The track record of cop comedies on television is not inspiring. While successful police dramas have ruled the airwaves for decades, the same cannot be said for cop shows that aim for laughs. There are some noticeable exceptions such as "Car 54, Where Are You?" and the very short-lived "Police Squad", but for the most part, it has been hard for show-runners to make crime a funny topic on TV. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" could have ended up being super broad like "Police Academy: The Series" or "Reno 911", but luckily creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur have made the decision to keep the show somewhat grounded in reality, allowing for viewers to relate to the characters without them becoming complete cartoons. In casting Andy Samberg as the lead, there was the risk of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" coming across too goofy. However, Samberg is at his career best here as Jake Peralta, a childish and immature detective who just happens to be very good at his profession. Samberg is great at delivering the most ridiculous and silly lines of dialogue without mugging for the camera in the way that some might expect a former "Saturday Night Live" performer to do. Half of what Peralta says is either completely juvenile or inappropriate, but because it never reaches cartoonish or mean-spirited heights, he remains likable and easy-to-root-for. The show may eventually reach a point where it may seem absurd that the character is able to keep his job, though that hasn't occurred yet.
If "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" had just been a vehicle for Samberg, the show might have become stale after a few episodes. Wisely, the decision was made to make an ensemble series. It's typical for an ensemble to have one or two characters that aren't quite as funny or interesting as the others, but amazingly, every single character on "Brooklyn-Nine Nine" is excellently performed. Andre Braugher, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, and Terry Crews are all perfectly cast in their respective roles and each have moments where they shine in every single episode. Crews is absolutely hilarious as squad leader Terry Jeffords, especially when the writers are able to make great use out of both his physical strength and priceless facial reactions. In addition to the main ensemble cast, the reoccurring duo of Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller as Detectives Hitchcock and Scully, the two worst detectives in the department, are responsible for some of the best jokes of the series thus far. It's also worth noting the writers have made nice use of its guest stars including Craig Robinson, Andy Richter, Stacy Keach, and Dean Winters. Guest stars on sitcoms can be tricky and can often overshadow the episodes as a whole, but "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" almost always makes its guest stars fit organically into the plot in ways that never feel gimmicky or forced.
Although there have only been a dozen episodes so far and there is always the chance that the broadness the show-runners have been so good at keeping down may eventually kick in, the series now remains as strong and frequently hilarious as any comedy on television at the moment. There isn't a particular formula that the show gets hung up on every week and more often than not, there seems to be an effort to get in a decent amount of character development by sitcom standards. If Fox is smart enough to keep "Brooklyn-Nine Nine" on for a while, it will almost certainly develop a cult following. If the ratings don't improve and only one season gets produced, at least the series will probably hold the distinction of not having a bad episode in the bunch. 9/10
If "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" had just been a vehicle for Samberg, the show might have become stale after a few episodes. Wisely, the decision was made to make an ensemble series. It's typical for an ensemble to have one or two characters that aren't quite as funny or interesting as the others, but amazingly, every single character on "Brooklyn-Nine Nine" is excellently performed. Andre Braugher, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, and Terry Crews are all perfectly cast in their respective roles and each have moments where they shine in every single episode. Crews is absolutely hilarious as squad leader Terry Jeffords, especially when the writers are able to make great use out of both his physical strength and priceless facial reactions. In addition to the main ensemble cast, the reoccurring duo of Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller as Detectives Hitchcock and Scully, the two worst detectives in the department, are responsible for some of the best jokes of the series thus far. It's also worth noting the writers have made nice use of its guest stars including Craig Robinson, Andy Richter, Stacy Keach, and Dean Winters. Guest stars on sitcoms can be tricky and can often overshadow the episodes as a whole, but "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" almost always makes its guest stars fit organically into the plot in ways that never feel gimmicky or forced.
Although there have only been a dozen episodes so far and there is always the chance that the broadness the show-runners have been so good at keeping down may eventually kick in, the series now remains as strong and frequently hilarious as any comedy on television at the moment. There isn't a particular formula that the show gets hung up on every week and more often than not, there seems to be an effort to get in a decent amount of character development by sitcom standards. If Fox is smart enough to keep "Brooklyn-Nine Nine" on for a while, it will almost certainly develop a cult following. If the ratings don't improve and only one season gets produced, at least the series will probably hold the distinction of not having a bad episode in the bunch. 9/10