There's something goofy and endearing about Jim Gaffigan. Maybe we just see a bit of ourselves in the big lug.
Of course, I mean big lug in an affectionate way. And to answer a co-worker, no, there is no such thing as a little lug. Lugs are big and goofy and always male.
Big lug is a good way to describe the 49-year-old stand-up comedian and commercial king whose shtick is squeaky clean (a rarity these days) and generally revolves around fatherhood and food (a lot).
For those who prefer family high jinks over yet another murder mystery (see below), The Jim Gaffigan Show returns for Season 2 at 9 p.m. today on TV Land.
The series stars Gaffigan as a fictionalized version of Jim Gaffigan. Seemingly, it's a role Jim Gaffigan was born to play.
The sitcom was created by Gaffigan and Peter Tolan, and is executive-produced by (among others) Gaffigan and his wife, Jeannie. The series is inspired by Gaffigan's real-life struggle to balance his family life with his stand-up career.
The basics: Gaffigan plays Jim, who is married to the quirky and very Catholic Jeannie (Ashley Williams). They have five active kids. Jeannie's former boyfriend, Daniel (Michael Ian Black), is Jim's biggest critic.
Others in the cast include Adam Goldberg as Dave Marks, a struggling comedian, born-again atheist and Jim's best friend; Tongayi Chirisa as their priest, Father Nicholas (he's been a soccer player in Zimbabwe and a Benetton model); and Vanessa Aspillaga as their nanny, Blanca.
Caitlin Moeller is the only kid who gets a credit. She plays daughter Elizabeth.
Being based in New York means the show can lure a number of guest stars for cameos. The list includes comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dave Attell, Hannibal Buress, John Mulaney, Whitney Cummings and political pundit Joe Scarborough.
Also dropping by are Jimmy Fallon, Steve Buscemi, Matthew Broderick, Keith Olbermann, Janeane Garofalo and Alec Baldwin.
Frequently appearing as himself is actor Macaulay Culkin who, evidently, hasn't worked much since he earned the Golden Raspberry nomination for worst actor for the titular role in 1994's Richie Rich. On Gaffigan, Culkin is shown working at a variety of low-paying jobs.
In tonight's episode, "The Calling," Jim searches for his life's purpose "and finds surprising answers." Since today is Father's Day, is his calling to be a dad?
"Being a mother's a calling," Gaffigan quips. "Dads order pizza. We're like the vice president of the family."
Sharp-eyed Catholics will spot Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, in a cameo as a bartender.
And finally, something sort of freaky: The real Jeannie Gaffigan has a cameo as the mother of young TV Jeannie Gaffigan in a flashback.
• Murder in the First. Full disclosure: I believe there are way too many police procedurals on the air. Most are formulaic, redundant and examples of lazy TV. They're based on an unrealistic view of the legal system and the capabilities of law enforcement and, worst, frequently glorify violence for entertainment purposes.
Nonetheless, they're hugely popular or there wouldn't be so many.
My theory is millions of viewers find something cathartic about watching the bad guy get caught and justice neatly doled out in a 60-minute drama. It's tidy and doesn't really demand much emotional or intellectual involvement.
That said, Murder in the First returns for Season 3 at 9 p.m. today on TNT. It's rated TV-MA for adult language, sexual situations and violence. TV-MA is a deal-breaker for some, but a prerequisite for others.
Murder stars Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson as San Francisco homicide detectives Terry English and Hildy Mulligan.
If there's one thing going for this series, it's that the co-creator is Steven Bochco, who gave us some of the best cop shows back in the day. They include Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.
Bochco has also had his duds -- Cop Rock (1990), Murder One (1995--1997), Brooklyn South (1997), City of Angels (2000), Philly (2001), and Over There (2005).
Bochco directed tonight's episode, "Normandy Bitch." In it, English and Mulligan investigate when a star quarterback is murdered in a crowded nightclub in front of his pop star girlfriend.
Meanwhile, district attorney Mario Siletti (Currie Graham) and his wife are involved in a car crash that could end his career and marriage.
• Endeavour. Season 3 on Masterpiece debuts at 8 p.m. today on PBS and AETN. In the 90-minute episode, Detective Constable Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) is suspended from duty when a body is found at a fair. Morse, however, begins his own covert investigation.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 06/19/2016