Cast: · Terry Crews · Essence Atkins Grade: B-

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The film franchise that began with "Are We There Yet?" and progressed to "Are We Done Yet?" has now made the jump to television, with Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris) and Essence Atkins portraying the recently married Nick and Suzanne Kingston-Persons. Suzanne brings to the family two kids, Lindsey (Teala Dunn) and Kevin (Coy Stewart), neither of whom like Nick very much and go out of their way to antagonize their new stepfather.

At first blush (and even at second and third blush), Are We There Yet? seems to be an only-slightly modified tweak on My Wife and Kids. Even the sets are similar in design. The tweaks come with the semi-regular appearances by Suzanne's brother (played by executive producer Ice Cube) who seems to be some sort of ninja, and by Nick's mother (Family Matters' Telma Hopkins) who's something of a cougar on the prowl. But even then, what we have is fairly typical primetime family sitcom fare.

Are We Simpsons Yet? The cast of TBS's Are We There Yet? Coy Stewart, Essence Atkins, Terry Crews, Teala Dunn and Ice Cube

The pilot episode for the series, "The Hyphenated Name," focuses on new strife in the household when Nick Persons learns that his new wife has kept her Kingston name for business reasons. Reasoning that if she doesn't want to let go of her past, he has no reason to let go of his, and moves in all his collectible sports memorabilia. If it all looks like you've seen it before, you probably have (most recently on According to Jim).

Which isn't to say that Are We There Yet? isn't going to get viewers, and doesn't have the right appeal to get on and stay on. If anything, it's following the sitcom formula right down to the dotted i's and crossed t's. But if it's striving to be something new, something groundbreaking and absolutely memorable as a sitcom -- well, it's not quite there. Yet.

Are We There Yet? premieres on TBS Wednesday, June 2, 9|8c.