Swooping back into 'Cougar Town'

Bill Lawrence is still bummed about The Boathouse.

The co-creator of the hit TV series "Scrubs" and "Spin City" spent his college years in Williamsburg and saw more than his fair share of concerts at the legendary Norfolk venue, which closed in 2003 and was demolished last year.

"It was such an unbelievable place," Lawrence said. "You'd go, you'd have a bunch of beers, and it just felt like you were right on top of the music. When you find somewhere like that to see shows, you can't believe there aren't more places like it, so how can you not be bummed when you hear they've torn it down?"

Lawrence is more upbeat about his current creation, the Courteney Cox vehicle "Cougar Town," which finally returns to the ABC lineup Tuesday night for its third-season premiere.

The sitcom is a replacement for the quickly canceled, cross-dressing comedy "Work It." On ABC's Tuesday night lineup, "Cougar Town" will follow Tim Allen's "Last Man Standing," which isn't the most optimal spot given the series' differing comedic sensibilities, but Lawrence's fingers are crossed that fans will tune in anyway.

"I hope that people that used to like the show know that it's back on and that people who've never watched it have maybe now heard from someone that it's not about a gal chasing younger dudes," Lawrence said in a phone interview from Culver City, Calif., where "Cougar Town" is filmed.

"Cougar Town" follows Cox's character, Jules Cobb, as she rebuilds her life after a divorce. Initially, Jules was the "Cougar" of the title, dating men much younger than herself, though she now goes out with guys closer to her own age.

The show debuted in September 2009 to more than 11 million viewers but quickly began losing its audience. During its first two seasons, the series was seen by an average of 7 million each week; top 10 shows, by comparison, bring in twice as many viewers or more.

The past nine months have been stressful for the cast and crew as they waited for the show to reappear on the ABC lineup, only to find it absent from the fall schedule. When the series was missing from the network's midseason plans, Lawrence took his frustration to social media, tweeting his annoyance about the situation and beginning his own publicity campaign.

Lawrence and co-creator Kevin Biegel, along with cast members, began traveling around the country, hosting "Cougar Town" screenings in an effort to raise awareness about the series.

He's not sure the Nielsen ratings tell the whole story.

"The Nielsens are 25,000 households that supposedly say how a billion of us watch TV, so it's really down to if I got the word out to those guys," he said.

Lawrence and Biegel have taken an unusual approach to increasing the show's visibility. In interviews and at events, they and cast members have talked about upcoming plot lines, which are usually kept under wraps.

The biggest revelation is that Jules and her boyfriend, Grayson (Josh Hopkins), will be getting engaged in short order, and the proposal is even being used in ads touting the series' return.

"As far as the engagement goes and how it goes down, I still don't think people will see it coming," Lawrence said. "Plus, there's no guarantee that they're gonna make it the whole way to the wedding. We're certainly not doing a 'will-they-or-won't-they' thing like Ross and Rachel on 'Friends,' but anytime you throw a wedding into a group of close-knit friends, it's a bit of a mess."

Also on the horizon: Actress Sarah Chalke, whom Lawrence knew from her days as Elliott on "Scrubs," will turn up on "Cougar Town" to play the love interest of Jules's ex-husband, Bobby (Brian Van Holt).

"I only know, like, 20 actors," said Lawrence, laughing.

On "Scrubs," the neurotic Elliott was best friend and sometimes lover with the show's main character, Zach Braff's J.D. He was loosely based on an alumnus of the College of William and Mary, where Lawrence graduated in 1990 with a degree in English.

His college days long behind him, Lawrence is now focused on making "Cougar Town" a success. Whatever changes occur on the series, Lawrence said that one thing's certain: The characters will continue to indulge in a certain grape-based alcoholic beverage.

"I read that America finally consumed more wine than France this year," Lawrence said. "I like to feel that we were at least partly helpful in that."

Will Harris, nonstoppop@cox.net