The new ABC series "Dangerous Minds" presented Annie Potts with two big acting challenges.
First, the diminutive former star of "Designing Women" was called on to play a tough ex-Marine who teaches troubled teenagers. And, somewhat surprisingly, she pulls it off."Well, I have three children of my own," Potts said. "And I take no prisoners."
Second, she was called on to fill the shoes of screen star Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the same role in the movie version of "Dangerous Minds." And, rather wisely, Potts has not tried to mimic what Pfeiffer did in the film.
"I have much admiration for her as an actress and as a woman," Potts said diplomatically. "And I'm pleased to be playing the same part that she did. But I think it's a completely different animal from movie to TV series.
"And, in all honesty, I didn't see the film so I couldn't really comment. Nor would I want to."
Potts is indeed the best thing about "Dangerous Minds." She brings heart, soul and a convincing performance to the show.
If that comes as a surprise to some, it comes as no surprise to the people who hired her after her strong audition.
"If you had been in that room at the moment that she walked in and did that first scene, it was electrifying," said executive producer and writer Ron Bass, who won an Oscar for the "Rainman" script. "I've been in a lot of readings with a lot of people. Very famous people. And she walked in and owned that room in a way that I've hardly ever seen anyone do.
"And when she walked out after that scene, everybody looked at everybody else - ABC (executives) and producers and everybody - and said, `How lucky did we get?' It was like an instant decision."
Potts is actually better than the show itself, which suffers from a number of problems - most notably pronounced predictability.
Here's the premise: Heroic woman coming off a bad divorce and with a career in the Marines in her past takes a job teaching disruptive, unruly, often criminal high school kids. What do you think is going to happen?
You guessed it - she's going to win them over and help them make something of themselves.
Yes, "Dangerous Minds" is based on the real-life story of teacher Louanne Johnson. But it still looks like it was lifted right from "To Sir, With Love." And the similarities between "Minds" and last year's failed Montel Williams vehicle "Matt Waters" are pronounced.
("Dangerous Minds," of course, has a huge advantage over "Matt Waters" because it doesn't have Montel.)
And as hard as it tries to make itself look gritty and realistic, "Minds" comes off looking like Hollywood's idea of gritty and realistic.
The hourlong pilot episode, which airs Saturday at 10:35 p.m. on Ch. 4, is in many ways a recap of the theatrical movie. The question it raises, however, is how "Dangerous Minds" will play out over the course of a season. (If it lasts that long.)
It's one thing to take this group of delinquents and tame them in the course of a two-hour movie. It's something else to do it in the first hour of a continuing TV series. Where do you go from there?
If you're a Potts fan, you won't want to miss her performance. If you're not, you may come away with a whole new appreciation for her skills as an actress.
But don't expect to come away from "Dangerous Minds" with a whole lot more than that.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: The best thing that "Dangerous Minds" has going for it in terms of its ability to stay on the air for at least a while is its production company.
The show is produced by Touchstone Television.
Touchstone is owned by Disney.
The show airs on ABC.
ABC is owned by Disney.
None of that is going to hurt the show's chances.
NOT CH. 4'S FAULT: Although ABC broadcasts "Dangerous Minds" on Monday nights, local ABC affiliate KTVX-Ch. 4 won't air the show until Saturdays at 10:35 p.m., beginning this week.
But before anyone goes and gets mad at the folks at Ch. 4, it's not their fault. The fault, my friends, lies entirely with ABC.
It's basically just one more example of how the Mountain Time Zone doesn't quite fit into the network's plans.
In the Eastern and Central Time Zones, "Dangerous Minds" airs before Monday Night Football - at 8 and 7 p.m., respectively. In the Pacific Time Zone, the show is seen after the game, which normally wraps up between 9 and 9:30 p.m. on the West Coast.
But here in the Mountain Time Zone, the football game eats up all of prime time - and even a bit more, most weeks. So ABC affiliates throughout the area must find another time slot for "Minds."
Saturday night after the late news isn't a bad slot, all things considered. And Ch. 4 could opt to not show "Dangerous Minds" at all, so the station management deserves some credit for doing so.