TVSquad

ABC released video previews of some of its upcoming shows for the 2009-2010 season today. Below are some early looks at three of the network's new comedies, Hank, The Middle, and Cougar Town (complete with some snap judgments). All three shows will be part of ABC's new Wednesday night comedy block along with Modern Family.

Lets start with Hank:



I like Kelsey Grammer, but I won't watch everything he does. I never made time to catch a single minute of Back To You, his short-lived Fox comedy, but Hank looks like a solid family sitcom. It definitely doesn't look like a classic or even a gut-buster, though. I can see it catching on and becoming a strong lead-in for ABC's Wednesday night. It's basically about a family of rich New York City jerks who are forced to move to the burbs when dad (Grammer) loses his high-paying job as a CEO.

Here's a look at The Middle:



Patricia Heaton as a stressed out mom trying to manage her quirky family? Haven't we seen this before (or a few shows just like it, at least)? Surprisingly, this preview makes The Middle look pretty funny. Like ABC's Steve McPherson alluded to during today's early upfront presentation, the show has a strong Malcolm in the Middle vibe. Heaton seems perfect for the role, the kid is funny (in a kinda creepy way), and Scrubs' Neil Flynn gets in some pretty good one-liners.

And finally we have Cougar Town:



Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence is producing this comedy about an aging divorced mom trying to get back in the dating game. Some of the jokes land, and I'm happy to see that Busy Phillips will be back on TV come fall. But I just can't buy Courtney Cox as a desperate divorcee who has to throw herself at young men. What do you think?