Is 'Undateable' worth your TV viewing attention?

The answer to that question is complicated. Undateable, despite its title, comes with a pretty great TV pedigree. You've got Bill Lawrence, crazy-prolific creator/producer of some of the best sitcoms in recent memory, most notably Cougar Town and Scrubs. You've got a stacked bench of hot standups, from leads Chris D'Elia and Brent Morin to supporting players Ron Funches (maybe you remember him from New Girl) and Rick Glassman.

If you haven't been watching the promos NBC has been running, a quick synopsis: D'Elia's Danny is a pushing-30 player who winds up with the straight-laced Justin (Morin) as his new roommate, a guy he quickly realizes he needs to teach about the world. Justin runs a bar where his equally relationship-impaired friends hang out. It's in Detroit. They're underdogs. Everyone learns lessons about being men and nurturing friendships.

Comedies can take a while to find their footing, and the first two episodes of Undateable rely too heavily on the "Danny as hookup guru" premise to suggest where the show might really go. But looking to Cougar Town, a show that quickly jettisoned its "Courtney Cox hooks up with younger dudes" conceit to just focus on the relationships between a bunch of funny people, you see what Undateable might become if it loosens up a bit. And it will! It's a Bill Lawrence comedy, aka developed by one of the smartest and most adaptable television minds today.

But weigh those positives against the fact that NBC is clearly burning out these episodes over the span of the next few weeks (the show is running two every Thursday, never a good sign) and you've got to ask yourself: should I even invest in something that is basically doomed to cancellation?

It's a question asked by many people beginning to fall in love with something they know will soon be taken from them. In the last three months alone, I fell for two comedies by Bill Lawrence proteges -- Enlisted, from Kevin Biegel; and Surviving Jack, from Justin Halpern -- only to find them cancelled by the end of the season. Unless some miracle occurs that allows Undateable to flourish in this summer dump...we're probably looking at history about to repeat itself.

So to watch, or not to watch. I'm of the opinion that you should never let potential heartbreak stop you from engaging with something, especially when it's on pace to become a funny and reliable half hour (or, you know, a wonderful human romance). Next week's two episodes should solidify things for me. I encourage you to join me and find out where you stand!