Me, Myself and I

A funny, charming, and optimistic tale of rolling with the punches.

The jokes are more bemused chuckles at this point, but the promise is there. Me, Myself, & I already feels like a comforting sitcom, easily digestible and warmly diverting. If enough people discover it, the series will have already cleared the first hurdle: We’re happy for another installment.

Good-hearted, a little too cloying, and the story flow needs polish. Of the three new CBS comedies this fall, this is the most promising.

It approaches family life in a fashion similar to that older Bryan Cranston family series: with warmth, a little cynicism and a great sense of humor. Moynihan, who rose to prominence on “Saturday Night Live,” anchors the show, largely because of his knack for playing the tragically average guy with humor and compassion. The young Riley isn’t as compelling, at least in the pilot episode, as his stepbrother (Richards). ... Larroquette makes the senior Alex just as likable, and almost as funny, as Monihayn’s Alex.

The plot of the Me, Myself & I pilot has a neat, muss-free poignancy to it that’s probably goosed by a decent soundtrack. (The inclusion of a track by the Flaming Lips is a nice touch in this regard.) The cast is enjoyable as well, particularly Brian Unger as Alex’s sage stepfather, Jaleel White as his loyal friend, and Sharon Lawrence, who pops up as Alex’s crush in 2042. All told, the premiere is solid from stem to stern.

It’s an interesting conceit to follow one character at three points in his life every week and see how things that happen in one era influence another. It also seems like quite a juggling act for the show’s writers. Time will tell how they manage to maintain it on a weekly basis.

The stories move briskly and come together in a surprisingly emotional finish. “Me” is smart enough to realize you can’t exist on brains alone. You need a little heart.