‘Nanny,’ ‘Wings’ Good For Laughs
A very wise person in the television industry once told me that it takes a lot of hard work by many talented people to make a bad comedy.
By that he meant that television comedy is a most illusive art form.
The irony, of course, is that when it’s done well, it looks easy. Moreover, you don’t need an original idea to succeed.
There are two good examples tonight as repeat episodes of CBS’ “The Nanny” at 8 and NBC’s “Wings” at 9 turn a couple of the oldest formulas in the book into fun half-hours.
Remember the time Archie and Meathead got locked in the cellar on “All in the Family”? It wasn’t the first or the last time a slammed door produced big laughs.
On “The Nanny,” Fran and C.C. (Fran Drescher, Lauren Lane) are accidentally locked in the wine cellar during Fran’s mother’s birthday party.
This series often turns on the differences between the outrageous Fran and stuck-up C.C., each of whom has claim to the affection of handsome Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). They are like fire and ice.
And confining them in tight quarters creates a golden opportunity for the show’s writers as well as the two actresses. Settle back and watch the sarcasm fly.
And how many times have you seen this one? A lost and supposed dead spouse or fiance returns at an inopportune moment to create havoc and laughter. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne carry it off well in the 1940 screwball “My Favorite Wife.”
On “Wings,” Helen (Crystal Bernard) hears that Davis Lynch (Mark Harelik), to whom she was once engaged, has escaped house arrest in Rangoon and is headed for Nantucket.
Somehow she never got around to breaking off the engagement - and never found a way to tell Joe she was spoken for.
Is this great comedy? By no means. But it is entertaining fare for fans who know and like the characters. And that’s about 90 percent of a comedy’s success.
Highlights
“Ellen,” ABC at 8: And then there are original comedy ideas. Ellen (Ellen DeGeneres), worried about losing soon-to-be-wed Paige’s attention, tries to strike up a friendship with a woman (Janeane Garofalo) she meets in her doctor’s waiting room. Repeat.
“Dave’s World,” CBS at 8:30: Leave it to Dave (Harry Anderson) to wind up in this kind of hilarious jam. Driving Shel’s car, he gets picked up for unpaid parking tickets.
Every time he opens his mouth, he only gets into more trouble. Repeat.
“Party of Five,” FOX at 9: When Bailey (Scott Wolf) discovers that Jake (Carroll O’Connor) has another family, he asks his grandfather to get lost. Charlie (Matthew Fox) gets worse treatment from Kathleen (Brenda Strong) when he tries to break off their relationship. Repeat.
“Dateline NBC,” NBC at 10: Correspondent Ann Curry talks to people with near-death experiences who have returned to say with certainty that there is an afterlife.
“Republican National Convention,” ABC, CBS and NBC at 7: The networks pick up the action from San Diego. C-SPAN, PBS, FAM and CNN also plan coverage.
Cable Calls
“20th Century With Mike Wallace,” A&E at 6 and 10: Still haven’t had enough? This two-hour-long special,”The Trial of O.J. Simpson: Anatomy of a Verdict,” takes yet another look at the trial of the century.
Among the those taking part are defense lawyer Barry Scheck, Fordham University Professor Ruth Jones and Sports Illustrated’s Paul Witteman.
It seems as if it has all been said. Even A&E isn’t claiming that the special contains new revelations.
Make a night of it by tuning in a repeat “Biography” focusing on dream-team lawyer F. Lee Bailey at 5 and 9.
“Dangerous Liaisons” (1988), LIFE at 9: A splendid cast, lavish costumes, grand locations and airy dialogue mark this classy adaptation of Christopher Hampton’s play “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.” Glenn Close and John Malkovich star in the 18th-century French romp with Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman.