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Even XXXXX, XXXXX XX, 2013 | TAB NAME Odd 2 TV ENCORE By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media R emember "The Wonder Years?" The short-lived but well-loved "My So-Called Life?" More recently, "That '70s Show?" The coming-of-age motif never seems to get old, perhaps because of the healthy dose of nostalgia it instills in those of us who have made it out of our teenage years alive, if not unscathed. The now-20- and 30-some- things who grew up amongst the Walkmans, grunge flannel and way-too-big jeans of the '90s should feel right at home with "Surviving Jack" — Fox's new ensemble series "about a man becoming a dad, as his son is becoming a man, in a time before 'coming of age' was something you could Google." The series is set in the '90s, and stars Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") as a no-nonsense oncologist who becomes a full-time dad for the first time in his life. Catch the series premiere Thursday, March 27, on Fox. Similar to "The Wonder Years" style, "Surviving Jack" is narrated by the future voice of the youngest member of the family, just starting to come into himself. It's from his per- spective that the plot unfolds, Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Young's Culligan 3 x 3" Harrison- Merzger 2 x 2" On the Cover as he reflects on his experiences and misadventures growing up and approaching manhood. Frankie Dunlevy (Connor Buckley, "The Abduction of Zack Butterfield," 2011) is starting high school having grown 10 inches over the summer and gained those first precious scraps of attention from the opposite sex. With all the awk- wardness and uncomfortable situations that are part and par- cel of one's teenage years, it's about time Frankie has his dad around to help lead him into manhood. The humor in the show's premise comes from no-bull, ex- military patriarch Jack Dunlevy's blunt and straightforward approach to life and parenting. The man is no warm, lesson- spouting Ward Cleaver or Atticus Finch, though that's not to say he loves his family any less than these bastions of fatherhood. With his wife, Joanne (Rachael Harris, "Suits"), returning to law school, Jack is taking up the gauntlet of full-time parenthood — a challenge that, as a busy working man prior to this, is new to him. With his 17-year- old daughter, Rachel (Claudia Lee, "Hart of Dixie"), to wran- gle as well as Frankie, Jack, like his son, is entering an unchart- ed phase of his life that he has to figure out as he goes. If the gruff, tough-love father figure brings to mind a similar character recently seen on (and quickly gone from) prime time, that could be because of the creators. "Surviving Jack" comes from longtime writing partners Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, who were also behind the short-lived CBS sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says." That show was based on Halpern's book of the same name, which in turn was based on his Twitter feed consisting of hilarious and often off-color quotations from his father, Sam. Despite the popularity of the feed and the book, the series flopped and was canceled in its first season after a mere 18 epi- sodes. "Surviving Jack" is based on Halpern's bestselling autobio- graphical book, "I Suck at Girls," so like "$#*! My Dad Says," it contains real-life mate- rial — let's hope that it trans- lates better to the screen than his previous attempt. While both books have been successful, that doesn't guaran- tee a successful TV show, as "$#*! My Dad Says" has dis- mally proven. Critics have noted the similarities between the two shows — both based on Halpern's relationship with his Fox's new coming-of-age comedy promises laughs and nostalgia father — but Halpern is confi- dent that "Surviving Jack," and specifically this father figure, will make a better transition to TV than "$#*! My Dad Says" ever could. Citing a Television Critics Association Q&A, Lisa De Moraes of Deadline.com writes that Halpern's response to what went wrong with the CBS sit- com was that it was "very much the wrong tone," and that the dad character "did not live well in a multi-cam sitcom world where it's all about setup and punch lines. On a single cam [which is the format of 'Surviving Jack'], the comedy comes more organically," he said. Of "$#*! My Dad Says," Halpern went further, and admitted in the Q&A that "it was really bad." The world is always up for a little nostalgia, and Fox is here to deliver. So as long as "Surviving Jack" succeeds in distancing itself from its fore- runner, it has the makings of a truly solid comedy. Check out the premiere Thursday, March 27, on Fox. Rachael Harris as seen in "Surviving Jack" D&J Liquors 3 x 2" MAROCCO-RANS FUNERAL CHAPEL 119 E. Market St. | Logansport, IN • 574.753.6282 www.ransfuneralhomes.com HARRISON-METZGER & RANS FUNERAL HOMES 304 S. 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