LOS ANGELES — Romantic tension makes television more captivating, especially when said tension is bubbling to the surface after a breakup.

Rachel and Ross gave us a dose on "Friends" and Diane and Sam, before them, on "Cheers." Now it is Melanie and Derwin's turn.

The young couple's breakup on The CW's pro-football sitcom "The Game" is the best thing that could have happened to the series. A spinoff of its time-slot neighbor "Girlfriends," the sophomore comedy struggled to attract and retain viewers in its rookie year until the heartbreaking season finale — in which Derwin (Pooch Hall) cheated on Melanie (Tia Mowry) with singer Drew Sidora (as herself) — that had people talking about "The Game" until it returned with fresh episodes this fall.

The buzz has paid off. According to Nielsen Media, "The Game" has surpassed "Girlfriends" this season as the highest-rated TV show in black homes. Great news for a program that in April had not yet been officially renewed for another go-round. The network did so, obviously, but not until upfronts (a time when networks announce their fall lineups) rolled around in mid-May.

Sighs from a last-minute pardon still lingered in the air when I hung out at CBS' Radford Studios in September during a sixth-episode taping of "The Game." "We all tried not to focus on the possibility that we might not be coming back last season, but it sure feels good to be back," said Wendy Raquel Robinson, who plays mom/manager Tasha. "There was more character growth to be had, and now we can go there."

While on the set, it became abundantly clear to me that what has also helped "The Game" shoot to the top is the familial bond between cast and crew. Every taping is a party — comedian Gary "G-Thang" Johnson entertains the audience between shoots — and every player is a star, but there are no visible rifts, no divas demanding monologues and no time to waste. Well, maybe a little time to waste. Brittany Daniel (a "Sweet Valley High" twin and alum), who plays pro-football wife Kelly, is hanging around on the set despite the fact that she's not in any of the day's scenes. "This is my family," Daniel said.

This chemistry is convincing fans and critics alike. Entertainment Weekly earmarked "The Game" as a show to watch on Monday nights, but not without criticizing it for being more dramatic than funny these days with story lines that address steroid use and entering manhood.

Mara Brock Akil, who co-writes and executive produces "The Game," and does the same for "Girlfriends," says she happily accepts the dramedy label. To win the ratings game, this comedy is playing by its own rules.

"When we started getting more serious, the audience responded," said Akil, who tapped into her days dating an NFL player as inspiration for "The Game." These days, she's happily married — to her director, Salim Akil. "If that means that sometimes there is more drama than comedy in any given episode, so be it," she said. "Our goal is to be authentic and earn the funny and the outrage."

Like a body working in unison, each cast member adds to the collective physique — Mowry is the face; Hall is muscle; Robinson is the funny bone; Daniel is the lungs; Coby Bell, who plays Jason, is the brain; Hosea Chanchez, who plays Malik, is the soul; and Akil is the heart.

To bask in the glow of this cast's success, I had to go where the show is filmed twice a week, when the writers aren't on strike as they are now. The previous home of TV classics such as "Hill Street Blues" and "The Bob Newhart Show," Radford Studios is now the home of the reality series "Big Brother" (CBS) and "The Game." The latter is shot on Stage 19, as folks in the biz call it, but getting there is not a simple undertaking because it is nestled way in the back of the lot between Gunsmoke and Mary Tyler Moore avenues.

As I get to Stage 19, the first star I see is Mowry. As the "face" of "The Game," Mowry possesses the most recognizable name and mug in the mainstream. That's because she acquainted herself with TV audiences years ago as half of the twin teen acting duo behind the hit TV sitcom "Sister, Sister." Now at age 28 and all grown up, her role as Melanie is proof that child actors can find viable and legitimate roles as adults.

She is dressed in sweats and headed for hair and makeup, but not before stopping and talking to me.

The first question I ask is if she's ever had her heart broken, because she is so believable in her portrayal of a woman so angry at her ex-boyfriend that she pretends to sleep with his best friend.

"Art imitates life, and when Mara said, Let's dig deeper,' I did because this has happened to me," said Mowry, who is engaged in real life. "I know how it feels. But playing Melanie has also made me better in my real relationship. Melanie has taught me not to ignore your man."

After a few minutes, Mowry is whisked away by her assistants, and I am escorted into a cavernous Stage 19. Hall has time to chat and he can't wait to tell me Derwin's side of things.

"I don't think anyone is beyond redemption," Hall said. A sinewy-built natural athlete, Hall, who was given the name Marion at birth, boxed and played football growing up in Brockton, Mass.

When Hall talks, he looks me square in the eye and smiles with the ease and confidence of a politician.

Hearing that I'm from Detroit, Hall wastes little time telling me about his upcoming film, "Diary of a Champion." Part of the movie, which arrives in theaters next year, was filmed in Motown, he says, before talking about Derwin again.

"Derwin knows he's done wrong, but he's also an idealist and a romantic, and that's what I like about him," he said. "His innocence is what will have fans rooting for Derwin and Melanie's love story."