'Rodney' (2004) Rodney Carrington, Jennifer Aspen, Amy Pietz, Nick Searcy, Oliver Davis, Matthew Michael Josten. Down-to-earth husband/father in middle America quits his job that he hates and starts doing stand-up comedy, much to the dismay of his wife and kids. Saw the pilot at an ABC Premiere Party @ Times Square on August 22 and although this looks like 2004's answer to Roseanne/The Drew Carey Show, it is a lot better than it has any business being. Some of the jokes fell flat, but that often happens in a pilot episode (especially one on ABC). Several supporting characters are realistic people whom anyone could know. I had never previously heard of Rodney Carrington, but he seems to know what he is doing and delivers one-liners in a swift manner. Certainly promising.