Fox TV network debuts a sitcom that imitates Seinfeld—and actually works.

Given that the new Fox comedy series Unhitched is executive produced by the Farrelly Brothers—makers of lunatic and politically incorrect comedy films such as Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Stuck on You, and The Heartbreak Kid—one would be forgiven for expecting the show to be "edgy," slapsticky, frequently obscene, and rife with somewhat disturbing ideas and images.

The show does have its share of Farrelly moments, but overall it tends to reflect the filmmakers’ sweeter, goofier side. In fact, more than anything it’s reminiscent of Seinfeld.

There are four central characters, three male and one female, living in an urban location and running into odd situations that play out in a leisurely way. In Unhitched, as the title suggests, the four characters are divorced, not single as in Seinfeld, but everything else is very similar: the persnickety guy, the ineffectual sidekick, the woman who keeps getting involved with weird and unsuitable men, and the crazy guy pal.

Also as in Seinfeld, Unhitched tends toward a tone of, "Gee, people sure are nutty, aren’t they?" Not a deep thought, of course, but a true one when thinking about the atmosphere around unmarried urban Americans of our time.

The inventiveness of the show’s scripts, however, keeps things interesting and prevents it from ever seeming a pale imitation of its model. That’s an impressive accomplishment in itself.