"Cougar Town" is not at all what I expected. This show is really funny and good.

Set in a fictional town just south of Sarasota, Florida (20 minutes away, to be exact), "Cougar Town" is centered around Jules Cobb (Cox) as she rediscovers single life after 17 years of marriage. While she is a strong and confident woman when it comes to her son, friends, and self-owned real estate business, she isn't so much all on her own. As the title of the show implies, Jules tries her hand at dating younger men and recapturing the magic of her 20s; the magic she never experienced because she stayed home to raise her son, Travis, instead of following the "normal" progression of things: college, career, marriage, THEN children. In one season,  "Cougar Town" goes from a show about a 41 year-old newly-divorced single mom wading and floundering in the dating pool to show about bonding with your seven friends/family members (of a neighborhood).

The point about the neighborhood is important because these people (i.e., the entire cast) seem to only know each other and when an outsider (DUN DUN DUN!) is introduced, it is with suspicion and they don't last that long. Hence, the bonding and general merriment of the group.

"Cougar Town" was created by Bill Lawrence ("Scrubs") and Kevin Biegel and has a very (very) atypical sitcom pacing to it. It even borders on a little bit of drama now and then when you realize that the characters really care about each other which makes the audience care. There are no unlikeable characters on this show. They can be a little caricature-ish from time to time, but it is a comedy after all.

Courteney Cox is wonderful in the leading role as Jules. She has a heart of gold (with an extreme penchant for red wine) and everyone's best interests at heart, but sometimes she just doesn't know when to stop meddling. This, of course, is cause for conflict in almost every 21-minute episode and a great source of comedy.

The supporting ensemble cast is so funny and works so well together that it's the key to making this show work. Of particular note is Christa Miller ("The Drew Carey Show" and "Scrubs") who steals every episode, in my opinion. She is the epitome of corporate-lawyer-control-freak-turned-new-mom who reminds me so much of myself I just have to laugh out loud when she's on screen.

The guest stars (Alan Ruck, Rachel Harris, Lisa Kudrow, Barry Bostwick, and Sheryl Crow) are fabulous in their respective roles and add a ton of charm to "Cougar Town."

The creators even make reference to Cox's appearance in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video which was extremely funny and not at all out of place. I can't wait for the "Scream" references around Halloween. I can hope, can't I?

This is a must-watch show from now on. Season 2 premieres on ABC Sept 22.