Watching 'Dear John'

Nov. 6th, 1988

Many years ago, the late Elizabeth Dwyer, editorial page editor and writer for the Bennington Banner, called her political endorsements "the kiss of death," and I'm to find out if her legacy is to be passes on to me in the field of reviewing TV.

I know that the best way to ensure the failure of a sports team is for me to bet on it, and that any show I recommend to friends, like last year's "The Slap Maxwell Story" is going to be frustratingly bounced around the schedule before cancellation, so it is with queasy trepidation that I report that NBC's new half-hour situation comedy, "Dear John," is hilarious.

But unlike "Slap," I think that this one has all the ingredients for success.

"Dear John" is about a man whose wife has run off with his best friend, and who is forced to strike out on his own.  The pilot show opens with two neighbors helping him move into a dreary apartment, and as he looks the place over, one says, "The last thing I want to do is to interfere in your life.  But I saw this ad in the paper for the 'One-to-One Club'...", and the "situation" for shows to follow is set up.

Ignoring his friend's husband's comment, "Why would he want to hang around with a bunch of other pathetic losers," John goes to the local community center with the idea of joining.

Now John is not a person who does things, he is one to whom things happen.  So he finds himself being introduced to other troubled people, but it is not until the meeting gets underway that he sees he's stumbled into an alcoholics' self-help group by mistake, and as he tries to excuse himself, he's surrounded by friendly, concerned members trying to convince him to admit that he is, indeed, an alcoholic.

John escapes across the hall to where he belongs, along with two or three others, and the gag finishes with troubled alcoholics finding they're in the wrong group and leaving the "One to One" room.

This club for divorced, widowed, and separated individuals is where John meets the regulars of the series, and apparently will be the focus of future episodes.

The players of this piece are ones who will be easy to live with.  Judd Hirsch, a 54-year old Emmy Award winning actor (for his nice work in "Taxi"), brings a sense of "pathetic loser" with redeeming features to his role, the quintessential nice guy who's been beaten on most of his life, yet who has such decent instincts that we cannot help but like him.  He's dry, with perhaps a touch of cynicism, just enough to give his character an interesting edge.

The other juicy role is tenaciously grasped by Jane carr, who plays Louise, the lust-obsessed group leader.  With the help of her piercing British accent and her brusque, nosey manner, Carr moves thing along through an outrageously strong personality.  As she introduces John to the group's purpose, she points out that "No one's here to pry into your private life - have you any sexual problems?"

Remaining major parts include Kirk (Jere Burns), an obnoxious twit whose confidence in himself as a ladies' man is matched by his singular lack of success; Ralph (Harry Groener), a Wally Cos sort whose wife married to gain citizenship and ran off during the wedding reception; and Kate (Isabella Hofmann), who apparently is going to be John's romantic interest.

Kate thus far (two episodes) is a totally undeveloped character, lovely but quiet, and I'll be interested in seeing if she builds a personality of her own, or if still waters run shallow.

Surprisingly, in some respects the second show, which is more typical of what we'll get than the expensive premiere, is technically better than the first.  The musical score is lighter, more appropriate to the lightweight nature of the clever script, whereas the pilot's music was a direct ripoff from "Hooperman." and the laugh-track, which "Dear John" does not need anyway, is much less obtrusive the second time around.

"Dear John" so far does not address the human condition, it does not mention (nor have) children, and it only slightly involves us in teh trials of one cast adrift on the social sea.

But it cheers me up and makes me laugh out loud.  I like that in a comedy.

You can catch it Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on WNYT, Channel 13.

Mac Rush works in the Banner's composing room.


By far my favorite two lines written in this one "But it cheers me up and makes me laugh out loud.  I like that in a comedy."