“Guys with Kids” on NBC

Reviewed by Justine Young

The pilot episode of “Guys With Kids,” a new sitcom on NBC created by Jimmy Fallon, begins with three men watching a football game at a bar.

When their team scores, the men cheer and turn toward the camera, revealing the babies strapped to their chests.

That short introduction accurately sets up the show: three 30-something guys who still act like they’re 20 who are taking care of kids in the stereotypical manner that Hollywood is determined to portray fathers: poorly.

The cast includes Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”) as Gary, Tempestt Bledsoe (“The Cosby Show”) as Gary’s wife Marny, Zach Cregger as Nick and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) as his wife.

Like any conventional sitcom, the plot “Guys with Kids” is banal and predictable.

Chris, played by Jesse Bradford, is the unconfident, recently divorced father who will date an array of women throughout the season while his ex-wife, Sheila, played by Erinn Hayes, will regularly barge through his door unannounced. Nick and Emily are the couple who constantly give bad advice and create the problems to drive an episode’s arc while Gary and Marny are the cartoonishly goofy couple who stand in for comic relief.

Unfortunately, when Gary and Marny aren’t onscreen, the show fails to live up to the promise made at the beginning of every episode: “This show is filmed in front of a live studio audience.”

After watching an episode yourself, you’ll be convinced it’s canned laughter, too.

Rating: 2 out of 5

“The Mindy Project” on FOX

Reviewed by Emma Hjortman

The dramatic world of medicine has always been a safe card among television shows. Some great examples are “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House M.D.” and “Scrubs.”

“The Mindy Project,” one of the newest shows on FOX, is not such a case.

All of the above series are all set at hospitals, but the difference is that “The Mindy Project” feels misplaced. The disputes with the patients distract me from the actual storyline of Mindy’s love life.

Mindy Lahiri, played by Mindy Kaling, is an educated obstetric and gynecologist desperately wants her love life to take off. She is obsessed with romantic movies, and wishes her own life to be exactly like one.

She wants to fall in love like they do in a Sandra Bullock movie and meet the love of her life just like Rose and Jack did in Titanic. But instead, she makes a fool out of herself at her ex-lover’s wedding, gets belligerently drunk, gives an embarrassing toast, rides a bike into a pool and eventually ends up spending the night in jail.

Even though I think this show is funny, I can’t deny that this type of television feels overdone. Lahiri’s stormy love life is reminiscent of Bridget Jones’s, while the lighthearted hospital backdrop is similar to “Scrubs.”

It is a very well produced show. It has a great soundtrack, humorous conversations and really good acting. After eight years in the popular comedy show “The Office,” Kaling knows what she’s doing.

Rating: 3 out of 5

“Animal Practice” on NBC

Reviewed by Ayaka Namura

Is it an animal hospital or a zoo?

“Animal Practice” is a new comedy that airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. The show centers on the working and personal relationships between humans and animals at an animal hospital.

Dr. George Coleman (Justin Kirk) is better at communicating with animals than people. He works with his crazy doctors and nurses, one of whom is a capuchin monkey named Dr. Rizzo. Dr. Coleman’s ex-girlfriend Dorothy Crane (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) inherits the hospital and becomes his boss. She tries to transform the hospital’s practices and consequently struggles with the employees.

One of the funniest scenes from the pilot episode is when Dr. Coleman and other employees bet money on a turtle race while they’re working. When Dorothy comes to the room, everyone leaves the turtle race behind and silently examine an x-ray graph.

This show is so hilarious and, in a way, heartwarming. All the animals in this show are very talented actors, especially Dr. Rizzo, played by Crystal (“The Hangover II”). There is a definite connection in the relationship between Dr. Rizzo and Dr. Coleman. The collaboration between human and animal actors is delightful to watch.

An animal working at a hospital is a ridiculous concept, and those who aren’t open to it may not enjoy this show, but those who genuinely enjoy great comedy will love it.

Each episode is only 30 minutes, but it is addictive. This show is definitely worth your time.

Rating: 5 out of 5