10-10:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 28
TBS

TBS steps up to the plate with a sitcom about a young, perky baseball writer who covers the Chicago Cubs for the Sun-Times and her pals, mostly guys who also cover sports. Let's call it a base hit, or maybe it can be stretched to a double, but it's definitely not going out of the park.

I'll drop the baseball metaphors here. Mostly, I wanted to demonstrate how they can be used, with little effort, to describe just about anything in life, which is just what creator-writer Betsy Thomas does. Voice-overs at the beginning and end of each episode are brimming with baseball comparisons, even though the stories don't have much to do with sports or journalism except in the most general way.

Mostly, this is a vehicle for up-and-comer Jordana Spiro, who stars as P.J., arguably the youngest and most attractive writer to cover the major leagues for a major newspaper. No matter. If it's realistic sportswriter stuff you're looking for, dial over to ESPN.

TBS wanted a companion to "Sex and the City," which has been running on Tuesday nights. While "My Boys" also consists mainly of discussions about relationships and dates, it more closely resembles "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on FX. Both have ensembles dominated by dating-challenged guys who spend a lot of their time at the favorite watering hole while they joke about one another.

Thomas earns high marks for coming up with appealing characters who are as comfortable as old cardigans. Her dialogue is full of breezy, witty patter, and the time flies. Helming the first couple of episodes is veteran sitcom director Barnet Kellman, who knows how to get the most out of every line. What is missing, at least in the five episodes sent for review, are stories with surprise twists, unexpected endings or eventful occurrences. Additionally, there are no big jokes here, nothing that sticks with you after final credits roll.

P.J.'s gang consists of fellow scribes Kenny (Michael Bunin), who can't get beyond coffee with a prospective date, and Mike (Jamie Kaler), the commitment-phobic ladies' man. There also is Brendan (Reid Scott), P.J.'s best friend from college, who is stuck in an on-again, off-again relationship, and Andy (Jim Gaffigan), P.J.'s henpecked older brother.

P.J. has a girlfriend, too. Kellee Stewart plays Stephanie, her friend from journalism school who is always ready with tips on how to use feminine wiles, a sort of female equivalent of wingman Barney on "How I Met Your Mother." In the opener, P.J. meets Bobby (Kyle Howard), her counterpart on the Chicago Tribune, a fairly normal guy who will supply the love interest, at least for the time being.