"Suburgatory" paints neighborhood in strokes too broad

(CBS) In "Suburgatory," a new comedy that debuted Wednesday on ABC, the suburbs - or some comedy writer's view of the suburbs - is the butt of many over-the-top jokes.

It starts when a single dad (Jeremy Sisto) finds a package of condoms in his daughter's bedroom in their New York apartment and moves teen-age Tessa (Jane Levy) to the suburbs, where underage kids never even think about having sex (wink, wink).

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There are lots of laughs about carefully tended fingernails and manicured lawns as the two take in their new surroundings and meet their neighbors, who are pushed to the max as caricatures.

The jokes are funny and the dialogue is smart in this half-hour sitcom, but the actors would be better served in a less cartoonish setting. There is enough wrong with real suburban communities and their denizens that the show's writers don't have to rely on such broad strokes and stereotypes. A more nuanced portrayal could make this show a hit.

But its bigger problem is its time slot. It is up against the second half of "Survivor: South Pacific," the granddaddy of reality game shows, on CBS and "The X Factor," the most talked-about show of the season, on Fox.

Without a better time slot, "Suburgatory" doesn't have a prayer of success.

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