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These virtues struggle valiantly against the staples of the sitcom genre: zingy one-liners, a laugh track and minor crises that arise and then are solved within a half-hour time span. The Class trades these in for actual character development — or at least the pilot would indicate so — and a less forced style of humor, but regrettably, the laugh track is still there and often jars with the show's higher-concept feel.

Of course, The Class is also notable in that it offers viewers three gay characters. Or two. Possibly three. Two and a half?

First off, Kyle appears to be a more put-together Will Truman. We quickly learn that he's handsome, cultured and, above all, a genuinely nice person who seems upset that his burgeoning homosexuality caused his prom date emotional issues that lingered into her adult life.

As the various other characters exhibit their foibles — Nicole is in an unhappy marriage, Duncan is still living with his nosy mother — Kyle goes home to a very gorgeous and very shirtless boyfriend waiting in his bed. This is both good and bad. While we may see Kyle grow into the show's emotional center, the fact that he is not a train wreck means he might have less development to undergo than the other characters.

Cristián de la Fuente, the actor playing Kyle's boyfriend, will be recurring throughout the season, so it remains to be seen whether we'll see their relationship become as humorously quirky as those enjoyed by the other characters.

The third gay-or-not-gay character is a bit trickier. Played by gay actor Sam Harris, Perry is married to Holly and is purported to be straight. However, to anyone witnessing Perry's flamboyant arm gestures or his concern over Holly's hairstyle, Perry would seem to be gay. This matter may work itself out — so to speak — over the course of the season, but some viewers may initially object to the Perry's apparently stereotypical behavior.

Thankfully, the character isn't played for laughs. Perry's character isn't simply a funny queen; instead, Perry is funny because he is perceived to be gay but may not be. This is, after all, a situation comedy. In a way, the joke is really on everyone else. From what the viewer sees, Holly and Perry are quite happy together. They have even produced a daughter, Oprah (Perry's a fan), and are diligently trying to get her into the best elementary school they can. So shame on us for making a snap judgment about a person after only getting a superficial impression of him.

As long as Perry develops as an actual character, his presence might bring a certain flair to the show that no other character can. After all, Arrested Development had a similar running gag with David Cross' character through the entire series run. The question of Tobias Fünke's sexuality was never answered, but he still had his moments — both funny and endearing ones.

Speaking of Arrested Development, in any discussion of a new, avant-garde sitcom, one has to make the comparison. The Class definitely falls more toward the standard sitcom than anything so revolutionary it might scare off viewers. Given Arrested's fate, that may be a smart move.

The Class takes some risks, but not so many that it pops off the screen as something remarkably innovative. However, The Class does offer enough fresh twists on a tired genre that it could very well become a regular weeknight fixture for a lot of viewers. The cast is attractive, talented and lacking in slackers. The writing is frequently crisp. And, perhaps most appealingly, The Class offers the presence of gay characters during a season when too many shows — both new and returning — are shying away from such diversity.

Minor quibbles aside, we'd indeed be lucky if The Class turns out to be one of this year's most likely to succeed.

The Class airs Mondays at 8 pm et/pt on CBS

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