“My Name Is Earl,” one of NBC’s new fall shows, is slightly less than glorious. I wouldn’t necessarily boycott the Emmys if it got nominated next year, but I would certainly root for something else to win.

The plot seems feasible at first glance; karma will always win, and whatever you did wrong will come back to haunt you – sometimes instantly and sometimes years down the road. However, the show comes off as kind of silly. With only 30 minutes to fit a specific episode’s plot into, the effects of karma happen almost instantaneously. In the first episode, as soon as Earl realizes he needs to mend his ways, his lost lottery ticket comes back to him. The comedy is funny, but it’s fleeting and cheap, with bodily humor and redneck allusions and jokes that don’t really hold for longer than a chortle.

Though stereotypes can be funny, Earl’s use of adultery, divorce, beer drinking and pickup riding is so constant it becomes tiring. I laughed out loud at a few spots during the episodes, but was not drawn to come back in the future. However, the acting in the show is great. Jason Lee (Earl) works well with what he is given in the script, as does Ethan Suplee (Earl’s beer-guzzling brother, Randy). Jaime Pressly is a good supporting cast member as well, but the leads’ acting experience and skill isn’t quite enough to entirely redeem the show.

Overall, “My Name Is Earl” is a show with a lot of silly humor, a fair amount of good acting, a little heart and some quick laughs. It might be just what to watch to relax after a busy first couple days of the week, or it could be a show that makes you flip the channel.