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There are two new women-centred comedies in American fall TV that are currently worth watching. One revolves around two mismatched waitresses in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the other around a quirky twenty something teacher rooming in with three men. Before you dismiss them as same old-same old because of their format and possibly cliché jokes, give them a chance and maybe you’ll be charmed by the three funny female leads.

First up, there’s 2 Broke Girls. Co-created by Michael Patrick King and comedian Whitney Cummings, this show rests highly on the chemistry between its two female leads. Thank goodness their odd pairing works out.

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Hardworking and cynical Max (played by Kat Dennings) takes formerly rich girl Caroline (Beth Berhs) under her wing and teaches her a thing or two about the art of waitressing (or the lack of it) and making it on one’s own in the real world. When the series started off, I was bothered by the cliché jokes. Frankly, there was a lot of them. However, this cynical viewer (I guess I have a little of Max in me) became more forgiving as the relationship between Max and Caroline grew, marking the growing chemistry between the two actresses. They grew on me! Caroline is Sunshine Bear to Max’s Grumpy Bear, but so far they balance out just fine. In the past few episodes, Max has been subtly displaying her vulnerable side (showing she’s not that as scornful as she seems to be) which is making her more endearing. My wish list is for Caroline to have a little more tension. Sure, she is a woman robbed off her riches because of her Dad’s involvement in an embezzlement scheme. Sure, she tries to make her own money given that she’s suddenly poor. That’s as deep as she goes. Maybe as the show progresses we’ll be treated to more layers of Caroline.

One device I particularly enjoy with this show is the tally of savings the waitresses have. Max is a gifted cupcake baker, while Caroline proclaims herself to be a business-building expert. After much discussion and debate, the two agree to save up for a cupcake business. Their goal: $250,000. As of the ninth episode, they’re up to $623.25. They sure have a long way to go. I don’t mind tuning in to how far they get! I’m rooting for these two mismatched waitresses.

Then there’s the adorkable Jesse on New Girl. Zooey Deschanel plays the slightly weird lead character. Jesse answers an ad put out by three guys looking for a roommate, thinking they were women.

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All works out though as they take her in as the fourth member of their household. There are of course run-ins as Jesse begins injecting the once totally testosterone-fuelled household with her girly requests, like taking over the TV by watching Dirty Dancing at least seven times a day to deal with a break-up.  Her roommates are often bothered by her quirkiness (well, she does break out into song at random parts of conversations quite a lot), they are forgiving. One roommate, Schmidt, is the show’s resident “douche bag” such that he’ll do anything to look cool to women (and men), but only comes off as trying too hard. Nick is the cynical roommate, who like Jesse, is fresh from a bad break-up. The third is Winston, a former basketball player who may seem impatient and a little angry but is surprisingly sentimental sometimes. Of course, this just goes to show that these three have a little dorkiness in them too. Jesse is just the dorkiest of them all.

What situations will this mismatched household go through? A crazy Thanksgiving dinner led by a cooking-challenged Jesse? More whining from the heartbroken Nick? More darling douche bag from Schmidt? I can’t wait!

Both shows seem to have been-there-done-that plots, but somehow the characters are still refreshing and more importantly, relatable. Like Jesse, we may have our own little quirks but aren’t as comfortable with them as she is comfortable with hers. Perhaps we’re rooting for the underdogs. We’re waiting to see Max show a little more of her heart. We’re wondering how far Caroline’s sunny disposition takes her. Maybe there’s a little bit of us in each of these women. These shows are rating well, so many others could be feeling the same way. In my opinion, they’re amusing and really funny. I’ve been charmed by these three female leads, and am looking forward to where their journeys take them – be it a successful cupcake business for Max and Caroline or whatever adorkable ambition Jesse aims for.

Photo: “2-Broke-Girls-S1-Poster-1” by blur95, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved. Photo: “Zooey, The New Girl” by ebarrera, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.

Toni Tiu loves watching television. She’s also a big fan of Top Chef, Chuck, Modern Family and The Office. For more musings on her personal favorites, visit her personal blog at Wifelysteps.com.