Category Archives: Cougar Town

That Final Pour. Saying Goodbye to Cougar Town.

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I’m sad.  Sad enough that i’m contemplating arranging a buffet of sad binge food (cheese, bacon, cheesecake, cheese etc) and buckets of wine to gorge myself on on Tuesday night during the final ever episode of Cougar Town.

Cougar Town quickly became my go-to show for watching whenever the time called for it.  It was my FRIENDS replacement show, a show that I could watch over and over and over and over again.  Having trouble getting to sleep? I’d grab some midnight snacks and break out season two and watch away.  Have a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do?  Season 4 works great there!

I’ve followed and loved Jules Kiki Cobb and her group of drinking buddies right from the go with Cougar Towns’ overtly sexual beginnings on ABC to it’s new home on TBS, the disappearance of side characters (Barb…where’d ya go?), mugs of M&M tea and multiple deaths of wine vases to the introduction of Grayson’s mysterious surprise child (Tampa is like the best name ever), the tipping of imaginary top hats and the welcoming of Tom (Bob Clendenin) to the group and even the departure of Bobby Cobb…..I’ve been there.

I’ve watched Jules (Courteney Cox) grow from a clumsy and sexually clueless divorcee willing to do anything to please those around her to a clumsy, happily married woman to neighbor Grayson (Josh Hopkins) willing to do anything to please those around her.  The blossoming romance between her son Travis (Dan Byrd) and close friend Laurie (Busy Philipps) seemed cute at first – then a bit gross when it happened – then sweet when we became used to it.  Ellie (Christa Miller) and Andy (Ian Gomez) and their son Stan (that didn’t seem to age for four seasons), showed that copious amounts of wine, snarkism, sex cards and a short stint of being town mayor, all contribute to what constitutes a happy marriage.  Then there’s Bobby Cobb (Brian Van Holt) who showed that no matter how much life gets you down, what you do with your surroundings and those around you can be worth more than what any amount of money could provide.

I’ve been there when new relationships bloom then suddenly explode from truth bombs – wine seller slash awesome singer songwriter Sara (Sheryl Crow), last-name-first-name and first-name-last-name Smith Frank (Ryan Devlin), tiny pants unicorn Jeff (Scott Foley), tomboy Riggs (Maria Thayer) and I don’t know why we’re singing Kirsten (Collette Wolfe).  Guest stars that popped in along the way – Dodgy therapist Glenn Carolyn Hennesy (Jennifer Aniston), bitchy skin care queen Dr. Amy Evans (Lisa Kudrow), needy therapist Lynn Mettler (Nicole Sullivan), snarky wine seller Wayne Gibbons (Michael McDonald) and smooth romancer Sam (Matthew Perry) were all welcomed visitors to our home in Gulf Haven.

As I sit here typing away and remembering all the large and small things from Cougar Town, I can honestly say that there has never been an episode I have never liked or not laughed with and through all the dime eyes quips, games of Penny Can! and bug hooker books, I will miss Cougar Town.  So it’s here I say thank-you to Bill Lawrence, Kevin Biegel, Courteney Cox, Busy Philipps, Christa Miller, Brian Van Holt, Josh Hopkins, Dan Byrd, Ian Gomez, Bob Clendenin and the rest of the Cougar Town cast and crew.  To TBS, thank-you for seeing the potential in the show and picking up our winos and continuing on their story.

In the end, if there’s only one thing I can walk away with from 6 seasons and 100+ episodes, it’s not that friends and family are the most important thing in life but that no matter the occasion or time of day, a glass of wine is more than fine.

Change approved!

One Last Glass. Cougar Town’s Final Drink

It's a baby for Travis and Laurie in the final season on Cougar Town. Source: Provided
It’s a baby for Travis and Laurie in the final season on Cougar Town. Source: Provided

I’m having very bitter-sweet feels with the upcoming premiere of TBS’s Cougar Town season 6 (premiering Tuesday Jan 6th).  I’m extremely excited the show is back again yet incredibly sad to know it’s the final season.

Having followed Jules (Courteney Cox) and her gang of wine guzzling pals through each and every episode of all past five seasons, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the experience of watching a show grow into a very tight-knit, well written, well acted very funny comedy.

Sure, the title – Cougar Town – set a very steadfast path for the show and ultimately may have put viewers off (considering the term at the time was often coined in a highly negative tone) but those that stuck around got to witness this show about a 40-something divorced mother bursting back into the dating world with the help of her best friends mature into a show about a 40-something divorced mother navigate life and love with a teenage son with the help of her best friends and neighbors.

We’ve seen faces come and go – over sexual Barb Coman (Carolyn Hennesy) who I miss incredibly, Greyson’s (Josh Hopkins) first love interest Sarah (Sheryl Crow) who should have stuck around longer, Trav’s (Dan Byrd) teacher turned love interest for Bobby, Angie (Sarah Chalke) was a favorite too and last name first name Smith Frank (Ryan Devlin) I felt, was perfect for Laurie, and among those that have moved on, we have also found some that have stuck around. Nosy neighbor and he of the cul-de-sac playset Tom (Bob Clendenin) plus newly-weds Bonnie (Emily Wilson) and Jerry (Brad Morris) have been welcome additions along the way.

And now, season 6 is almost upon us.  There’s a time jump between the finale of season 5 and the start of 6 with Laurie’s (Busy Philipps) surprise pregnancy with Trav turning into a baby in the premiere episode.  There’s discussions between the new parents about baby names (Bug hookers anyone?) and Jules deals with becoming a first-time grandmother. And in sad news, Bobby Cobb (Brian Van Holt) takes a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity that see’s him leave Gulfhaven very early into this last season plus something I had been recommending from the go – Ellie (Christa Miller) returns to work!  Can’t wait to see girl lawyer in action!

It’ll be easier coming into this final season knowing we’ll be given a proper send-off to our cul-de-sac gang and even though I don’t actually drink wine, i’ll still bring out my over-sized vase/wine glass and toast a cheers to the cast and crew on that final episode.

Cougar Town returns for it’s sixth and final season, Tuesday Jan 6th, 10:30pm on TBS.

Drink Up! Cougar Town Returns to Seven on Sundays

Dan Byrd and Busy Phillipps return for more fun on Cougar Town
Dan Byrd and Busy Philipps return for more fun on Cougar Town

It sure has been a long time in between drinks!  One of my all-time favorite ensemble comedies and one that is highly underrated (and suffers from bad show name syndrome) is back on Channel 7, although at a rather poor time slot.

The very funny Courteney Cox led Cougar Town is back on Aussie TV’s, starting from season 5 (which finished airing almost 12 months ago in the US) filling the Sunday night 11:30pm time slot.

I somehow managed to miss this news (or actually never expected 7 to bring the show back) as Cougar Town started last Sunday night (Dec 5th) but fans will be happy to know that this weeks episode will see the appearance of Cox’s former on-screen husband, Matthew Perry, guest starring.

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The 13 episode series 5 focuses heavily on the budding romance between Jules’ (Cox) son Travis (Dan Byrd) and one of her best friends Laurie (Busy Philipps) and Jules’ struggle to accept the inevitable.

Cougar Town continues Sunday nights at 11:30pm on Seven.