Wednesday Fall TV Preview: Beware of big-name-star-crossed affairs

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

By MELANIE McFARLAND
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER TELEVISION CRITIC

As we stated before, a matchmaker can only do so much. Especially if your mind's already been made up about someone.

Understandably, there are some new series you'll peek at no matter what, solely on the basis of a familiar face or two in the cast. Maybe you're a big fan of an actor's work, and you think the person rarely steers you wrong. He or she's like an old friend from way back.

Odds are your favorites have given their respective new shows the once over, smartened up their looks and cleaned the crusts out of their ears. Now they're talking about how terrific the series are on "The Late Show With David Letterman." With their approval, surely it's worth your time as well. Right?

Sounds like being set up on a date.

Don't get me wrong, lots of fine romances have emerged at the persuasion of good friends. But doesn't it ever strike you as odd that the exact same phrase -- "set up" -- also is used in situations of betrayal? As in, "You told me it was safe to meet you here and help boost your ratings, but this show reeks. I've been set up!"

Ponder that if you choose to give a star a shot, regardless of what the buzz on his or her show happens to be. Wednesday nights offer some fine examples.

Take Norm Macdonald, please. Norm the Comedian can be hysterically funny. I've paid money to see him live. But terrible things can happen once Norm the Actor Who Needs Work gets hold of a script. That his show's landed on Fox, which hasn't had a great track record with new sitcoms lately, should set off more alarms. On the other hand, it also calls upon the talents of Fred Willard.

Film buffs may be happy to see Robert Forster starring in another Elmore Leonard tale on ABC. "Felicity" and "Popular" fans may be excited to see what Christopher Gorham can do at the nucleus of his own show.

CBS's new Wednesday night drama, "The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire," threatens to collapse under the combined weight of Chris Penn, John Carroll Lynch and Randy Quaid, spared a less dignified comeback on Fox with the disappearance of his announced sitcom "The Grubbs." Mare Winningham and Ann Cusack help balance this act.

What about the other nights? Rapper Eve's already secured a place for herself on UPN Monday evenings. Mark Harmon's on CBS Tuesdays. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fans anxiously await Eliza Dushku's turn on Thursday night's "Tru Calling" on Fox. After getting whacked on "The Sopranos," CBS gave Joe Pantoliano his own Friday night vehicle, "The Handler."

Another Joe -- Mantegna, who reimagined the beloved detective Spenser for a number of A&E teleflicks -- now stars in "Joan of Arcadia" the same evening. Also on Fridays, Alicia Silverstone has folks abuzz with her new NBC series "Miss Match." Sundays, "Arrested Development's" Jason Bateman, David Cross and Portia de Rossi could ring a few bells among Fox fans.

Rob Lowe's mug likely will lure viewers over to NBC's "The Lyon's Den," just as the news of both Lucy "Xena: Warrior Princess" Lawless and Mitch "The X-Files" Pileggi's inclusion in The WB's "Tarzan" is sure to attract the curious.

Some of these stars live up to their reputation, making their new series into great mates for viewers. Others are setups of the grimmer variety. Which is which? Read on to see under which category Matchmaker Mel thinks Wednesday's choices fall.

Rating Wednesday's new shows:
- 'A Minute With Stan Hooper'
- 'The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire'
- 'It's All Relative'
- Can 'Jake 2.0' keep up its zero-to-hero act?
- 'Karen Sisco'

P-I TV critic Melanie McFarland can be reached at 206-448-8015 or tvgal@seattlepi.com.

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