I think we can all agree that Fall 2013 was an abysmal season for television comedies.  Quickly canceled shows "Back In The Game", "We Are Men" and "Welcome To The Family" joined disappointing star turns ("The Michael J. Fox Show", "Sean Saves The World") and outright offensive duds ("Dads", "Mom") to make the past few months depressingly dry in the laughs department.  So good thing we have a whole new crop of midseason series coming our way to help us forget that Fall 2013 ever happened.  Hopefully these shows fare better:

ABC

Mixology (Wednesdays @ 9:30/8:30c, premiering Feb. 26)

Surprisingly high-concept for a comedy, the entire season of "Mixology" will take place over the course of one night in one L.A. bar called Mix (natch).  Each episode will focus on two of the ten central characters meeting for the first time, and the finale will end the night, determining the outcomes of each pairing.  Starring several young up-and-comers like Sarah Bolger ("Once Upon A Time"), Vanessa Lengies ("Glee"), Adan Canto ("The Following") and Adam Campbell ("Harper's Island"), "Mixology" is sure to be either brilliant or a hot mess -- but it should be highly entertaining either way.  If it works, hopefully more comedy writers will be encouraged to think outside of the cliché sitcom box when creating new shows.
(Watch the trailer.)

Fox

Enlisted (Fridays @ 9:30/8:30c, premiering Jan. 10)

When Staff Sergeant Pete Hill (Geoff Stults, "The Finder") is sent home from Afghanistan for punching a superior officer, he's assigned to the same Florida base where his two younger brothers, disrespectful Corporal Derrick (Chris Lowell, "Private Practice") and overexcitable Private Randy (Parker Young, "Suburgatory"), are stationed.  Put in charge of their troop of Rear Detachment misfits, Pete must do all he can to forge a bond with his siblings, whip his troop into shape, and impress his Command Sergeant (Keith David, "Cloud Atlas").
(Watch the trailer.)

FX

Chozen (Mondays @ 10:30/9:30c, premiering Jan. 13)

From the creators of similarly irreverent comedies "Eastbound & Down" and "Archer" comes this new animated series about a gay white gangsta wrapper named Chozen.  Recently released from prison, Chozen embarks on a quest to rebuild his career (and, likely, offend as many people as possible along the way).  Chozen is voiced by Bobby Moynihan of SNL, with other voices provided by the likes of Danny McBride ("Eastbound & Down"), Kathryn Hahn ("Anchorman"), Michael Peña ("Crash"), comedy legend Hannibal Buress, and Method Man as rival rapper Phantasm.
(Watch the trailer.)

HBO

Looking (Sundays @ 10:30/9:30c, premiering Jan. 19)

Often described as "the gay 'Girls'", HBO's new comedy takes a look at the lives of a group of young gay men living in San Francisco as they search for love, intimacy, commitment and happiness.  The ensemble cast is led by the talented Jonathan Groff ("Glee", "Boss", Broadway's "Spring Awakening) as Patrick, a video-game developer.  Other cast members include Scott Bakula ("Star Trek: Enterprise"), Murray Bartlett ("Guiding Light") and Frankie J. Alvarez ("Smash").  "Looking" was created by Michael Lannan "Interior. Leather Bar." and is produced by Sarah Condon ("Bored To Death").
(Watch the trailer.)

IFC

The Spoils Of Babylon (Thursdays @ 10/9c, premiering Jan. 9)

IFC's new six-episode miniseries looks something like the bizarre offspring of "Gone With The Wind" and Wes Anderson.  Created as a spoof of 1970's and '80s epic TV events, "Babylon" is purportedly a sprawling adaptation of a massive novel by the undisputed master of dramatic fiction, Eric Jonrosh (which is all just part of the joke).  It tells the five-decade-long story of oil tycoon Jonas Morehouse and his family through war, lust, greed and betrayal.  The miniseries features a couple of comedic mainstays in Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell, but the creators (Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele of "Funny Or Die") intentionally wanted to fill out their cast with names not usually associated with comedy.  Just listen to this cast: Tobey Maguire, Tim Robbins, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen and Carey Mulligan as the voice of Lady Anne York, one character's mannequin wife.  Yes, "Babylon" is exactly as insane as it sounds.  But it's also an affectionate tribute to a kind of television that just isn't made anymore.
(Watch the trailer.)

NBC

About A Boy (TBA)

From creator Jason Katims, the mind behind such acclaimed dramas as "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood", comes this adaptation of Nick Hornby's 1998 coming-of-age novel (which was also adapted into a 2002 film starring Hugh Grant).  This version of the story will star David Walton ("New Girl") as Will Freeman, the ultimate man-child, whose life is turned upside-down by the 11-year-old boy who moves in next door with his mom (played by Minnie Driver of "Good Will Hunting").  It remains to be seen if Katims' insightful human touch will translate as well to comedy as it did to drama, but with director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man") helping out, chances are good that "About A Boy" will be a moving, funny and charming hit.

Also on NBC: "Growing Up Fisher", about a family going through a divorce, with the blind father played by J.K. Simmons (TBA)

Tweet us @Stagebuddy and let us know which comedy you're looking forward to the most this season!