Cougar Town Wasn't Cancelled!? (It's new tonight & you should watch it)

If you're a fan of 'Cougar Town', you know that the show initially got off to a slow start. The beginning of season one, wayyy back in September of 2009, revolved around Jules (played by Courteney Cox) and her attempt to date younger men. Unsurprisingly, people didn't really find this an enjoyable half hour of television. I actually abandoned the show after two episodes.

But about a year later, I saw an episode of 'Cougar Town' on an airplane. I was shocked. The show was smart and funny and I wanted to watch more. So I did. I re-watched all of the episodes I had missed, and I grew to love the show.

In the middle of the first season, the show stopped dealing with Jules' "cougaring", and instead focused on friendship-dynamics, and the dynamics of a new (age-appropriate!) relationship.

Unfortunately, the show is still called 'Cougar Town', even though it now has nothing to do with women dating younger men or actual cougars. Everyone involved with the show's production recognizes how ridiculous the title is, and they poke fun at it during each episode's title sequence:

Despite the fact that the show is now an incredibly enjoyable half-hour of television, people weren't watching it. Whether it was the unappealing title or the fact that they thought they knew the premise is hard to say, but the numbers just weren't there. Even now, when I mention how excited I am about the show coming back, people know nothing about it (I enlighten them, of course).

Earlier this year, ABC finally decided that season three of 'Cougar Town' would air (almost 9 months after the second season finale). Focused on its other, more popular shows, the network hasn't been doing a lot of promoting. Bill Lawrence, the show's creator, and the rest of the cast decided to use a grassroots campaign to try and garner more viewers.

Using Twitter as a way to reach the show's fans, Lawrence and the rest of the cast tweeted about viewing parties that would occur around the United States. These parties would be attended by members of the cast, and would offer fans a chance to see two unaired episodes from the upcoming season, drink free booze, and generally have a good time. Limited tickets were available for all the viewing parties, and were awarded based on who emailed first (this may be the first time that Gmail has been used to promote a show).

Even though I didn't initially win a ticket, I was luckily enough to be able to attend Boston's party, thanks to a person I had never met before offering an extra ticket via Twitter (Thanks Christine!). I got to talk a little bit with Ian Gomez and Brian Van Holt, and I saw the season three premiere.

I absolutely promise you that the show is just as funny (if not funnier) than ever. While it may be a tad confusing for brand-new viewers, you should watch it even if you've never seen the show before.

Jules (Cox) is told by her boyfriend, Grayson, that she is "predictable". This leads her to do everything in her power to prove that he's wrong. Her friends, of course, side with Grayson.  Oh, and there's also a marriage proposal in this episode! And a scary kid wielding a hammer!

I ran into a friend of mine at the bar where the viewing party was taking place (long story), and she watched the episode with me. Even though she'd never seen an episode of the show before, she thought it was hilarious and agreed that she'd watch it again.

Basically, what I'm saying is that you should watch it too. Watch it tonight, and then catch up later. Give the show the numbers it needs so that it doesn't get cancelled. Please?

'Cougar Town' airs tonight, February 14th (Valentine's Day!) on ABC at 8:30/7:30C.