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Three is definitely not a crowd in ‘Happy Together’

By Kyla Brewer TV Media

With endless entertainment at the touch of a button and abundant convenience food options available, many modern couples sink into a life of relative comfort and predictability. But being comfortable can be awfully boring, especially on TV. A couple gets a taste of the sweet life in a new comedy, and so far audiences are eating it up.

Damon Wayans Jr. (“New Girl”) stars as Jake Davis, a successful accountant who lives a comfortable suburban life with his wife, restaurant and bar designer Claire (Amber Stevens West, “The Carmichael Show”), in “Happy Together,” airing Monday, Nov. 26, on CBS. Their lives have been turned upside down by Jake’s client, Cooper James (Felix Mallard, “Neighbours”), an Australian pop star who moves in with the couple in the hopes of escaping the paparazzi after a very public breakup.

As Cooper settles in, Jake and Claire begin to realize they may not be the hip couple they used to be and worry that their lives have become mundane. Cooper’s presence inspires them to explore their wild sides and get fit, but they soon discover that not acting their age has consequences. In contrast, the pop star revels in the laid-back atmosphere of Jake and Claire’s suburban home, where he can relax away from the glitz and glamor of his celebrity lifestyle.

Admittedly, it’s a far-fetched premise for a sitcom, but the idea was actually inspired by a true story. Singer Harry Styles (“Dunkirk,” 2017) from the British pop group One Direction once lived in the attic of producer Ben Winston’s (“The Late Late Show With James Corden”) humble home in London for several months. “Happy Together” may have been inspired by Styles’ time living with Winston and his family, but the executive producer has made it clear that the comedy isn’t a true-to-life simply loosely inspired by our living situation. NO character and NO stories are based on anything real.”

Styles wasn’t attached to the show in the beginning, but he has since signed on as an executive producer, alongside Winston and show creators Tim McAuliffe (“The Office”) and Austen Earl (“9JKL”). Michael Rotenberg (“King of the Hill”) and Jonathan Berry (“Insecure”) also serve as executive producers of the new CBS comedy.

So far, ratings for the series have been modest but fairly steady, with more than four million loyal viewers regularly tuning in. That’s no small feat, given the competition. “Happy Together” has held its own against such series as ABC’s ratings juggernaut “Dancing with the Stars,” Fox’s medical drama “The Resident” and NBC’s reality TV hit “The Voice.”

With such an unlikely premise, the series was initially on shaky ground, but it has managed to find its footing since premiering ber. Much of the show’s appeal is thanks to the comedic