“Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.”

This maxim has been around for some time, and it bears a lot of truth about the difficulty of launching successful comedy series on network television.

Peter O’Toole’s washed-up actor Alan Swann uttered these words in the 1982 film “My Favorite Year.”

The famous quote has been attributed to many, from Edmund Kean to Groucho Marx and Joseph Stalin, though the murderous Russian tyrant is an unlikely source of humor.

New comedy series are a big part of the landscape for the FOX network this fall, and yet when speaking to TV critics during the recent press tour, Kevin Reilly, president of Fox Entertainment, had not much to say, other than to answer critical questions about “Dads.”

In fairness, Reilly did lump the comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” with the mystery-adventure drama “Sleepy Hollow,” noting how “surefooted these two shows are right now, right out of the gate.”

Well, this was a rare occasion when a TV network executive was not engaging in hyperbole or deception. The aforementioned shows may be two of the best new series on the schedule.

Part of the FOX strategy is to create a strong comedy block on Tuesday nights, leading off with the half-hour new series “Dads” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” during the eight o’clock hour and ending with returning comedies “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project.”

Unlike the practice of the other major networks to launch new series during the traditional Nielsen week starting Sept. 23, FOX begins a week earlier, so look for the new Tuesday night comedy block to premiere on Sept. 17.

The spirit of “Barney Miller” lives within the new comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” set in the police workplace where a diverse group of colleagues get a new captain, Andre Braugher’s Ray Holt, with a lot to prove in a far-flung district in the New York borough of Brooklyn.

Evident from the pilot episode, the key to the mayhem in the Brooklyn precinct is Andy Samberg’s Detective Jake Peralta, a gifted investigator with the best arrest record among his colleagues, but also a carefree goofball studiously oblivious to the usual norms.

A stickler for rules and regulations, Captain Holt’s arrival as the commanding officer at the Nine-Nine precinct puts a crimp in Detective Peralta’s jocular style, attempting to force him to now follow standard decorum and even wear a tie to work.

Samberg is hilarious in his efforts to not-so-subtly undermine authority while continuing to be an outstanding police officer, and his eagerness to nab crooks is fueled by a dogged competition with his comely colleague, Detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero).

The ensemble comedy features interesting characters, such as Joe Lo Truglio’s Detective Charles Boyle, a brilliant but bumbling workhorse who pines for the abrasive, opinionated Detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), with whom he stands no chance at all.

Chelsea Peretti is the eccentric and self-absorbed civilian officer manager Gina Linetti, and the always wonderful Terry Crews is Sergeant Jeffords, a linebacker of a man who lost his nerve after his wife had baby twin girls named Cagney and Lacey.

I predict “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is FOX’s new comedy hit, but Kevin Reilly spent precious time at the press conference defending some offensive aspects of “Dads,” another comedy from the creators of “Family Guy.”

Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi are two successful guys in their mid-30s whose lives get turned upside down when their inappropriate and pain-in-the-neck patriarchs move in. Gifted actors Martin Mull and Peter Riegert, playing their dads, may not save this show from early demise.

Another comedy, not scheduled until later in the fall season, is “Enlisted,” an irreverent military-themed comedy (shades of “M.A.S.H.”) about three brothers on a small Army base in Florida and the group of misfits who surround them.

Geoff Stults is the natural born leader, Sergeant Pete Hill, who was on a path for a huge military career until one mistake overseas got him booted stateside, where his two younger brothers are stationed.

With its goofy, sarcastic sensibilities, “Enlisted” looks like a potential winner. It may even shape up to have some of the Army humor reminiscent of “Sgt. Bilko,” the great vintage TV series starring Phil Silvers, not the middling Steve Martin movie of the same title.

The FOX team gave us a military cap emblazoned with the title of the show, but this small gift has not affected my judgment on “Enlisted.” I just tell you this as a matter of full disclosure.

Now that we have run down the list of new comedies, let’s focus on a show of a different nature, one that Kevin Reilly rightly described as a winner “right out of the gate.”

That show, to premiere on Monday, Sept. 16, before being moved to a Friday night slot, is “Sleepy Hollow,” a modern-day version of Washington Irving’s classic novel in which Ichabod Crane is resurrected and plunged 250 years into the future.

In the FOX version of “Sleepy Hollow,” Tom Mison’s Ichabod Crane is a Revolutionary War hero who is brought back to life in the contemporary world of the Hudson Valley, where things are different than envisioned by the Founding Fathers.

Revived alongside Ichabod Crane is the infamous Headless Horseman who is on a murderous rampage in the present-day Village of Sleepy Hollow, creating a major catastrophe for the local police force.

Of course, no one believes Ichabod’s tales of America’s past and dire warnings about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but young cop Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) has had her own supernatural experiences and she teams up with Ichabod to embark on a mission to stop evil.

Judging by the pilot episode, “Sleepy Hollow” looks like it will draw a fan base of the younger male demographic and those who enjoy supernatural mysteries and adventure.

Waiting in the wings for a midseason replacement is “Almost Human,” a science-fiction action-packed police procedural set 35 years in the future, when police officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids.

Karl Urban plays a detective who survived a horrific attack and wakes up after a 17-month coma to find he can’t remember much, is outfitted with a prosthetic leg and suffers from mental atrophy and depression.

Nevertheless, instead of being on disability, he rejoins the police force, though he must be partnered, much to his displeasure, with a robot.

I have not seen a pilot of this show, but I am already thinking “Robocop.” We’ll wait and see.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Sunday, Sept. 8, a concert by the Lake County Symphony Chamber Orchestra will take place at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

In a departure from its usual practice the 3 p.m. concert will be presented free of charge to the public by its sponsor, Clear Lake Performing Arts.

Classical standards will include Haydn’s Symphony No 85 – often called the “La Reine” or “Queen Symphony” – because it was a favorite of French queen Marie Antoinette.

Music Director and Conductor John Parkinson also will lead the orchestra in the “Sinfonia in C Major” by Antonio Vivaldi, which features the local symphony’s noted string section. Vivaldi was not only one of the truly great composers of baroque music but was also recognized in his day as a violin virtuoso.

Also on the program will be the Horn Concerto No 3 in E flat by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It will feature soloist Mike Thompson, principal player of the Symphony’s horn section, who is an orchestra regular even though it means commuting from his home in Garberville for every concert.

CLPA president Ed Bublitz said his board’s decision to open the doors to the concert free of charge, was to introduce both his group and the orchestra to the public.

“We’ve found many people don’t even know we have a symphony, let alone one of the largest and best in the area, and others have no idea what Clear Lake Performing Arts is, and that it was founded some forty years ago for the precise purpose of creating and maintaining this orchestra,” Bublitz said. “When people hear what a treasure we have here, we hope they will be eager to support us.”

Prior to the official opening of the concert the string players will play Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 3 as background music, with the annual Meeting starting at 3 p.m. with a couple of business items for CLPA members to address – including voting on CLPA officers for the new year.

Nominations for seats on the board of directors will be accepted from the floor. Bublitz stresses that he is actively soliciting greater participation from the public, as well as from current CLPA members.

Seating at the concert is open on a first-come, first-served basis, so members are advised to arrive early to ensure themselves a good seat.

“We hope our members bring others who may be interested in joining us in promoting good music in Lake County,” Bublitz added.

Complimentary desserts, prepared by members of the CLPA Auxiliary, will be served, and wine and soft drinks will be available for sale.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Konocti Art Society has a selection of painted saw blades on display this month at WestAmerica Bank in downtown Kelseyville.

You may win hand-decorated saw blades created by local KAS artists; tickets are available at WestAmerica Bank. Tickets are one for $1 or six for $5.

The winning tickets will be drawn at 3 p.m. at the bank during the Kelseyville Pear Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Local youth will benefit in the areas of art and music. Proceeds go to the Main Street Gallery's Summer Youth Art Camp and Clear Lake Performing Arts' Student Education Music Program.

KAS members displaying saw blades at Westamerica Bank are Leah Adams, Judy Cardinale, Patricia Courtney, Barbara Funke, Gerri Groody, Jan Hambrick, Annette Higday, Jeanne Landon-Myers, Diana Liebe, Karen Magnuson, Gaylene McComb, Ruth Morgan, Carolyn Morris, Patty Oates and Diane Tembey-Stawicki.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – “Decades,” Chico’s most successful cover band, will play Twin Pine Casino on Friday, Sept. 13.

The show starts at 9 p.m. at the casino, located on Highway 29 at Rancheria Road, south of Middletown.

The band just released its debut LP “Take Me Back,” produced by Grammy nominee Sylvia Massy, who has worked with Johnny Cash, Prince and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Since forming in October 2010, Decades has performed more than 200 shows in Northern California and Nevada, with 110 shows booked so far for 2013.

The band currently has 125 songs from the 1940s through today in rotation, and is working toward its goal to learn 300 songs.

“Take Me Back” can be purchased for $15 at shows (or 2 for $20), $9.99 on iTunes, or $12 for a CD through www.MusicfromtheDecades.com .

For more on Decades' fall tour schedule, visit www.artistdata.sonicbids.com/decades/shows/ .

The US Open tennis tournament, held this time of year in Flushing Meadows, New York, is one of the greatest venues in the sports world, and it’s about to get even better.

The brass at United States Tennis Association know as well as anyone that the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the US Open venue’s official name, needs a complete transformation for the modern age.

Many of the proposed changes recognize that enjoyment of the US Open is as much a lifestyle event as it is a major sporting experience.

At a press conference on the first day of the tournament, USTA executive director Gordon Smith pointed out that there is “an insufficient area for the number of fans on the grounds,” and that moving about can be “crowded and uncomfortable.”

The grand vision for remaking the US Open venue includes a movable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main venue with assigned seating.

The next two largest venues, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand, have narrow passageways and inadequate seating.

All of this will change over the next five to six years, if all goes according to plan. The lifestyle element will bring even more food facilities and concessions to benefit the fans.

When I speak of the US Open as a lifestyle event, it has much to do with the cocktail lounges and the impressive array of food offerings you would never see at a baseball or football stadium.

Heineken, an upscale beer importer and a major sponsor, opened the Heineken House, a unique oasis built on top of its existing Red Star Café, where fans can get VIP service in cabanas while watching live screenings with an ice-cold Heineken in hand.

New this year, the club level of Arthur Ashe Stadium features the Oyster Bar, where patrons can dine on a variety of oysters, caviar, lobster rolls and shrimp cocktails. Try to imagine this dining option at another sports setting.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be allowed on the club level, but a media credential lets you wander about Arthur Ashe, though you won’t be allowed into private suites or club seating areas.

The Oyster Bar sounded fascinating, but when I spotted caviar being offered at a price north of $50 I moved away faster than Roger Federer lunging for a backhanded return.

For persons on a more modest budget, the expansive Food Village brought new selections with Hill Country BBQ and Fresca Mexicana, in additional to the regular assortment of international flavors already on offer.

On the other hand, the Village Market is now tossing fresh salads, handmade sandwiches and vegan options. Frankly, I choose the less healthy options, because that just seems to be the preferred stadium experience.

One of the biggest questions at the US Open this year is what has happened to the American men. The highest ranked US player at the No. 13 seed is John Isner, who played exceptionally well in the first round. But he’s already out in the third round.

My favorite player is James Blake, seeded at No. 100, who announced that this would be his last tournament. He’s also beloved by New Yorkers, and he played his heart out in the first round with some of the most exciting play.

You can’t do much better than seeing a match where three sets are decided by the back-and-forth of tie-breaks. That’s what happened in the match between Blake and Ivo Karlovic, though the Croatian won the last two sets with tie-breaks to defeat the American.

At the post-match press conference, the ever classy Blake said he was lucky enough to have had fans “cheering for me, chanting U-S-A,” for 14 years. He said there is “no good way to go out unless you’re holding that trophy.”

Contrast the Blake interview with the one given by Sam Querry, who was upset in the second round. Querry got testy when he said “I don’t give a crap what anyone thinks. I mean, it’s my life and my career.” The spirit of John McEnroe lives.

Though the championship days of Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi are a thing of the past, the American women are faring much better, with Serena Williams having won last year and being still very much in the running again.

Two years ago, Australian Samantha Stosur won the US Open. This year, seeded No. 11, Stosur was up against American teenage prodigy Victoria Duval in the first round.

In case you missed it, Duval had a stunning upset victory in three sets. The win was extremely impressive but Duval’s personal story is even more compelling.

Born in Miami and raised in Haiti, Duval endured an armed robbery home invasion hostage situation as a child, while her father nearly died in the massive earthquake in 2010.

Though she lost in the second round, Victoria Duval is an American player to watch for the future. Now if only the American men could find their own teenage prodigy.

In the few days remaining before the end of the US Open, you can catch the action on CBS, ESPN or the Tennis Channel. Better yet, sports fans, add the US Open to your bucket list.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

April Lindner is a poet living in Pennsylvania who has written a number of fine poems about parenting. Here’s an example that shows us just one of the many hazards of raising a child.

Dog Bite

The worst for him was his friend turned wolf,
and the blood that splattered as he ran. The worst
for us: the hospital, his upper lip tugged back
to show the gash—the flesh halved deeply,
cleanly—while I hold him for the needle
that rubs pain out. He submits
to the quick stitch, the thread black
against pink skin, calm now he sees
the doctor can be trusted, his voice
soothing, his face clean shaven,
the clues that signal kindness to a child.
He’s worried, though, about his pet
who didn’t mean it, Mom. His voice is flat.
He knows the months he’s tried to woo this dog
were over when it leapt for his throat
and caught his mouth. The scars, at least,
will be invisible. At home, he’ll sleep,
big boy between his parents, till he’s sure
no beast will tear into his dreams. And we
will want him there, our bodies makeshift walls.
We who led the stranger to our home,
fixed him a bowl, taught him to sleep
under our blankets, we who taught our son
to rub the muzzle that sheathes the teeth.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2012 by April Lindner from her most recent book of poems,This Bed Our Bodies Shaped, Able Muse Press, 2012. Poem reprinted by permission of April Lindner and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2013 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.