Fox's new sitcom is so bad - so utterly unredeemable - that it's difficult to know where to begin with a description of it.
The premise is OK. Richard Lewis stars as Steven, a psychiatrist and divorced father of a young son, whose obnoxious, overbearing father, Al (Don Rickles), moves in with him.But as "Daddy" is executed, it deserves execution. We're talking downright dreadful.
("Daddy Dearest" premieres Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Ch. 13.)
This is as offensive a show as network television has to offer. Most of the alleged humor, and let me emphasize the word alleged, falls into one of two categories of offensiveness - sexuality or bigotry.
When Al gets a look at the Swedish stewardess Steven has brought home to take to bed, he bellows, "Wow, look at the size of those things!"
There are jokes about condoms. There are a whole slew of offensive sexual jokes slung between Al and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Helen (Renee Taylor).
"You never satisfied me in bed, Al," Helen shrieks.
"I satisfied you plenty!" Al yells, to an incomprehensible burst of laughter from the studio audience.
"Is good sex too much for me to ask for before I drop dead?" Helen asks.
"Why don't you drop dead and we'll find out," Al cleverly responds, to more guffaws from the audience.
As to the second category of offensiveness, the writers have attempted - without success - to incorporate Rickles' act into the show. His character goes out of his way to insult and degrade most everyone he comes across.
Encountering one of Steven's patients, who is dark-skinned and speaks with an accent, Al bellows, "Mind your own business, Aladdin. By the way, 7-Eleven called and your camels are blocking the aisle."
Turning to another patient, who happens to be Asian, Al says, "Damn Japanese."
"I'm Chinese," the man responds.
"What, that's better?" Al says "I'll make you feel at home - `Table 27. No MSG.' "
Wouldn't you think that by 1993 network television would have advanced beyond the need to toss out bigoted insults in an attempt to draw laughs? Yes, this is what Rickles does in his nightclub act, but it's inappropriate for a network sitcom.
And, while Steven does weakly chide Al for his bigotry, these are obviously meant to be jokes. And with the studio audience laughing up a storm, viewers are left with the impression that being a bigot is downright funny.
If this isn't enough, even the language is offensive, as the various characters curse at each other.
All of this would be enough to condemn "Daddy Dearest." But wait - there's still more.
This is Lewis' second sitcom, but the man still can't act. He may well be the least talented man to star in his own show.
At one point, his father's arrival supposedly gives him a twitch. But, in the hands of Lewis, this twitch becomes a ridiculous, totally unreal facial contortion.
I dare say this may be the worst twitch in the history of acting.
He's also completely unbelievable as a father and a psychiatrist.
The young actor who plays Steven's son in the pilot is also awful, but he's being replaced after the first episode. The producers might have thought about doing the same with Lewis - except that he's one of the executive producers.
It's not that everything about "Daddy Dearest" is dreadful. The theme song - a great arrangement of Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" - is a gas.
But following the opening music, "Daddy" is completely out of gas. If you're a fan of quality television, stay as far away from this abomination as possible.