I planned on giving this post the title 'Why 'My Boys' Should Be Your Boys', or something else that seemed sort of clever. But then I realized that would make this post next to impossible to find online. Also, it may not be as clever as I initially thought. Regardless, you all should be watching 'My Boys'. And, luckily, the complete series is available on Netflix Instant.
When I recently hung out with a large group of friends, I realized that lots of the things we were talking about directly related to plot points from the marathon of 'My Boys' that I had just seen. When real-life imitates television writing you know those writers were headed in the right direction.
'My Boys' ran for four season (49 episodes) on TBS, but it was in no way a hit show. It's ratings fluctuated as wildly as its time slot. I vaguely remember watching it when it first came out (in 2006) and deciding that it was "okay, but not great". I think I only watched one or two episodes before I moved on to things I liked more. But now that I've seen every single episode, I can honestly say that it is worth watching. You just need to get past the first season, which is particularly weak in parts, but necessary to watch to understand the characters.
The show centers around P.J., a sportswriters for the Cubs (it's set in Chicago!). She's the linchpin in a group of friends that also consist of her college guy friend (Brendan), her brother (Andy), her work friend (Mike), her new colleague (Bobby), and her awkward friend (Kenny). That's right, there's a ratio of 1 woman to 5 men in this show, although P.J.'s friend Stephanie does make an occasional appearance.
P.J. and her guy friends get together at least once a week to play poker, and they discuss various (often hilarious) aspects of their lives. They also hang out away from the poker table, going to bars, eating dinner, and just generally doing life-outside-of-work stuff. The show is so perfect because watching it can easily remind you of your own friends. There's nothing wildly improbable, though sometimes their adventures are a little absurd.
'My Boys' presents P.J. as a woman who has lots of successful male friendships, has a good job, and understands sports. Quick, try to name the last time a character like that was on TV!
Tricky, isn't it? Now, go watch 'My Boys' on Netflix Instant.
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