, the smallest, weirdest, but somehow endearing cop of the bunch. Finally, there's Chelsea Peretti ("China, IL"), who plays the sassy and strange administrator who likes to think she's the glue that holds the precinct together (as long as she doesn't have to do any work). "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has been very good to Fox. After pulling up the network's male viewer- ship by about 45% Tuesday nights, the show went on to win some Golden Globe awards at this year's ceremony. Winning both the Best Comedy in a Comedy or Musical, as well as Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Mu- sical categories, it appears there's no stopping this comedy team. You don't want to miss this off-beat comedy, easily the best new comedy of the season. Tune in Tuesday, Feb. 11, on Fox for a fresh episode. Cover Story Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg star in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Seriously funny: Fox puts a hilarious new spin on the popular police procedural D - Danville V - Veedersburg H - Hoopeston O - Oakwood V - Veedersburg Ca - Cayuga Co - Covington W - Westville Communities listed Med Plus 1/16 pg A/Crossroads Church 1/32 pg

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