CBS' "Dudley" isn't the worst sitcom to debut this spring.
And, being that it's on Friday night (7:30 p.m., Ch. 5) opposite that quality-poor ABC lineup, it isn't even close to being the worst sitcom of the evening.But that's faint praise at best. What "Dudley" also isn't is original or particularly funny.
This series was tailor-fit to star Dudley Moore, we're told.
"Our choice was to take Dudley as who he is and make more out of that, rather than try to change his personality," said producer/writer Susan Beavers.
That's a terrible thing to say about Moore. Surely, he has to be less shallow than his fictional counterpart.
The fictional Dudley, Dudley Bristol, is a New York cabaret pianist and composer who lives the good life - money, fame, beautiful women. But his life is upset when his ex-wife (Joanna Cassidy) brings their troubled, 14-year-old son (Harley Cross) to live with Dudley.
Thrown into the mix are a nebishy manager (Max Wright of "Alf"), an obnoxious club owner (Joel Brooks) and a housekeeper (Lupe Ontiveros) who doesn't speak English.
The results are predictable. As is the show in general.
Not that it's a total waste of time. Moore does manage to bring some degree of charm to his character. He delivers his lines as well as could possibly be expected - they just aren't particularly well-written lines.
The supporting cast has possibilities. Gleason is certainly talented, if woefully underused. Cross doesn't have much to do in the pilot but act surly.
Surprisingly, Wright's dour character shines through with some of the pilot's best lines.
As for Moore, even if he hadn't said so it's rather obvious that he turned to TV when his film career petered out. And he did say so in explaining why he's doing a series.
"Well, I think that it's actually a very good way of displaying myself," Moore said. "It's a good way of having a vehicle for myself. It's a good way of being put to work.
"I mean, I've been looking at film scripts for a long time and it is very hard to find one that really satisfies you on all counts. But this is really something that is tailored just to me, for which I'm very grateful, actually."
"Dudley" may be a comfortable fit for Moore, but one suspects he'd be even happier with a show that was funny as well.
Make no mistake, there are possibilities here. But if the writing doesn't improve significantly in the five subsequent episodes of this six-episode order, "Dudley" will end up being nothing by a dud.
IN A VACUUM: People who work in television consistently insist they don't watch much television. That's apparently true of "Dudley" executive producer Beavers.
In trying to explain how "Dudley" was actually new and different, she said, "I actually, kind of thought that a relationship I have not seen on television - and maybe I've just missed it - is the concept of taking a father and a son and having them meet up and building a relationship very slowly. Having him be a troubled teenager, I think, will only add to the conflict and to the humor on the show."
Actually, Beavers did just miss it. The concept she offered rather perfectly describes the premise of the short-lived ABC drama "Crossroads" that aired just last fall.