How many times have the kids been sent out of the room because the show got “too grown up”? Every kid has heard it, and every kid gets sick of it. Every adult gets sick of “kid shows”. According to Jim (weeknights 7:30 on ABC) could be a solution on all those nights. It’s mature enough for the adults, and rarely too mature for the kids. This show is set in the average American home of Jim, Cheryl, Ruby, and Gracie, and Kyle, in Chicago, Illinois. Their house is often inhabited by Andy and Dana (Cheryl’s brother and sister), which really gets on Jim’s nerves. Every episode the family gets themselves into interesting circumstances, often spurred on by Jim and assisted by Dana or Andy. The sit-com According to Jim should not be overlooked, because of its original characters, phenomenal acting, and writing that never fails to leave you sides aching from laughter.

The show stars classic characters with which viewers can identify. The girls, Ruby and Gracie, have that naturally-given talent that kids seem to posses to captive you attention. Kyle is the little kid that either aids his father in his mischief, stays by his mother’s side, or sometimes, just stays out of it. Jim has an unprecedented ability to do all the stupid things that most people wouldn’t’ even think of. Cheryl is the mom who can do everything. She handles the kid, the house, and Jim. This loveable family steals you attention and won’t let go.

The actors slide easily into their roles, and it seems as though they live as those characters. It becomes impossible to imagine them in any other way other than Jim, Cheryl, Ruby, Gracie, and Kyle. The actors play off each other so naturally that you believe they are family in reality and not just on you TV screen.

The writer’s ability to create the life of another family draws you in. The plot they create is realistic, while still allowing the viewer to escape from the reality of everyday life. These writers create hilarious scenes. In one scene, you see Jim “wrestling” with a Capri-Sun and its’ straw, and he seems to be loosing the battle. He is talking to the container, while attacking it with a plastic, yellow straw. After Kyle grabs one out of the refrigerator, easily slides the straw in, and begins drinking it, Jim hits his breaking point with the small drink. After his son leaves the room, Jim puts a cup beneath a juicer and pulls the handle down. This causes the juice to explode. Cheryl watches this with an expression of tolerance on her face, and when Jim tries to explain the juice that is all over everything with “the beer was gone”, she just nods her head and continues.

According to Jim had unforgettable characters played by actors who gracefully slip into the roles created for them by writers with an uncanny ability to predict just what will tickle their audience’s funny bone. It cannot possibly be passed up by a sensible person. Many shows are taken off air; According to Jim should not join their ranks. After all, how many shows can parents watch with their kids without constant worry?