By now you know that shortly before self-important TV news anchorperson Chuck Darling (Kelsey Grammer—and no relation to the Darlings of Dirty Sexy Money) left provincial Pittsburgh for lotusland Los Angeles, he actually knocked up the co-anchor he was about to leave behind, Kelly Carr (Patricia Heaton). Of course, this being a sitcom, she never told him about the daughter who eventuated. Now, ten years later, having flamed out in L.A., he’s back in the boondocks, and they are once again teamed up every night like a pair of resentful water buffalo, going through the usual paces with a sports-guy blowhard (Fred Willard), a weather-girl bimbo (Ayda Field), and a tubby 26-year-old news director (Josh Gad), none of whom has ever seen an episode of Sports Night and all of whom therefore delude themselves that Mary Tyler Moore is working next door. After twenty years of stalwart service, Kelsey Grammer should be allowed back on television whenever he likes. But on a show like this, why would he want to be?

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Related:

• Archive: “Television”
• Articles by John Leonard
• Table of Contents: October 8, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!