CBS's "New Adventures of Old Christine" (8 tonight, KDKA) was the perfect alternate option when ABC was still airing the odious "Hank" in the 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot. Even with "Hank" gone, "Christine" is still an amusing sitcom. It's not the best written comedy in prime time, but star Julia Louis-Dreyfus totally sells her reaction shots, making the show an enjoyably looney half-hour.
In tonight's episode, Christine (Louis-Dreyfus) and ex-husband Richard (Clark Gregg) set one another up on dates. He meets "a model with a tramp stamp that says, 'you're welcome'" (Jennifer Grey, Gregg's real-life wife); Christine gets set up with previous terrible date Tom (Dave Foley), with whom she has no chemistry. But they date anyway and she even suggests they have a night of passion with the most disgust Louis-Dreyfus can possibly conjure. She also sells Christine's cluelessness.
Christine claims she's a feminist so she can't take gifts for nothing from Tom. But she will give him sex in return.
"So, you dont want to be the type of person who takes things for nothing but you're the type of person who takes things for sex?" asks her brother, Matthew (Hamish Linklater).
"Yeah," Christine reponds in condescending disbelief, "what part of 'feminist' do you not understand?"
With apologies to "Seinfeld," "Christine" is not must-see TV comedy but whenever I do tune in, I generally find myself amused by the series.
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Heather Locklear returned to "Melrose Place" last night to reprise her role as Amanda Woodward. I was surprised The CW did not send the episode out for review in advance of air to churn up interest but I tuned in last night out of curiosity. Scenes with Locklear looked like they were shot through a lens slathered in vaseline to hide any signs of aging.
As I expected, Amanda returned and quickly fired ad exec Caleb (guest star Victor Webster) but not before issuing a classic Amanda Woodward slam: "This L.A. branch is drowning in red like a stere in a salughterhouse. When I hired you to give this place a makeover, I didn't mean smear it in lipstick and make it look like a five dollar hooker. This office is pathetic."
Welcome back, Amanda!
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McCann welcomes Sterling Cooper: Remember on the season finale of "Mad Men" when Don led a revolt to escape from Sterling Cooper after the company was bought by McCann Erickson? Well, the real-life ad agency has created a video to welcome Sterling Cooper to the fold.
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In this week's Tuned In podcast, enterprise reporter Maria Sciullo and I discuss "Modern Family," January Jones on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Amazing Race." Listen or subscribe at post-gazette.com/podcast.
Posted
Nov 18 2009, 12:01 AM
by
Rob Owen