It’s a TV rarity: solid laughs and real warmth

TV’s best comedy – that’s “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” – is about to pass two milestones. At 8 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 14), it has:
— Its first Thanksgiving episode (shown here); and
— A story that’s as much about warmth and character drama as about comedy.
That first part is good news, Situation comedies often peak at Thanksgiving, when characters are thrown together in new ways.
But the second is remarkable. Most sitcoms need years to establish characters that can invoke true emotion; “Georgie” does it in its fifth episode.
Of course, it had a strong head start. “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon” totaled 19 seasons and 421 episodes, molding deep characters.
Their biggest surprise was Georgie, the older brother of Sheldon. At first, he seemed like a TV cliché – a glib womanizer (or girlizer).
But after his biggest mistake – lying about his age and getting Mandy (11 years his senior) pregnant – we saw the flip side. This is a good guy and a diligent dad. His salesman’s skill comes from a solid core: He likes people and he’s optimistic about life.
When his dad died at the end of “Young Sheldon,” new depth appeared, with a wide-eyed teen thrust into grown-up duties.
The new show sometimes plays this for laughs. In its fourth episode, Georgie wanted to ride dirt-bikes with the teen son of Mandy’s friend.
But the fifth one is serious. In the first Thanksgiving since his dad’s death, Georgie is desperate to get everyone together. His grieving mom and his cynical sister both resist. Mandy, another well-formed character, tries to help.
The show’s lone misstep is Mandy’s brother. He seems to have wandered in from a lesser show, maybe “Gilligan’s Island.”
But the rest works wonderfully. “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” can be sharply funny one moment, quietly moving the next
And that’s in five episodes. Most shows don’t get there in five years.