THE JACK AND TRIUMPH SHOW
Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m. ET
SERIES PREMIERE: Robert Smigel’s insulting canine alter ego, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, always has been one of my favorite TV creations. This new incarnation of the character tries something new, by embracing something old: In this new Adult Swim multi-camera sitcom on Cartoon Network, Triumph the hand puppet plays himself, but as a past-his-prime canine actor who once starred on a Lassie-type family series, playing a real dog. His co-stars on that old series are played by Jack McBrayer from 30 Rock and by June Squibb, fresh from her Oscar nomination for Nebraska. And while the skewering of the sitcom form is the riskiest part of the concept – as it was with Louis C.K.’s Lucky Louie – there’s also room for “remotes,” in which Smigel lets Triumph out on a long leash to interact at various locations. There may yet be an even better TV vehicle for Triumph… but for now, we have Triumph and McBrayer, a much better odd couple than the one CBS is now pushing in prime time.