George Lopez returns, once-estranged daughter in tow, with a textbook family sitcom

Within the ever-lengthening historical past of George Lopez sitcoms, the primary time was a allure, the second and third not a lot. The comic’s much-loved “George Lopez” ran from 2002 to 2007 on ABC, adopted by the deservedly short-lived “Saint George” on FX and the fairly good, comparatively trendy “Lopez,” which lasted two seasons on TV Land. And now he’s again, for a probably charmed fourth time, with “Lopez vs. Lopez,” premiering Friday on NBC, which returns him to community tv and the multicamera, wacky household format of his first success.

Pilots are exhausting. They’re filled with introductions and knowledge, whereas the very level of the published sitcom is returning you to a spot the place you already know all people’s title. Such exhibits break in like footwear. The opening episode of “Lopez vs. Lopez” feels slightly strained, particularly given how exhausting the giggle monitor is working to persuade you that the present is hilarious, successful from get-go. However as one would anticipate, the second episode (of two out there for evaluate) is extra relaxed, even because the hijinks are extra hectic. It’s a good, professional job — the form of sitcom wherein folks say mildly offensive issues with out changing into truly offensive.

That “Lopez vs. Lopez” has a feature-ready real-world backstory doesn’t make it any much less a creature of the shape. The sequence was co-created by Lopez and his previously estranged daughter, Mayan Lopez, who costars as … his previously estranged daughter. TikTok, the place the Lopezes have posted collectively, had one thing to do with their reunion, and Mayan’s character — additionally known as Mayan, as George is named George — additionally TikToks, if that’s the verb. (Third co-creator and showrunner Debby Wolfe, Salvadoran on her mom’s aspect, who found Mayan’s feed and thought she noticed a present there, comes from the rebooted “One Day at a Time” and “The Conners”; Bruce Helford, who co-created “George Lopez,” is an government producer and author.)

Although George is the dad, he’s not the pinnacle of the family; it’s not even his home. Broke and homeless, he convinces Mayan to let him dwell together with her — his shifting enterprise tanked within the pandemic and he bought his own residence to maintain paying his staff. Which is to say, although he’s irascible and opinionated, cheated on his ex-wife, as soon as left his daughter in a on line casino pool whereas he gambled inside and isn’t with no beer in his hand, he’s mainly a superb man.

Right here he’s embedded in a commedia dell’arte ensemble of greatest good friend Oscar (Al Madrigal), sassy co-worker Brookie (Laci Mosley), ex-wife Rosie (Selenis Leyva), daughter’s longtime associate Quinten (Matt Shively) and cute youngster Likelihood (Brice Gonzalez), with whom George shares a bunk mattress. That the principals are Latino— apart from Quinten, who’s white and performed as pointedly bland, and Mosley, who’s Black — is uncommon for community tv; you aren’t liable to listen to a pun on the norteño band Los Tigres del Norte wherever else on the published majors. However, broadly talking, the product isn’t with out precedent. Certainly, it’s extremely precedented.

Along with his large shock of grey hair and never unattractively worn countenance, Lopez is sweet to have round. If the character is an previous canine who would possibly nonetheless study just a few new tips, the actor has received his tips just about in line. (George teaches Mayan methods to get mad — it’s “the Lopez Approach” — and he or she teaches him that anxiousness (which he dismisses as “not even an actual factor — it’s like Dracula or, you realize, international warming, peanut allergic reactions”) is actual.

Earlier than starting treatment, Mayan explains, “I used to be in a relentless state of worry and feeling unsafe.”

“That’s being brown in America,” George replies. “They don’t have a tablet for that.”

In her first main outing as an actress, Mayan Lopez acquits herself properly. Madrigal, who simply must be humorous, and is, performs a pothead so basic it elicits a Cheech & Chong reference. There are some gentle intercourse jokes, which you’ll hardly keep away from on a household comedy these days; slightly little bit of slapstick; insult humor that doesn’t kill the heartwarming vibe; a superb portion of Youngsters These Days humor on the a part of the older characters; and the oft-used but not particularly humorous dodge of getting previous people communicate or act like younger ones — George saying, “Cease being so further” or twerking with Rosie. Additionally textbook is the change wherein George tells Rosie that he was ashamed to inform Mayan he’d misplaced his home, “as a result of I didn’t need her to lose respect for me,” and he or she responds lovingly, “Oh, honey, Mayan’s by no means revered you”; however Leyva, maybe essentially the most agile member of the solid, provides it life.

For all its dialogue of trauma and remedy, its cultural illustration and some politically pointed jokes — all welcome on this non-niche context — the extra quick job of a sequence like this isn’t to place one thing new beneath the solar. It’s to attract the viewers that really watches community tv. That may be progress.