I've been reading a few comedy and pop culture blogs lately, and while people are quick to condemn Cavemen (with what sounds like good reason) and give the obligatory (and well-deserved) hat-tip to The Office, there's an eerie silence when it comes to Carpoolers. "People!" I want to yell. "People! This is Bruce McCulloch! This is one of the men…may I say, quite possibly the best man? Who changed our comedic lives on The Kids in the Hall!" But nobody who I read regularly is making a peep. So I will.

And I'm disappointed.

It pains me to say that. It's like sticking a little knife into my comedy heart. Bruce McCulloch is one of my top three favorite comedians. But I've watched two episodes of Carpoolers so far, and while I can see bits of Bruce shining out, the plotlines have been stale. For example (spoiler alert), in the second episode, one of the characters is caught sneaking into a motel room instead of going to his office. Why Bruce, why? Are you going to be daring? Are you going to figure out how to really turn the whole "I'm-having-an-affair" piece on its head in an exciting new way? Nope. The guy is sneaking to the hotel room to have alone time. A plot necessity? Yes. Funny? Not really. It's a twist, but a pretty predictable one.

I don't mean to bash the whole show. When Bruce shines through, he really does. There are some absolutely brilliant bits of comedy, and I "LOLed" more than once. But I was really hoping that the man I loved so much for his brilliant sketch ability could easily parlay that ability into an equally brilliant plot-driven show.

The second episode was better than the first, so I'm hoping that maybe Carpoolers will continue chugging forward until it's full-speed at the end of the season. And I do suggest watching. I mean, come on people. It's Bruce.

I'd said I post something else about Kids in the Hall this week. Here's a PSA written by Bruce which a) is the only place I am currently aware of to see Bruce and Anthony Michael Hall acting together and b) remains a pertinent message for the times.

And now we move from my least favorite Kid in the Hall to my most favorite: Bruce McCulloch. I love this man so much that I would sit in his dirty bathwater if it'd help me absorb some of his comedic genius. He's writing a new sitcom this fall, Carpoolers, about four men who, well, carpool together. And to add the icing to this televised cake, the show is being directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the same guys who directed Arrested Development. Yay!

Unfortunately, the clips that ABC has up on their website promoting the show are not funny. When I watch them, some nerve center in my brain shoots off a signal that says, "Yes, this is indeed comedy," but none of the jokes make me laugh. I'm hoping that's just because ABC is trying to attract the broadest audience possible to the show. Because man-oh-man, I'm really not sure how a show written by Bruce and directed by the Russos can not be funny.