'Donuts' proves itself superior in every way

Judd Hirsch, left, and Jermaine Fowler star in new CBS comedy "Superior Donuts." Judd Hirsch, left, and Jermaine Fowler star in new CBS comedy "Superior Donuts." Photo: CBS, STF Photo: CBS, STF Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close 'Donuts' proves itself superior in every way 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

"Where have I seen this before?"

How often you must ask yourselves that same question when it comes to broadcast TV.

Well, get ready to ask it again, but don't dismiss "Superior Donuts" just because it's uncannily similar to the old Freddie Prinze vehicle, "Chico and the Man." The creators of CBS' "Superior Donuts," getting a special preview Thursday before moving to its Monday time slot, have added new and agreeable life to the template with tightly effective comic writing.

The show is set in the doughnut shop that time forgot, located in the middle of a rapidly gentrifying Chicago neighborhood and run by set-in-his-ways Arthur Przybyszewski (Judd Hirsch).

Business isn't very good these days. Only Maya (Anna Baryshnikov), a graduate student working on her doctorate, is a regular, but Chicago cop Randy DeLuca (Katey Sagal) stops in whenever she's on patrol as well. Her late dad used to bring her to the shop when she was a girl, and he was also Arthur's best friend.

His neighbor Fawz (Maz Jobrani) stops in daily to renew his offer to buy the building, but even though there's no hope that business will turn around, Arthur is staying put.

One day, a fast-talking young man named Franco Wicks (Jermaine Fowler) comes into the shop and persuades Arthur to hire him. Never mind that the script sidelines logic at this point: Although Arthur has shown no interest at all in hiring anyone, much less modernizing his shop, he hires a kid he's never met before for work that doesn't appear to exist.

You know exactly where this is going, even if you are too young to have seen "Chico and the Man," a sitcom from the '70s in which Chico (Prinze) fast-talks his way into a job working for a crusty garage owner played by Jack Albertson. Like Arthur, Albertson's Ed gripes about the rapidly changing neighborhood, which in this case, was in Los Angeles.

The writing in "Donuts" is nicely peppered with contemporary references, but, more to the point, effective character-based humor. In other words, this show is funny.

More Information 'Superior Donuts' When: series premieres at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, regular slot starts at 8 p.m. Monday Network: CBS xxxx

Hirsch is perfect for the role without being required to do any heavy lifting.

Fowler dominates the show, even when he's not onscreen. He has great comic timing that not only serves the joke well but also works within the context of his character and the scene.

In spite of the fact the setup feels familiar, there's nothing stale about these "Donuts."