Out Of The Box By Anita Sarko - Review

Interview, Sept, 2001

NEW SHOWS--SEVEN OF THE BEST AND SEVEN OF THE WORST

It's the fall TV pilot season again and the good news is that there is a lot of gold in them there channels. Naturally, there are also some frightening pilot errors. Hopefully this handy little guide to what to catch and what to miss, along with a remote control and a comfy chair, will make the experience relatively painless.

CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)

Jill Hennessy, formerly Assistant D.A. Claire Kincaid on Law & Order, is believable here as rough-edged, system-bucking, hotheaded, trouble- making Dr. Jordan Cavannaugh, an obsessive crime-busting medical examiner who just happens to look like a model. I've always loved Miguel Ferrer (Traffic) and hope that his role here (as Dr. Garrett Macy) finally makes people forget that he's George Clooney's first cousin. I also hope this well-acted drama keeps its sense of humor and surreal touches (like a scene where beautiful lavender butterflies suddenly descend upon the morgue) and convinces America that there's room for another medical-crime series like last year's breakout hit C.S.I. Catch it.

THE ELLEN SHOW (CBS)

Ellen DeGeneres is an appealing stand-up comedian and terrific talk show guest who really shines when she is just being herself. She deserves better than this overly earnest, self-conscious, neurotic, gibbering, laugh-track-roaring mess that casts her as a dotcommer who goes home for a visit and decides to stay (a fave TV device: as seen in Ed and Providence among others). Even the support of TV icons Claris Leachman (as Ellen's dotty mom, Dot) and Martin Mull (as Ellen's former high school teacher, Mr. Munn) can't pull this one out of the dumpster. Oh, by the way--ELLEN IS GAY! Did you hear that? Do you need to be reminded? We didn't think so. Willful and Graceless. Miss it.

SCRUBS (NBC)

A cute, goofy medical comedy that provokes giggles without prompting from a laugh track. Amazing! The constant voice-over of intern John "JD" Dorian's thoughts work well, as do the daydream bits, like when he imagines himself as a deer caught in the headlights. Big-nosed, adorable Zach Braff, who plays JD, has the quirky everyman charm of Thomas Cavanaugh (Ed) and the dry wit of The X Files' Agent Mulder (David Duchovny), while the ethnic secondary character, Carla the Latina nurse (played by Judy Reyes), is not just another loud-mouthed excuse for appeasing the Screen Actors Guild's P.C. faction. Catch it.

INSIDE SCHWARTZ (NBC)

Sports nut and small-time sportscaster Schwartz (Breckin Meyer of Road Trip), whose first name is Adam, is desperately trying to get both back and over a woman named (all together now) Eve. If that wasn't clever enough, all of Adam's thoughts and actions, particularly in the field of dating, are announced by sportscasters and emphasized by sports references. Strike one with all nonsports fans. What's more, the show's producers seem to have forgotten that a true New York sports freak like Adam would not have a framed Pittsburgh Penguins hockey jersey hanging on the wall of his apartment. Strike two. Meyer and the laugh track appear to be in a perpetual state of glee--I wish I was experiencing what they are. Strike three. Miss it.

THE EDUCATION OF MAX BICKFORD (CBS)

Taking a cue from the inspired casting and writing of such cable series as Six Feet Under, this drama about an all-girls college features Oscar- winners Richard Dreyfuss (as Professor Max) and Marcia Gay Harden (as his ex-lover and rival). To make sure that the storylines don't get bogged down in a mess of hallowed halls and ivy, one of the campus fillies is the professor's very own pink-haired rock-band singer daughter (Katee Sackhoft), and one of the teachers, Erica (Helen Shaver), was, pre-op, Bickford's best friend, Steve. Premieres with high honors. Catch it.

THE WAYNE BRADY SHOW (ABC)

This mind-bogglingly odd Vegas/'60s variety show melange is awesomely horrid. Brady, a fave on improv hit Whose Line Is It Anyway?, tries hard with impressions, skits and musical numbers that include (shudder) maniacally grinning and dancing chorus boys and girls. If the thought of the pilot's guest stars, Brian McKnight and *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake, performing with Brady seems scary, the reality is even more so. Wolf Lake (see next page) should take notes. Miss it.

THE GUARDIAN (CBS)

Simon Baker is totally yummy as Nick Fallin, an icy attorney who is forced to do community service as a child advocate when he is busted for drugs. Nick's arrogance and pride are challenged as he struggles with his egotistical need to do the right thing by his pint-sized clients. Complex and involving, this drama could have gone for the heartstrings but instead offers viewers multi-layered characters that leave you wanting to see how their lives will develop. Solid support provided by TV royalty Dabney Coleman (as Nick's lawyer dad) and the always dependable Alan Rosenberg (Cybill). Catch it.

WOLF LAKE (CBS)

Poor Lou Diamond Phillips, Tim Matheson and Graham Greene. The trio have to utter dialogue so ridiculous that this sci-fi drama plays like a tired Saturday Night Live skit. Imagine An American Werewolf in a Seattle Suburb, where people keep disappearing while the wolf population is mysteriously growing. Enter Seattle cop John Kamin (Phillips) to check out what ails the tiny community. The shape-shifting idea is really tired, as are all the devices used to spook viewers (Full moon! Indian chants! Strange sounds!). But the really deadly element is the pace--so, to kill time, try counting how many times the word wolf is mentioned. An unintentional howl. Miss it.