Your Summer "Good Guys"

There is a specific aura surrounding summer television. It isn’t the same dumping ground it was ten years ago, where reruns dominated and baseball games became somewhat appealing. The modus operandi of television in the summer, at least on basic cable and network channels is fun.
Fun in the sun. Fun in the sun with good looking people. Fun in the sun with quirky characters. Fun in the sun with “real” people. Fun in the sun with quirky characters. Oh did I say that already? Well that’s only because it is the most recycled formula during the hottest months of the years.
This formula has become so popular because it creates escapism television, which is what people want when they decide to tune in during the summer. The other constants in this equation are the episodic format (with a vague running thread that doesn’t matter), good character actors and a unique setting.
In the vein of this tradition I have watched BURN NOTICE, ROYAL PAINS and MONK. Oh yeah, the other thing about this formula, until now it has been proprietary knowledge of USA.
Sure, TNT and TBS have offered their own versions of summer escapism, but not with the same pizzazz. The networks are involved to, with oddities that they dream about running in the fall (That speaks to their problem, which is that they can’t settle for a niche summer audience).
Finally, though, this formula has made it to FOX, in the form of THE GOOD GUYS. This shouldn’t have been that surprising, as GUYS is the creation of NOTICE creator, Matt Nix.
When GUYS was first released this spring I thought it was getting the GLEE treatment. FOX was offering a little taste, to wet our appetites until the fall. But I was wrong, as it appears that FOX either accepts or was forced into airing GUYS as a summer niche show. Regardless, I hope the fun never stops.

GUYS is about two detectives, played by Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks, who are in the property crimes division. Whitford is the veteran cop who is trying to relive his glory days and Hanks is a young up and comer who has already burned many bridges in the department. The pair of detectives are essential outcasts in the department, relegated to solving the crimes “serious” cops won’t consider.
Luckily, each investigation is linked to a more serious crime that our heroes unknowingly stumble across. This results in the pair bucking the department and pursuing the criminals on their own.
The show isn’t high art by any means. In fact, it fails to be the funny, quotable and flashy comedy that USA can create with assembly line like precision. But those USA shows don’t have one thing that GUYS has, and that’s the comedic chops of Whitford.
He takes a mediocre character and elevates him to greatness. The show wants him to be a cook with memorable lines, and he would be if the writing was better. Unfortunately, the character relies solely on the acting prowess of Whitford, who makes something out of nothing with this character. When he waxes poetically about the good old days or gets caught up in the moment I am really enjoying this show. The only downside is when he has to spew these terrible lines that are supposed to be in the catchy vein of Jane Lynch.
Ultimately what keeps me watching is the lack of actual investment I need to make in this show. I can zone in and out with ease and still enjoy the show, because it doesn’t take a lot of effort to appreciate this show. THE GOOD GUYS knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to be something else. That is good enough for me, guys.