When my wife and I finished 2 Broke Girls, she was genuinely heartbroken because she loved it so much. She had no idea that Beth Behrs had another TV show after it ended called The Neighborhood. While it starts out strong, it’s really a sitcom that goes from high potential to BORING predictability.

Cedric the Entertainer plays Calvin Butler, who is kind of an ironic reverse Archie Bunker. He lives in a predominantly Black neighborhood and is very proud of it. He’s not remotely expecting a white couple to move in next door.

That’s where Dave and Gemma Johnson come in to the story. Dave is played by Max Greenfield, who previously starred in New Girl, and Gemma is played by Beth Behrs.

Surprisingly, the show almost had two different actors play Dave and Gemma. They even shot a trailer with the original cast. Those were the only two roles that were recast, which makes you wonder what happened behind the scenes.

I will say that Calvin’s sons Malcolm and Marty are strong additions to the show. As time goes on, though, their storylines (like those of the other characters) start to feel lame and stale. Marty’s arc, in particular, goes in a direction I never expected, and not necessarily in a good way.

The early part of the series focuses on Calvin and Dave’s relationship, which is not unlike Archie Bunker and George Jefferson, but in reverse. Unlike those two, however, Dave and Calvin eventually become genuine friends, and most of Calvin’s paranoid distrust of white people fades as the story unfolds. Which ironically makes the show much worse.

While Max Greenfield does a good job as Dave, the writers portray him as an impossibly nice guy. Mr. Rogers probably had more darkness in his heart than Dave Johnson does. That makes Dave quirky, but it also makes him hard to relate to.

Gemma Johnson and Tina Butler develop a solid relationship from the start. Still, Beth Behrs’ character doesn’t have much depth. She has about as much spice and drama as vanilla ice cream.

In terms of ratings and longevity, it’s hard to say The Neighborhood hasn’t been successful. It’s had a strong run and is reportedly coming to an end soon. My wife and I watched most of the series, but it gradually got worse over time. After taking a break from it, I decided not to pick it back up. Looking back, it’s hard for me to believe the show has lasted as long as it has. In my opinion, CBS probably should have wrapped it up around the end of season three.