"Cold Feet" isn't just a romantic comedy. The new NBC series is a romantic comedy-times-three.
The show, which premieres tonight at 9 on Ch. 5, is based on a British series. The title refers to the two characters featured in the show's centerpiece storyline -- Adam Williams (David Sutcliffe) and Shelley Sullivan (Jean Louisa Kelly), both of whom have a near-pathological fear of commitment.They meet in tonight's pilot when she almost runs over him with her car. You know, just your average boy-meets-girl story.
But the show doesn't depend on that storyline alone. There's also Adam's best friends, Pete (William Keane) and Jenny Lombardi (Dina Spybey), a happily married couple who are about to become parents. And discovering that going from being a couple to being a family is a huge adjustment.
And there's Shelley's friends, Karen (Alicia Coppola) and David Chandler (Anthony Starke), a married couple who are the parents of a toddler. They can't agree on how to raise the boy.
It's not a bad set-up. Trying to fill an hour a week with the travails of one couple can get difficult, so the additional characters make for a better pace and more storytelling opportunities.
And "Cold Feet" is a likable little show. Adam and Shelley are both neurotic, but that tends to make things more interesting.
This isn't brain surgery, but it's supposed to be entertainment.
"I think it's a good companion to 'Providence,' " said executive producer Kerry Ehrin.
(The two shows are separated by one of the many editions of "Dateline" -- but "Cold Feet" was indeed developed with an eye toward capitalizing on "Providence's" success.)
"I think it's going to appeal to people who want to maybe do a little Friday-night, stay-at-home date," Ehrin said. "You know, married couples who have children and the children are in bed. 'Providence' is obviously a little more dramatic. And this would be more like a really fun hour, so at (9) o'clock it's like -- forget your worries, turn on the television and have a good time for an hour."
It is not a show for kids, however. It's doubtful that younger kids would be interested -- and it can be a bit adult at times.
For example, the very-pregnant Jenny is in the mood for love. All the time. And all the characters talk about sex. A lot.
The most memorable scene in tonight's pilot involves Adam proving his love to Shelly by serenading her while he's in the nude. (A rose also figures the scene, but you'll have to see that for yourself.)
It's not by any means a titillating or lascivious scene -- it's played for laughs -- but it is the sort of thing that's intended for adults.
"Cold Feet" owes more than a bit to "Ally McBeal," only it doesn't have the over-the-top fantasy sequences. It's also sort of a comedic "thirtysomething," with self-involved people of that age trying to work out the crises (real or imagined) in their lives.
If you don't take any of this too seriously -- and it's not supposed to be serious -- "Cold Feet" could turn out to be a pleasant little diversion.
JACK AND JILL (Sunday, 8 p.m., WB/Ch. 30) is another romantic comedy that owes a lot to "Ally McBeal."
The title itself is a conceit that is sickeningly precious. Jack is the female half of this twentysomething duo -- Jacqueline Barrett (Amanda Peet). And Jill is the guy -- David Jillefsky (Ivan Sergei). But once you get past that, "Jack and Jill" is a pleasant little hour.
The show starts off very much in "Ally McBeal" fashion. Jack is at the altar when she learns that her fiance slept with her maid of honor the night before. So Jack is out the door and on her way to New York City to build a new life.
Actually, the opening is extraordinarily reminiscent of the pilot of, gag, "Suddenly Susan."
She moves in with a friend who happens to live in the same building as Jill. He's a toy designer who hasn't quite grown up, and he's involved in a serious relationship with another woman, Elisa (Sarah Poulson). But he's not all that enthusiastic about it.
He is, however, instantly attracted to Jack. And the feeling is mutual, although -- not surprisingly -- she isn't anxious to get into another relationship anytime soon.
On the one hand, "Jack and Jill" is fairly predictable. I mean, we know that Jack and Jill are going to have a relationship.
But there are some nice touches, like making Elisa a genuinely nice person and having her form a friendship with Jack.
Oh, um, that would be exactly like Ally and Georgia on "Ally McBeal." OK, so "Jack and Jill" isn't exactly original.
A show like this depends heavily on the likability of and chemistry between the two leads. As a matter of fact, Peet isn't the first Jill -- she was a replacement added when the powers-that-be at the WB decided they didn't like the original actress after the pilot was shot. And the jury's still out on her and how she interacts with Sergei.
But Sergei is a star in the making. He's better than the part and projects just the right tone.
The cast also includes Jaime Pressley as the friend Jack moves in with; Justin Kirk and Simon Rex as Jill's best friends; and, believe it or not, Victoria Principal of "Dallas" fame as Jack's mother.
"Jack and Jill," like "Cold Feet," isn't by any means a great show -- but it could end up being a decent diversion.