The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

Network TV’s first worthy heir to 30 Rock. What that show was to SNL, this one is to the NFL. The surprise is that it also smartly cribs from The Office’s playbook.

While it would be easy to write off “Reggie Dinkins” for trying to coast on audiences’ nostalgia for Morgan’s greatest role, it’s clearly trying to do more. The ensemble comes into its own along with the narrative, the jokes are as unexpected as they are gleeful, and even when some episodes feel out of place, there’s enough to enjoy that you’ll never regret watching.

“Reggie Dinkins” fits the star like a tailor-made suit, which it probably is. .... Although Morgan and Radcliffe are the marquee names, it’s an ensemble piece, in which everyone gets to be funny; there are no weak links.

The real prize is getting to watch Morgan and the rest of the cast find their groove and work their way toward creating a show that, if it doesn’t quite fill 30 Rock’s shoes, at least seems capable of following in its footsteps.

The season ends in a satisfying enough place, providing plenty of room to keep Arthur’s documentary crew around for additional batches. Maybe with that extra time, this affectionate, funnier-than-average sitcom could become the best version of itself and ascend, if not to 30 Rock levels, then at least to Girls5eva ones.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins doesn’t start with full confidence in its overall voice or characters, settling to get most of its laughs from familiar cutaways and asides. As with shows including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News, Girls5eva and even the lesser Mr. Mayor, the improvement is swift and evident through the four episodes sent to critics.

Wish the news were better here, but "Reggie Dinkins" is just OK.