Cougar Town: The Complete First Season

After a two-season turn on FX's deeply cynical Dirt (following her long stint on Friends), Courteney Cox returns to her comedy roots with ABC's far sunnier Cougar Town, playing 41-year-old Jules Cobb, a divorced real estate agent living in suburban Florida with her 18-year-old son Travis (Dan Byrd). With her sassy gal pals, co-worker Laurie (Busy Philipps), and bossy neighbor Ellie (Christa Miller), Jules comes across as more Desperate Housewife than Friend, starting off the series by having a fling with a young hottie. Although Cougar Town revolves around women (and wine), the men—Cobb's lovable loser ex, Bobby (Brian Van Holt), Ellie's goofball husband, Andy (Ian Gomez), and bar owner Grayson (Josh Hopkins)—receive plenty of face time. The series gets off to a bumpy start with shrill acting, lines that skew more toward crude than clever, and an unhealthy emphasis on body image, as evidenced by Jules's habit of licking chocolates before throwing them away. Fortunately, however, the writing improves and the cast's chemistry gels as the 24 episodes in this 2009–10 first season unfurl. Music fans will appreciate the fact that Sheryl Crow has a recurring role as Grayson's age-appropriate girlfriend, while Friends junkies can look for Lisa Kudrow's guest appearance as a dermatologist. Don't be fooled by the title: Cougar Town is one sex comedy that ultimately places more emphasis on community than bed-hopping. DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a Jimmy Kimmel Live segment, deleted scenes, bloopers, and more. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)