"The Class" has some of the strangest ones of any series, but that's only part of the reason this creation of David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik works. In addition to some screwball comedy, it also has a lot of heart.

The premise, quickly established in opening scenes, is that Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter), a pediatrician and romantic, plans a surprise party for his fiancee. To celebrate that it has been 20 years since he first laid eyes on her when they both entered third grade, he invites as many former classmates as he can find.

This seemingly thoughtful gesture is too much for the fiancee, who claims that she is suffocating from all of Ethan's attention. She storms out, but the party goes on, allowing an odd assortment of 28-year-olds to get reacquainted and, in some cases, form new attachments.

Ethan starts spending time with sarcastic and cynical Kat Warbler (Lizzy Caplan). Kat is exactly the opposite of her twin sister, Lina (Heather Goldenhersh), a perpetual optimist despite a dismal dating track record. Lina, in turn, connects with Richie Velch, a seriously depressed loser on the verge of an overdose.

"The Class" is lean on ethnic diversity, but it gets a lot of mileage with gay jokes. One classmate, Kyle Lendo (Sean Maguire), ruined prom night for another, TV reporter Holly Ellenbogen (Lucy Punch), when she caught him with another guy. It turns out that Holly's husband, Perry Pearl (Sam Harris), sets off flashing lights on gaydar screens everywhere, which becomes a running gag.

Crane and Klarik created about a dozen flawed but eminently appealing characters. Some have kept profitably occupied and played well with others since third grade; others not so much. All have struggled with lonely hearts. The reunion gives them a whole new playground and, watching from the bench, it looks like a lot of fun.

Unlike the typical TV group of young adult friends, these former classmates don't meet en masse for coffee or book nights. Instead, they have their own stories, some of which intersect. Based on three episodes confidently supplied to reviewers, the writing stays funny, the performances remain superb, and the direction by James Burrows measures up to his famously high standards. In this "Class," the biggest point deduction is taken for the annoying laughter of the studio audience. Continued...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and Senate Republicans who revolted against the president's proposal on tough CIA interrogations of terrorism suspects said on Sunday a compromise was possible to heal a party rift over treatment of prisoners.

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