David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik are two of the great sitcom minds of our generation. David Crane was the mastermind behind sitcom giant "Friends" and now has birthed a new sitcom with long-time partner Jeffrey Klarik (of "Mad About You" fame) called The Class. The Class has started out a tad bumpy, creatively, but, given the premise, this is to be expected. When Crane started "Friends" it was hailed as revolutionary in that their were six main characters. None was more important than the other, and they all shared equal screen time. The ensemble comedy has never been the same.
With The Class, Klarik and Crane have become ridiculously ambitious. Eight main characters are supplemented by four secondary characters, leading to a whopping total of twelve regular characters. Try finding a realistic way of introducing all of them in a twenty two minute pilot. But, alas, Crane and Klarik have accomplished this and, although this may be arguable, they've done it with flying colors. Just excuse them if the laughs aren't all there yet. Exposition is a writer's worst enemy and The Class is saddled with the requirement of setting up all twelve of their characters in a short time. Adding to this predicament is the fact that almost every main character leads a separate and unique life. Before the pilot, few of the characters have interacted in years. Most sitcoms begin their pilot already well into the plot. By this, I mean there is no inciting incident that allows the premise of the show to occur. The set-up has happened in the past, off-screen.
The Class is different. The characters will evolve, they're relationships will grow as they interact more and more. The sheer amount of possible combinations of on screen characters on The Class is staggering.
The BuddyTV interview with Crane and Klarik belies a deep-seeded knowledge in what it takes to make TV comedy work and gives the reader a clear example of exactly why these two have become as successful as they have. They are workaholics and, if you had any doubts about The Class before, you'll soon realize that you're in good hands.
