TV: Out of Practice

I'll try to make this one short and to the point: Out of Practice is bad, and I feel sorry for the talented people in the cast who are stuck with it: Henry Winkler, who seems to be making a genuine effort, but who really needs to spend more time on Arrested Development instead; Stockard Channing, who seems to be phoning it in while waiting for her next West Wing appearance; and Paula Marshall, whom I love, but who is simply miscast. Jennifer Tilly even makes an uncredited cameo, and as cute as she is, if this is her only acting offer, she really should just stick with poker. (And by the way, can you believe she's 46??)

But I fear it's bad in the way Yes, Dear or According to Jim are bad: shows that you and everyone you know hate, shows talk show hosts use in their monologues when they need a bad TV show as a punchline -- but which somehow stay on the air for seven years.

I sincerely hope not. It's just bad. Bad writing, bad acting, bad characters -- everyone is unlikeable. And bad casting. I mentioned Marshall, but here's a quote from the San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman on another cast member:

Marshall as a lesbian is about as believable as Ty Burrell, who plays her brother the plastic surgeon, as straight. His character is clearly gay yet saddled with talking about women's breasts and how any woman who doesn't sleep with him must be lesbian.

Believable? Not this far west.

Meow! What a bitch! But he's also dead right.

Do yourself a favor and skip this show.