Without Jenna Elfman, "Dharma & Greg" wouldn't work at all.
But with the goofy charm of Elfman to build around, "Dharma & Greg" is one of the better new comedies on network television this fall.The concept behind the show is as old as romance - opposites attract. And Dharma and Greg (Thomas Gibson) are about as opposite as you can possibly imagine.
She's the spacey, outspoken daughter of a couple of retro hippies (Mimi Kennedy of "Savannah" and "Homefront" and Alan Rachins of "L.A. Law."). He's a buttoned-down assistant U.S. attorney, the son of upper-crust parents (Susan Sullivan of "Falcon Crest" and Mitchell Ryan).
When they meet, it's love at first sight. And they deal with this in a rather novel way - at least for television.
"I wish there was some way we could just skip the dating part," Greg says.
"Why can't we?" Dharma replies.
Cut quickly to a wedding chapel, where they're tying the knot.
It's a decidedly different approach to what has become a TV staple over the years - the will-they-or-won't-they suspense that drags out until they finally do. In "Dharma & Greg," they do in the first 10 minutes.
Which makes this show about a couple of complete strangers who are married to one another.
Elfman is a sheer delight as Dharma Finkelstein. ("My dad was Jewish, but he wished he was the Dalai Lama," she explains.) She makes the writers look awfully good.
On paper, it doesn't look real funny for her to take her new husband's cell phone out of his pocket, answer it and say, "Greg's pants. He's not in them right now."
Or when Dharma is introduced to Greg's parents as his new wife. She blurts out, "So, do you guys just hate me?"
But Elfman's delivery makes these lines funny.
Which is not to say that the rest of the cast isn't also great. Gibson ("Chicago Hope") brings just the right tone to Greg - a basically uptight guy who's trying to break free.
And both sets of parents are gems. Kennedy, who's been playing uptight society matrons, is a hoot as Dharma's free-spirited mother. And Rachins is nicely cast against type as well as her anti-establishment father.
Sullivan and Ryan manage to make Greg's parents both obnoxious and likeable at the same time - no easy task.
The show's weak links are a couple of supporting characters - Greg's odd co-worker, Pete (Joel Murray), and Dharma's even odder friend, Jane (Shae D'lyn). It's possible the roles could develop into something, but they're extraneous in the pilot.
ABC is touting Elfman as a "breakout star" - pretty high hyperbole for a young actress whose most visible role to date was as a supporting character in last year's short-lived sitcom "Townies."
But in this case, the hype is worth listening to. If you watch Elfman in "Dharma & Greg," you may just fall in love with her, too.