Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my look at The New Adventures Of Old Christine (2006-2010, CBS), which is available on DVD and Amazon Prime.

The New Adventures Of Old Christine stars JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS as Old Christine, CLARK GREGG as Richard, HAMISH LINKLATER as Matthew, EMILY RUTHERFURD as New Christine, TREVOR GAGNON as Ritchie, and WANDA SYKES as Barb. With TRICIA O’KELLEY and ALEX KAPP HORNER as the Meanie Moms.

In Season Four, Old Christine goes from a B-tier sitcom with hit-and-miss sitcommery but an A-tier star who always shines, to a C-tier sitcom that is hit and miss at everything, even at showing off its A-tier star. Although the departure of a former Seinfeld alum on the writing staff scales back the Christine character’s drift into Elaine Benes — she’s not as self-serving or petulantly unpleasant as she could sometimes be in Two/Three and even regains some of her premised altruism — she’s still becoming a broader, less realistic figure overall, and within stories that actually tend to not be as BIG as they once were, but continue to feel less unique to the series’ constructs, as she is too big and broadened out to individualize them. In fact, I’d say this clash between the “big” and the “small” defines Season Four in total, as it veers back and forth from gaudy showcases for Julia Louis-Dreyfus that undermine Christine’s character entirely, and more low-concept, situation-approved ideas that, because of her less clear depiction, nevertheless lack the comic inspiration necessary to produce a worthy crescendo that we could call both motivated and hilarious. Heck, Christine’s seldom at the school anymore — the place where she’s most primed to be embarrassed due to her situation — and even when she is, her less intelligent portrayal now makes her more likely to be embarrassing herself like any ol’ sitcom nuisance, rather than subjecting herself to embarrassment in accordance with the premise’s specific implications about her… To that point, Four’s efforts to play on the show’s smaller low-concept terms are less successful than in years past, and instead, its primary means of reinforcing the series’ identity come from re-emphasizing the high-concept wrinkle — not necessarily Christine’s rivalry with her namesake (Three’s focus on the “old” moniker, for instance, is also dropped), but simply via more tension between the exes in plot, which often verges on the romantic, but is always quite clichéd, reiterating the limitations of this very setup for personalization and originality. So, from every angle, Old Christine is not at its best here in Four — its high-concept tenets are inherently subpar, and its low-concept tenets require a lot more TLC, if for no other reason than to make it easier to spotlight the genius of its star, the one thing this show must do well… and now only sometimes does.

 

01) Episode 47: “How I Hate Your Mother” (Aired: 10/01/08)

Christine goes ring shopping with Richard.

Written by Katie Palmer | Directed by Andy Ackerman

This episode is a perfect encapsulation of how the year, amidst some low-concept character troubles, instead turns to the premise’s high-concept wrinkle’s implied triangle to more naturally satisfy the situation — not so much via the juxtaposition of “old” Christine with her namesake, but from the sticky emotional residue between the lead and her ex. It isn’t my preference — I find a lot of it clichéd — but this is an interesting half hour because it first tries to cement a new status quo that defines the former married pair as best friends (after all, the series’ design needs them to hang out), while still playing on a romantic tension that culminates in a kiss. It reminds me, incidentally, of the fraught dynamic between Will and Grace (whom Kari Lizer knew well), for although they’d never get together, they’d often be teased as a couple who wanted to be. Again, I don’t love this — especially as Christine is losing her personalization beyond this rom-com tripe — but it’s indicative of where the show’s storytelling stands here in Season Four and has a teleplay that, though imperfect, is funnier than most, seeking to explore the situation while keeping the characters emotionally nuanced, if not entirely believable. (Also, this outing introduces Matthew’s recurring girlfriend Lucy — played by the quirky Michaela Watkins, who has more spunk than most of this series’ temporary love interests.)

02) Episode 49: “Snakes On A Date” (Aired: 10/15/08)

Christine dates a repellent reptile expert to get Ritchie into his reptile club.

Written by Lew Schneider | Directed by Andy Ackerman

Jeffrey Tambor guest stars in this entry as the Reptile Guy, an expert who leads a club that Ritchie is eager to join. In her efforts to be a good mom and do the best for her kid, even at her own expense, Christine agrees to go out on a date with the creep — it’s an example of the self-sacrifice that’s a premised attribute of her character, someone who’s trying to do good for others, which thus opens her up to all kinds of humiliation and indignities. Now, true to Four’s modus operandi, this offering probably isn’t as hilarious as its log line — or its guest — should maybe inspire, but it’s the type of storytelling that better reflects the series’ smaller, more low-concept understanding of the premise, with a characterization that more naturally supports it.

03) Episode 51: “Tie Me Up, Don’t Tie Me Down” (Aired: 10/29/08)

Christine and Barb go on a double date with a pair of men from the video store.

Written by Sherry Bilsing-Graham & Ellen Kreamer | Directed by Andy Ackerman

There’s a bit of generic rom-com slop in Season Four, and all of this further weakens Old Christine’s ability to deliver worthwhile situation-specific comedy, for these ideas require so little that’s individualized or uniquely motivated — just someone, either Christine, or her date, to be a li’l too kooky for no reason. But of this collection’s uninspired dating plots, “Tie Me Up, Don’t Tie Me Down” is a funnier-than-baseline standout, with an amusing teleplay that also plays with Christine’s character, contrasting her against Barb in a manner that’s both congruent with what we understand of their depictions and a new but emotionally relatable way to mine conflict in this subgenre, as the two are indeed different. As usual, there’s nothing here that I can call truly great or inspired, but, hey, affable is affable, especially with two dynamite comic performers like Wanda Sykes and Julia Louis-Dreyfus bouncing off each other. It’s fun.

04) Episode 53: “Self-Esteem Tempura” (Aired: 11/12/08)

Christine pushes Ritchie to audition for a television commercial.

Written by Jeff Astrof | Directed by Andy Ackerman

Another example of how Season Four turns more regularly to stories that put Christine and Richard in direct conflict as a way of playing to its premise without much help from other low-concept particulars, this installment finds them battling as coparents — a situation-approved template that’s not exactly fresh by itself but can work based on how well a plot is able to define and juxtapose their differing characterizations. Here, I can actually say this outing indeed wants to explore Christine, who’s driven by a desire to do what she thinks is best for Ritchie — encouraging him to pursue something he’s good at (for a change) — before realizing that this seeming altruism belies her own self-interest. That’s a duality for her character the show has tried to establish and navigate since at least Season Two — how Christine can be both self-centered and also a kind, giving, self-sacrificing person — and though this can often feel contrived outside of stories about her premised rivalry with Richard/New Christine (not to mention overly generic), I’d rather the series attempt to have its cake and eat it too than resort to the mutually exclusive conception of Christine that typically persists — where she either cares about others first… or cares about herself. (Barry Livingston appears.)

05) Episode 55: “Guess Who’s Not Coming To Dinner” (Aired: 11/26/08)

At her parents’ house for Thanksgiving, Christine fears her father has left her mother.

Written by Lew Schneider & Katie Palmer | Directed by Andy Ackerman

With a story set at Christine and Matthew’s parents’ home where the entire ensemble has gathered for Thanksgiving — including Matthew’s recurring girlfriend Lucy — this outing looks to be a winner, boasting lots of character-conflict and basic insight into their shared history and relationships. But I’m afraid, like much of Four, it’s a bit of a letdown — lacking the humor or character-based intel its log line suggests. Part of the problem is the casting of Christine’s mother (Brenda Blethyn), who’s not the material-elevator some of this year’s other guests are, failing to bring the big laughs typical of truly great samples…. However, this idea alone grants the entry a spot on my list, and given that the drama between Christine and her mom is hinged on the latter’s disappointment and judgment over her daughter’s divorce, it’s specifically rooted in enough of the situation’s trappings to feel like a must-highlight.

06) Episode 56: “Unidentified Funk” (Aired: 12/10/08)

Christine and Barb’s marriage threatens their affiliation with a big gym franchise.

Written by Frank Pines | Directed by Andy Ackerman

Speaking of Will & Grace, Megan Mullally is the big-name guest enhancing this installment’s memorability, playing the conservative representative of a gym franchise who voices her organization’s disapproval of Christine and Barb’s same-sex marriage, before revealing suppressed gay tendencies herself when she hits on Christine — an uncomfortable scenario for the central character that sort of hints at the kind of comedy this series is supposed to bring, but with a gimmicky and stunt-like story engine that doesn’t do much for the actual situation. Well, to be fair, the one good thing about this Christine/Barb marriage arc (which is introduced in the jokey but creatively hacky and plot-driven season premiere) is that it’s an example of Christine doing something for the benefit of someone she loves, which helps remind us of her initially premised distinction as a character — and that’s reinforced here, in this flashy excursion that, again, isn’t terrific, but is one of this year’s most memorable.

07) Episode 58: “Notes On A 7th Grade Scandal” (Aired: 01/14/09)

Christine reunites at Ritchie’s school with a guy who spread a rumor about her in junior high.

Written by Allan Rice | Directed by Andy Ackerman

Boasting a story about Christine seeking revenge on a former classmate who spread a rumor about her back in junior high, this is an episode that really demands a depiction of its lead that favors self-serving vindictiveness over try-try-again altruism — in other words, more Elaine than Christine. But it’s a social humiliation that takes place at Ritchie’s school, the regular setting where she’s most positioned to be uncomfortable because of elemental facts about her character as established. Now, this particular discomfort isn’t caused by anything intrinsic to her situation or personality, but in a year where Christine is more apt to be embarrassing than embarrassed, and in stories that too seldom utilize the school and its natural benefits, this at least looks and sounds more like something unique to Old Christine than most of Four’s generic pablum.

08) Episode 62: “Too Close For Christine” (Aired: 03/11/09)

Christine finds herself being bossed around by a needy new mom at school.

Written by Amy Iglow | Directed by Andy Ackerman

Kristen Johnston is the guest star du jour in this installment, which claims an amusing log line about Christine befriending a new mom at the school who’s more like her than the others — that is, she’s also a divorced, single parent who’s basically a chaotic mess. This is a winning idea because it naturally enables Christine to look sane and more normal in relation to the extremes represented by someone worse, and with a dynamic that develops where Christine finds herself catering to this other person — trying to help her out — there’s a display of her initially premised do-gooderism that indicates her ideal usage, especially when attached to the school. Oh, this story deserves a better climax than it gets, but the insightful notion itself, and the revealing, laugh-filled subplot for New Christine, provides this entry with enough to enjoy.

09) Episode 64: “Hair” (Aired: 04/08/09)

Christine is furious when she and Ritchie are accused of spreading lice at school.

Written by Matt Goldman | Directed by Andy Ackerman

My choice for this year’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Hair” is the only strong outing in all of Four, thanks to a story that plays to the situation on its most ideal terms, with a depiction of the central character that jibes with her premised implications and is also comedically poised, allowing this to stand out as an actually laudable showing for the most important low-concept elements within the series’ construction, along with the star herself. For starters, it’s set at the school — where Christine is most primed to be humiliated because she doesn’t fit in and has always been subject to the other adults’ scorn, sometimes due to her own making, but usually just because she’s a divorced single mom without the same economic resources and therefore perceived level of class. As we’ve seen, she’s willingly faced the indignity of this judgment by swallowing her embarrassment, all for the sake of her son, whose needs she puts above her own — a noble display of altruism that speaks to distinctions between this character and previous roles played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus — until now. That is, when Ritchie gets lice and is accused of being patient zero, Christine is offended and decides to find him a new school — a charter school that requires a good interview… one she and her family, of course, bungle despite her own best, well-meaning efforts. It’s a socially tense scenario that enables something akin to the cringe-ish humor this series hasn’t reliably been able to offer in years now, and it’s great — another reinforcement of the situation that supports a portrayal of its title character that’s more individualized and emotionally nuanced, without forsaking the laughs. I wish there were more like this in Four — more of the school as a venue for embarrassment, more of self-sacrificing Christine trying to do good on behalf of her son, and more big hahas from someone nevertheless still self-aware enough to feel social discomfort, even when she causes it.

10) Episode 66: “The Old Maid Of Honor” (Aired: 05/13/09)

Christine is uncomfortable at Richard and New Christine’s rehearsal dinner.

Written by Kari Lizer & Jeff Astrof | Directed by Andy Ackerman

In the season’s penultimate entry, Old Christine is explicit and on the nose about the high-concept aspect of its premise, as the leading lady deals with her natural sadness and envy when Richard and New Christine prepare to be wed. Now, a lot of this is, frankly, formulaic and contrived — the very idea of Christine being New Christine’s maid of honor is a genre-tropey premise-affirming gimmick not rooted in any situation-backed emotional realism — but Christine is being made uncomfortable here, and for reasons directly related to what this series is specifically designed to include. That’s situation comedy. And unlike the too clichéd and tacky big event wedding finale that follows, I appreciate this excursion for attempting to explore these characters in relation. It’s not good (she’s far too big and broad), but this is what this series is now.

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Honey, I Ran Over The Kid,” where Christine and Richard are in competition as coparents via a story and script that depicts them at their most extreme, along with “A Change Of Heart/Pants,” which leans into rom-com contrivances for Christine and her ex (like flashbacks to Ritchie’s birth), and “So You Think You Can Date,” where Christine is emotionally realistic in a plot that’s self-aware about the ridiculousness of this situation’s necessary insistence that she remain friends with her ex, to the detriment of her own love life. I’ll also take this space to cite three entries that showcase Julia Louis-Dreyfus better than many above, despite boasting stories that aren’t good for character or premise at all — “Rage Against The Christine,” which doesn’t feel well-tailored to her depiction, “Reckless Abandonment,” which is mainly just exaggerated clumsiness at the expense of common sense, and “He Ain’t Heavy,” which is merely silly and inconsequential. Oh, and I suppose I also appreciate the otherwise unoriginal “Happy Endings” for its great and premise-specific subplot with Richard and the other meanie moms at school.

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Four of The New Adventures Of Old Christine goes to…

“Hair”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Five! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!