Bram and Alice

Publish date: 2024-07-17

Thanks to a Tony pedigree and a farcical fancy, CBS' "Bram and Alice" is a firm reminder that sitcoms don't solely comprise talking babies and bratty teens.

Thanks to a Tony pedigree and a farcical fancy, CBS’ “Bram and Alice” is a firm reminder that sitcoms don’t solely comprise talking babies and bratty teens. The premise isn’t particularly edgy — a long-lost daughter finds her jerky dad, and they live unhappily ever after — but the perfs, notably Alfred Molina’s, turn it into a solid Sunday entry that airs after “Becker.” While “Frasier” executive producers Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd will have quite a task duplicating that standard’s magic, it’s hard to find anything else on a network sked that rivals “Bram’s” appreciation for the finer elements of comedy, mainly timing and sarcasm. Too bad it’s on Sunday night, where Big Three laffers haven’t flourished since the days of “Alice,” “The Jeffersons” and “One Day at a Time.”

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Bram Shepherd (Molina) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York author who has written a classic but still can’t pay his bills. A womanizing boozer who employs an even-headed assistant (Roger Bart), he gets a visit one day from Alice O’Connor (Traylor Howard), a sweet, naive young woman who always wanted to be a writer but is ready to abandon the dream and return to Vermont.

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Seems mom (guest star Catherine O’Hara) was a wide-eyed Vassar secretary years ago when Shepherd came to lecture. After one night together, they went their separate ways, leaving Alice as a girl without a father. Until now.

Their initial meeting isn’t exactly ideal. At first, he thinks she’s an ex-floozy he can’t remember, but Shepherd eventually finds out that Alice has appeared in order to forge a relationship. He’s freaked out but instantly hooked on the idea of parenthood, while she misinterprets a kind gesture as an invitation to become his roommate.

With so many freshman comedies obsessed with youth, it’s nice to see a “family” skein in which the principals are all grown up. The dialogue is witty, the jokes randy and the humor targeted for viewers who have already raised their children. Hardly the blueprint for a successful run on television, of course, but it’s a welcome counterprogramming move against the rash of “Yes, Dear” knockoffs.

Alongside Molina, who nails the selfish, professorial type, Howard is a bit too dippy, mixing her joyful highs with some pouty lows that are forced and frantic. A little too flighty considering her career hopes, she comes off as determined but dense.

Supporting players are aces; Kate Finneran, who snared a Tony for “Noises Off,” is a perfect stuffy neighbor who carries on about her secretive Japanese boyfriend; Bart, a Tony winner for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” matches his boss zing for zing; and Michael Rispoli is fine in a bartender role that isn’t particularly fleshed out.

James Burrows’ direction is, as always, pro, and tech credits are nice, with production designer Roy Christopher having built a Gotham apartment that actually passes for a loft instead of a soundstage.

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Bram and Alice

CBS, Sun., Oct. 6, 8:30 p.m.

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