Cougar Town, despite the unfortunate title, is the best comedy on television. 

There are two kinds of television comedies: those that make fun of their characters and those that have fun with their characters. Readers of this blog will know that I am a proponent of the second methodology, but the first can also be effective (cf. 30 Rock or Seinfeld).

There is a rare third kind that crosses the line, using both kinds of comedy. This is extremely difficult to pull off, but when it is done well it results in rather brilliant and effective work. The modern master of this technique is Christopher Guest, especially in the movies Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind.

Cougar Town somehow manages this feat quite well, crossing back and forth across the line without seeming effort. This is all the more remarkable in a new comedy that hasn't had time to develop it's a characters with the audience. I haven't quite figured out how they manage it; I watch the show like a gourmand trying to reverse engineer a great recipe. But kudos to the writers for trying, and bravos (or bravas) for succeeding.

I should also add that (as with Christopher Guest), it takes a uniquely talented set of actors to make this all work. Cougar Town's ensemble makes it look easy.