CBS's new sitcom "Cybill" has sort of a split personality.
On the one hand, star Cybill Shepherd displays some genuine comedic talent as she pokes fun at herself in a show that's based in large part on her own life.But on the other hand, "Cybill" (8:30 p.m., Ch. 5) is full of flaws, including - but not confined to - moments of bad writing, male bashing and extremely questionable taste.
Shepherd stars as Cybill, a struggling fortysomething actress with two ex-husbands and one daughter from each marriage. (In real life, Shepherd has a daughter from her first failed marriage and twins from her second.)
And the fortysomething Shepherd has no problem poking fun at herself. She's up to the challenge when, while filming a scene in which she's being bitten by a vampire, the director makes it abundantly clear that what the producers really wanted was a younger actress.
Not only that, but while playing a murder victim in an apparent "Hart to Hart" sequence - complete with cameos by Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers - Wagner makes particular mention of how Cybill's character is considerably older than the other victims.
That's "Cybill's" good personality. Unfortunately, there's a dark side.
Hollywood has come under considerable, deserved criticism for creating female roles that are weak, victims or just plain dumb, particularly in feature films. "Cybill" seems determined to fight back by creating men that are stupid, weak sex objects.
Ex-husband No. 1 (Tom Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard") is a red-necked moron, a strutting prima donna whose chosen career - he's a stuntman - seems chosen so as not to tax his limited mental resources.
Ex-husband No. 2 (Alan Rosenberg of "Civil Wars" and "L.A. Law") is a whimpering sycophant, still desperately in love with Cybill and determined to win her back.
Then there's the guy Cybill picks up during a traffic jam (Tim Matheson) and her younger daughter's boyfriend, both of whom are little more than the proverbial sex objects. (Complete with some rather tasteless sexual banter.)
Most of that tastelessness - as well as other tacky dialogue - involves Cybill's best friend (Christine Baranski), a drunk who's recently been through a bitter divorce. (Hmmm - another male to bash even though he's never on screen.)
The fact that this woman's drinking problem is played for laughs is particularly troubling. It's the sort of humor that seemingly had gone out of style, and which is more than mildly offensive in and of itself.
Then there's the rather cliched setups of Cybill as the liberal mom vs. her strait-laced, married daughter. And Cybill's discomfort upon learning that she'll soon be a grandmother.
It seems as if good "Cybill" is fighing bad "Cybill," and bad "Cybill" is in the lead at the moment.
There's hope for this sitcom, but some changes have got to be made or in a few months Shepherd will be trying to explain her latest failure.
"MOMMIES" RETURN: One of last season's more disappointing sitcoms returns tonight, and there has been at least one change.
"The Mommies" is now titled simply "Mommies."
Unfortunately, that one change wasn't nearly enough to salvage the show.
Other than that, everything is pretty much the same. Marilyn Kentz and Caryl Kristensen - the stand-up comedy team who were spotted by NBC and given their own show - should have used some of their time off to get some acting lessons.
And while both Julia Duffy and Jere Burns have proven themselves to be great comedic actors in other sitcoms, the material here is so weak even they can't save it.
Oddly, producers promise that by the third episode Marilyn's character will be divorced - after having a perfectly lovely marriage last season.
Tonight's episode (7:30 p.m., Ch. 2) is a preview of sorts. The show moves to its regular time slot on Saturday.
And it will die there - don't expect another last-minute reprieve from the NBC programmers.
PAGING "CHICAGO HOPE": CBS's classy but underappreciated medical drama, "Chicago Hope," moves to Mondays tonight (9 p.m., Ch. 5). And celebrates the new time slot with a great episode.
Because of the threat posed by a deadly, contagious virus, most of the show's major characters are quarantined in an empty hospital operating room. And their time together turns into one big therapy session.
Old grudges resurface. Re-sent-ments boil over, all the way to physical violence at one point.
At the same time, this is often wildly funny stuff.
And there's a major twist in the plot that will greatly affect the content of future episodes.
If you've been watching "Chicago Hope" all along, you're in for a treat.
And if this is the first time you've seen this series, get ready to be impressed. This is one of the best-written, best-acted, most entertaining shows on television.