{All our best friends at a Clipped taping a few weeks ago}

This blog is not sponsored by TBS, it is sponsored by my friendship and love for Matt Cook, one of the stars of TBS’s new shows (and to-be hits, I’m sure), Clipped! It airs TONIGHT June 16 at 10/9c on TBS. Set your DVRs NOW.

Your DVR is set and you’re back? Great! Now here is why you should watch. First and foremost, the show is hilarious. I’m not just saying that because Matt is one of my best friends in the world, and boyfriend to the platonic love of my life, Katierose – it really is amazing. Just read the glowing review in The Hollywood Reporter. They have no bias, and they loved it as much as I did. But it’s special because it’s not just hilarious, it is also full of heart. It feels like an ’80s or ’90s sitcom, and that is the highest compliment I can give because I am still addicted to re-runs of Will & Grace (trivia: the creators of Will & Grace ALSO created Clipped) and Cheers (more trivia: George Wendt, who played Norm on Cheers, plays Buzzy on Clipped.) It’s a workplace comedy set in a Boston barbershop, staffed by a group of friends in their 20’s who all knew each other in high school. I guarantee people will tune in week after week for the same reason people turned out for Friends; because you want these people to be your friends. While so many shows rely on shock factor and raunchy humor (both of which I also love), this show feels fresh because it relies on the relationships for humor. Which is a lot harder to achieve, and this show achieves it.

{Pic I took of the Clipped billboard outside the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard!!!!!!}

Here’s where I will share my bias: Perhaps this show feels so much like watching Friends to me because Matt is as good at playing a friend as he is at being one in real life. His actual heart is as big as his character’s Mo’s on the show. And just like I watched Tony become a family with his School of Rock castmates, I watched Matt do the same with his Clipped castmates. They’re all awesome and genuinely love each other, which makes me an even bigger Ashley Tisdale fan. Lauren Lapkus performed with Tony at the Montreal Comedy Festival years ago, and she is just as sweet and hilarious in real life. Lisa Schurga was my director in Sunday Company, and she’s terrific. Katierose posted a photo of herself and me together at my bachelorette party this weekend, and George FREAKING Wendt liked it. (I keep going back to look at the notification that he liked it. I can’t believe it.) This show is stacked with talented people who also happen to be wonderful, a rarity in this town that should be applauded and supported.

Matt has worked his ass off, and deserves every bit of the success coming his way. He’s been in L.A. for a long time and, like Tony, worked jobs and missed out on parts he should have gotten for stupid reasons that had nothing to do with him (and then those shows failed anyway). He’s listened to me rehearse pitches for hours at a time, read my scripts, helped me perfect pieces for storytelling shows, rooted for me when I’ve performed and hugged me when I’ve cried over career opportunities that didn’t work out. Countless times. And if you follow this blog, you know that Katierose is basically the coolest woman alive (and if you don’t, read about why she is my co-Maid of Honor, the bridal shower she planned for me, and check out the hilarious pictures of her photobombing our wedding tour of the Ojai Valley Inn). And Matt is her boyfriend. That alone speaks volumes.

I hope you watch with me tonight. For Matt’s sake, because he is wonderful and has earned his stardom. But, more importantly, for your sake, because you deserve to watch a hilarious show, and love it all the more because you have the inside scoop that the stars you love are just as cool in real life. And all of them are live-tweeting, so you can chime in and actually be their friend, too – follow Matt @MattCookTweeted. Congratulations, Matt!!!!!!!

{The scissors Tony and I had made to celebrate the season one wrap. Maybe he can cut Tony’s hair with them.}