"Ben and Kate" is a wonderful show. Yes, I said wonderful.

It's probably my favorite new show on TV. Or my new favorite show. Or both.

It's part situation comedy...part situation drama. But not too dramatic. And it's not the funniest show you'll watch.

It's just a really, really good TV show.

I'm stretching the meaning of "new" for this "New Thing", by the way.

I started watching "Ben and Kate" very late in 2012, and then caught up on all the episodes either even later in 2012 or early 2013. But it's still new enough that it qualifies as one of my "New Things In 2013"...and I'm telling you about it on a Tuesday so you can watch it tonight.

When I started watching "Ben and Kate", at the indirect suggestion of my friend Kevin (he tweeted about it), I expected it to be a drop-dead funny show. I don't know why - I guess I figured as a lead-in to "New Girl" (also one of my favorite new shows, though I feel like it's a well-established veteran at this point) it had to be funny. I expected to be laughing non-stop. What I did not expect was that I'd be brought to the verge of tears. It's quite touching. (For what it's worth, I went in expecting "Ben" and "Kate" were romantically involved. But they're brother and sister. Which is the root of much of the touchiness. The emotional touchiness. That other thing would be sick.)

That's not to say it's not funny at all. It is. It has everything. I guess that means it's extremely well-written...but not to the point where I'm sitting there analyzing everything that goes on. It's just a solid half-hour of TV. (My friend Justin was the one who pointed out to me that Nat Faxon, who plays Ben, won an Oscar as one of the writers of 'The Descendants", which could be why I seemed to recognize him when I first started watching the show.)

I enjoy the show. And it's so good I'm sure I would enjoy the show whether or not what I'm about to say was true...but it's true, and it's part of why I quickly became enamored with the show: I have a crush on Kate Fox.

To be clear: I do not have a crush on Dakota Johnson, though she is an attractive woman and all. (She's the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith...I think it goes without saying she's attractive.) I have a crush on Kate Fox. The TV character. She might be my favorite TV character going right now - she's smart, funny, goofy, somewhat socially awkward, but in an adorable way, and she'd do anything for her daughter. "Ben and Kate" is a good show...I'd watch "Just Kate" if that existed.

The other characters on the show - Ben, Tommy, BJ - they're all strong too. It's worth your time to check it out. 8:30 on Fox.