P erhaps ABC has set the bar too high.
Everything about the network’s new drama “What About Brian” screams its status as an irrelevant, cast-off afterthought.
From the title to the fact that ABC waited until mid-April to dump it on us, there’s little about the show that makes for high hopes.
And then you watch it.
And then you feel the same way.
What’s most upsetting about the whole deal is that the season premiere of “What About Brian” is taking the place of “Grey’s Anatomy” at 10 p.m. Sunday on KOMO-TV, Channel 4.
“Grey’s” fans can rest easy, though, with news that “Brian’s” regular timeslot will be 10 p.m. Monday.
The premise of the new show lays a decent foundation. Brian, played by Barry Watson of “7th Heaven,” is the last remaining single in his group of friends, the “seventh wheel,” as he says.
The key here is their age. They’re all 30-something. Or, as classic TV titles go, “thirtysomething.”
“Brian” is so trying to become the “thirtysomething” for the next generation, and so not succeeding.
ABC set the bar for the yuppie drama then, and it has set a new one for character-driven stuff with “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s.”
“Brian” meets neither.
We’re never quite sure what Brian’s deal is. The pilot tries to force-feed us information about his past relationships, using terms such as “Trishing,” referring to a fifth-grade girlfriend that he stayed with even though he didn’t really like her.
But the writing is so lazy that after “Trishing” is introduced, it’s repeated five times in the next 90 seconds.
Apparently, that’s Brian’s thing. He’s 34 and he can’t find the right girl, so he always settles.
But that’s only because he’s truly in love with his best friend’s fiance, Marjorie. This is all complicated by the fact that Brian’s friend, Adam, doesn’t really appreciate Marjorie.
Where have we seen this development before? Maybe every romantic comedy made since, like, forever?
The show is wrought with cliches.
Brian’s coupled-up friends, predictably, aren’t as happy as they seem. Dave and Deena, married for 13 years with two kids, aren’t doing the deed much since they had their 6-month-old, and she’s looking at hooking up with her yoga instructor.
Brian’s 40-year-old sister, Nic, and her younger husband, Angelo, are having trouble getting pregnant.
And then there’s Adam and Marjorie.
There’s also some unformed subplot about a video game that Brian and Dave have developed.
Whatever.
There are a few funny moments, but not enough to bring us back.
This time next year, the answer to the question “What About Brian?” should be, “He got canceled.”
Victor Balta’s TV column runs Mondays and Thursdays on the A&E page. Reach him at 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
For more TV and pop culture scoop, check out Victor’s blog at heraldnet.com/blogpopculture.
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