Loser, Man

Loser, Man
New Comedy Has Talent, Lacks Laughs

By ERIC GRIFFITH / At Walt Disney World years ago, while in my hotel lobby, I saw actress Sharon Lawrence, and was starstruck. She was beautiful, talented and, at the time, starring in one of television's finest programs, "NYPD Blue." Nowadays, she's playing second banana on CBS' "Ladies Man" (Mondays, 8:30 p.m.). I wish I had begged her to stay on "Blue."

The top banana of "Ladies Man" is Alfred Molina, a Tony-nominated Englishman of Latin descent, playing Jimmy Stiles, an American furniture-maker (who says there's no ethnic casting this season?). He’s surrounded by women: two daughters; his wife (Lawrence); ex-wife (Park Overall, "Empty Nest"); mother (Betty White, "Golden Girls") and mother-in-law (Dixie Carter, who also stars in "Family Law" later in the evening). Carter in two shows instead of Lawrence? Something’s wrong.

In "Ladies Man," Molina's beleaguered character spends most of his time wrestling with all the women in his life. They, in turn, spend most of the first episode criticizing him because he wants his pregnant wife to bear him a son. Perhaps later we can expect him to be criticized for leaving the toilet seat up and watching football.

Performances are wasted here. Park Overall has none of the energy of her previous sitcom efforts. Steven Root, as Molina's friend, is nothing but a carbon copy of Jimmy James; his non-sequitur-spouting character from the canceled series "News Radio."

Molina -- perhaps best known to American audiences for his film "Species," and as the guy who gets skewered early on in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- is a more accomplished actor than successful sitcom leads like Jerry Seinfeld or Ray "Everybody Loves Raymond" Romano. After all, Molina’s a real actor and not a standup comedian. Lawrence has enough talent to make the rest look like pikers (and did I mention she's beautiful?). But, neither talent nor beauty is enough to help anyone get past the weak material.

What's wrong with "Ladies Man" is simple: It's not funny. Only Betty White delivers the occasional good line, albeit while channeling her potty-mouth character in "Lake Placid."

Consider "Ladies Man" CBS' own "Veronica's Closet," and keep your remote handy.

WildWeb | September 22, 1999

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