CRACKING UP
March 9 at 9:30 on Fox
Wealthy families are all the rage these days, judging by the various satirical series now flooding our TV screens. Cracking Up stars Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) as a sweet, earnest psych student hired to help a Beverly Hills family sort out their youngest son’s problems. But his fumbling attempts at therapy open the floodgates of lunacy. Molly Shannon plays the boozy borderline-psycho mom, and the show was written and executive-produced by School of Rock‘s Mike White, which should give you an idea of the show’s broad, goofy humor.
THE HELP
Fridays at 9:30 on the WB
Why laugh at rich people when you can spy on their servants? That’s the premise of this new sitcom from the creator of Married . . . With Children. It forces ’80s has-beens like Mindy Cohn (Facts of Life), Antonio Sabato Jr. (Melrose Place), and Tori Spelling (90210) into indentured servitude. It’s never entirely clear if we’re supposed to be laughing with these folk or at them, but Spelling is surprisingly funny as an angry dog walker. Wouldn’t you tune in to watch her pick up puppy poop?
THE SOPRANOS
Sundays at 9 on HBO
The ultimate family drama returns in all its malevolent glory, to be reviewed later in the season. Steve Buscemi joins the cast, but there’s no telling who will leave.