Very mixed reviews on this, a sitcom about a famous author who initially mistakes his daughter for a former conquest, from Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan (the insanely overrated “Frasier”). Alfred Molina (“Ladies Man”), Traylor Howard (“Two Guys and a Girl”) and Roger Bart (“The Insider”) star. Traylor pretty!!
8:30 p.m. Sunday. CBS.
TV Guide says:
TV Guide says:
We're freaked, too — if only to see such talented producers creating such unpleasant characters. It will be tough to overcome the icky turnoff of the pilot's gamy mistaken-identity farce. This embarrassing misfire also wastes the talents of Bart (as a finicky assistant with the gimmicky name of Paul Newman) and Finneran (as a shrill neighbor).
Variety says:
… a solid Sunday entry … While "Frasier" executive producers Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd will have quite a task duplicating that standard's magic, it's hard to find anything else on a network sked that rivals "Bram's" appreciation for the finer elements of comedy, mainly timing and sarcasm. … With so many freshman comedies obsessed with youth, it's nice to see a "family" skein in which the principals are all grown up. The dialogue is witty, the jokes randy and the humor targeted for viewers who have already raised their children. Hardly the blueprint for a successful run on television, of course, but it's a welcome counterprogramming move against the rash of "Yes, Dear" knockoffs.
The Hollywood Reporter says:
The real problems are that Bram is a rascal with too little charm, that Alice is hopelessly bland and that the humor -- which consists mostly of sophomoric dialogue in which each characters misinterprets what the other means -- is painfully reminiscent of over-the-top farces that only an entertainment-starved dinner theater patron could love. … Molina, the saving grace of CBS' short-lived "Ladies' Man," deserves better than this annoyingly one-note role. As for Howard, this represents a step down even from "Two Guys and a Girl."
The Los Angeles Times says:
“Comedy pilots don't get any funnier than Sunday's "Bram and Alice" on CBS. Nor do sitcom actors come more accomplished than its Tony-nominated male star, Alfred Molina.. here he's a showstopper … "Bram and Alice" is more evidence that even the stalest of sitcom premises--the disruptive move-in by a relative--can seem fresh when executed with skill. In this case, big laughs are generated by ample helpings of caustic wit.
No time! Throw me the whip!
