Cristela

Cristela resembles past attempts to graft multiculturalism onto the vanilla-fied vapidness of the American sitcom format. But Cristela wins the day with its easygoing attitude and superbly smooth cast. Alonzo has a bite to her wit that is reminiscent of the earliest, best days of “Roseanne.”

There's nothing cutting-edge about Cristela, and there doesn't need to be.

Despite the slightest everything's-up-to-date vibe, Cristela is really just another old-fashioned sitcom with roots that reach all the way back to the dawn of television, where shows neither offended nor scandalized.

Episode 2 is considerably weaker than the watchable premiere.

The show’s classic sitcom format, with recorded laughter and pauses between punch lines, is stifling--too much like “The George Lopez Show” and not tailored enough to Ms. Alonzo’s own brand of humor.

So three cheers for Cristela and a shrug-and-a-half for Cristela, a harmless but so far forgettable addition to ABC's reconstituted mini-"TGIF" lineup. If only the show had the gumption of its leading lady.

Everything about this comedy felt canned, artificial and forced. The dialogue was awkward enough that the actors didn't look comfortable delivering their lines, the audience wasn't always sure when and how to react, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it.