'Lopez': George returns in TV Land series

Thank goodness for TV Land. It’s where our old favorites go when broadcast networks look the other way.

The networks, flailing away in their quest for younger audiences, frequently overlook TV veterans who still have plenty of miles left in them. It’s a shame, especially for those of us of a certain age.

TV Land has no such qualms. Two words: Betty White. Thank you, TV Land. Two more words: George Lopez. The popular Mexican-American stand-up comedian has been a fan favorite for years. His sitcom "George Lopez" (executive produced by Sandra Bullock) ran for six relatively modest seasons on ABC (2002-07) but found increased popularity in syndication. It’s still seen on TV Land’s sister network, Nick at Nite.

Lopez also hosted the TBS latenight talk show "Lopez Tonight" for two seasons (2009-11) and starred in the short-lived 2014 FX sitcom "Saint George."

For variety, Lopez has voiced characters in a string of animated films, including the toucan Rafael in "Rio" and "Rio 2," the three-eyed alien slug with four arms Thurman in "Escape From Planet Earth" and Grouchy Smurf in "The Smurfs" and "The Smurfs 2."

So what does Lopez do now to stand out in this age of rampant sitcom mediocrity? He goes cutting edge and nicely politically incorrect with an eponymous new singlecamera sitcom.

"Lopez" premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday on TV Land. Lopez, sporting a stylish circle beard, is playing a (barely) fictionalized version of himself in a portrayal that TV Land is labeling “fearlessly honest.”

“I’m excited that TV Land realizes that my personal challenges, insecurities and inability to connect are all part of my charm,” Lopez says.

It’s a role he was born to play and he’s seriously funny. "Lopez" will remind some of the sensibility of "Curb Your Enthusiasmm" and "Louie," with many of the themes reminiscent of ABC’s breakout comedy "blackish."

Lopez revolves around the 54-year-old Los Angeles native’s struggles with wanting to give back to the Mission Hills neighborhood where he grew up. Mission Hills, in the San Fernando Valley, is 71.5 percent Hispanic and 15.8 percent white.

In the comedy, George, who is recently divorced after taking a donated kidney from his ex-wife (just like in real life), is raising his teenage daughter, but feels as though he can never satisfy all the demands placed on him by the celebrity world and his homies.

He stumbles between these two worlds with the help of his driver, Manolo (Anthony “Citric” Campos, "Idiocracy"), and his hyperactive manager, Olivia “Olly” Michaels (Hayley Huntley, "Just Go With It").

Huntley steals every scene she’s in.

Also on board is his annoying and officious (white) next-door neighbor, Stephen (James Michael Connor, "About Schmidt"), who never seems to be happy with anything George does.

Annoying example: When Stephen complains (again) about George’s privacy trees between their houses, George quips, “You know, you wouldn’t even have been able to afford to move into the neighborhood if I hadn’t moved in first and lowered the property values.”

Stephen’s wife calls that being racist.

Also in the mix is George’s friend and opening act Maronzio (Maronzio Vance, "Enlisted"). He’s always giving the black perspective on George’s attempt to live in both worlds, “white and brown.”

“George Lopez, you have whiteman problems,” Maronzio observes after George complains about his neighbor and being called a racist.

Finally, there’s George’s “expressive” daughter, Erica (Ashley Zamora, "Gang Related").

What does expressive mean when attached to a teenage daughter? It means she’s 15 going on 30. In other words, a typically precocious TV teen.

The series comes from John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, the cocreators (along with Mike Judge) of HBO’s marvelously inventive "Silicon Valley," one of the best shows you’re probably not watching.

In Wednesday’s pilot episode, “Slave for a Day,” George gets talked into being auctioned off at his daughter’s elite ($30,000 annual tuition) private school fundraiser as a “celebrity assistant for a day.” It’s worth noting that the “enlightened” headmaster at the academy hasn’t used the term “slave for a day” in a while.

How elite is the academy? It has valet service. Naturally, George gets mistaken for a valet.

At the auction, George just tries not to embarrass himself or his daughter. He’s encouraged when a couple of comely cougars say they’re going to bid for him, but he ends up trying not to be bought by guest star Snoop Dogg.

And look for a cameo appearance by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who’s surprisingly funny himself.

Twelve episodes have been ordered.

George Lopez returns to TV in a new sitcom "Lopez," which premiers this week on TV Land.