TVSquad

I was pretty down on Sons & Daughters last week, mainly because they aired two fairly laugh-free half-hours that were also short on the dramatic touches that have made this show one of the more unique programs on TV. But Fred Goss and company have come roaring back with two fine and funny episodes this week, each revolving around a singular event in the Walker extended family.

The "Hospital Visit" referenced by episode one's title occurs after some normal family strife and an argument with Cameron about her separation sends Colleen to the hospital with chest pains.  So all of a sudden, people that were being driven nuts by Colleen's passive aggression -- like Sharon, maybe? -- all of a sudden talk about what a saint she was. "I mean, when we came home from school, she'd have food for us to eat, and the power was always on..." Sharon says with a straight face. But the big event is that Colleen and Wendal, who can still bring in the buxom young bartenders, get back together after he rushes to her side.

For two guys who have never written for TV before, Fred Goss and Nick Holly are off to a fast start. Their new ABC comedy, Sons & Daughters, which airs Tuesdays at 9 ET, has been universally praised by critics (including me), and the first two episodes gave the network better ratings than it's had in that timeslot.

Goss, who also stars on the show as Cameron Walker, mostly had acting and editing credits before this project, most notably on the Bravo comedy Significant Others. Holly, believe it or not, was a literary agent who partnered with Goss to create this and other pilots. As they pitched their ideas around, demand for their services increased; an ABC executive actually pitched them the idea for this show, for instance.

There's a good reason for that, though: the show's improvisational style and realistic extended family dynamic have hit a nerve with everyone... including Arrested Development fans, of which Goss seems to be very aware. The AD issue and others came up last Friday as the two spoke to me by phone from their office in Los Angeles.