'Animal Practice' review: Not an NBC winner

The human counterparts? They're fine, too -- particularly Garcia Swisher (wife of Yankees' outfielder, Nick Swisher) as the adult presence amid the juveniles; newcomer Betsy Sodaro, a rubberfaced comedian who plays a randy nurse; and the always good Tyler Labine ("Reaper") as Doug, Coleman's loser-at-love colleague.

They all just happen to be trapped in a show that can't yet decide whether it wants to be "Community" or "B.J. and the Bear." That's probably because the network can't decide either. "Animal Practice" is stamped with NBC's new mandate that broader is better -- or at least more profitable -- while recognizing that too much slapstick (or monkey) courts self-parody. Conversely, too much ironic banter that smirks at the conventions of TV comedy risks another "Arrested Development," albeit with animals. So welcome to the middle ground, where a monkey steals the scenes and most of the laughs.

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