Good news: quietly clever “Bob” has been renewed

One of TV’s best shows has just been renewed for next season.
And no, it’s not one that grabs awards or lands on 10-best lists. It’s “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” the quiet gem that airs at 8:30 p.m. Mondays on CBS.
The network had already renewed its other comedies, two good ones (“Young Sheldon” and “Ghosts”) and “The Neighborhood.” Now it adds “Bob,” a quiet success. In its fourth season, it’s been averaging six million viewers, sometimes sliping into the top 10.
Admittedly, some of that is due to scheduling convenience. The shows before and after it (“Neighborhood” and “NCIS”) have slightly higher ratings.
Still, “Bob” neatly works a rare artform – comedy that’s done in front of a studio audience, with a rich mixture of likable characters.
Fresh from triumphs with “Big Bang Theory” and “Mom,” Chuck Lorre had wanted a show that honors the work ethic of many immigrants. He could have chosen European Jews, like his own ancestors, but then met Gina Yashere, a comedian who tells audiences that in Nigerian families there are only four career choices – doctor, lawyer, engineer or family’s biggest disappointment.
Lorre had his show: Bob (Billy Gardell) is a Detroiter, a casual and good-natured guy who runs his family’s sock company. He falls for his nurse (Folake Olowofoyeky), hard-working and blunt.
That bluntness is repeated in other Nigerians – her aunt, uncle and mother, plus a co-worker (played by Yashere) and two key guys at Bob’s company. There’s something special about dialog that can be shut off by a response with three words or less.
Yes, the show has flaws. Bob’s brother and sister are silly and cartoonish. (Their mom, however, is excellent, perfectly played by Christine Ebersole.) The most recent episode – Abishola taken to a drag-queen restaurant – was sort of Fonzie jumping the shark or Mork as a cheerleader: A good show was stretching too hard for cheap laughs.
But those are rare. Mostly, there is sharp dialog involving lovable characters. I (heart) “Bob (Hearts) Abishola”; and now we know it will be back next season.