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On The Arts: Television dramas finally lighten up but still carry weight
Sunday, October 22, 2000 By Rob Owen
Sentimentality scores.
Idealism ignites airwaves.
Romance rocks.
Rob Owen is the Post-Gazette TV Editor.
Those headlines sum up prime-time television's new vibe, a welcome turn toward smiles and away from exhausted grimaces, frowns and growls.
Television critics are stereotypically thought to be curmudgeonly types who've been on the beat too long and hate all things sunny and cheerful, yet we've been falling all over ourselves to praise NBC's "The West Wing" and "Ed."
Those aren't the only hourlong shows to diverge from the cynical drumbeat that characterized the '90s. It's about time TV took a cue from Top 40 music's movement away from grungy, angst rock (Alice in Chains we hardly knew ye) to peppy pop (Britney, Christina and boy bands).
That's not to say everything in pop culture is giggles and grins or should be. TV shows and music with dark themes always will have a place (Eminem and Limp Bizkit also rule the music charts), but after a decade of TV drudgery that began with "Twin Peaks" and included "The X-Files" and "NYPD Blue," it's a relief to see dramas lightening up.
But upbeat TV fare doesn't have to be lightweight.
The family drama "7th Heaven" (8 p.m. tomorrow, The WB) always leaves viewers with a warm, fuzzy feeling, but doesn't cause sugar shock.
It's often cute, but creator Brenda Hampton excelled at creating a family of teen-age characters with realistic personalities. Sometimes problems are solved too quickly, but this season viewers are watching troubled teen Mary (Jessica Biel) dig a deeper and deeper hole for herself.
If "7th Heaven" and WB newcomer "Gilmore Girls" are emblematic of charismatic family dramas, NBC's "Ed" (8 tonight, NBC) signifies a new direction in adult dramas. It's hopeful and wistful and completely romantic, sort of a male "Ally McBeal" (I'm talking first-season "Ally," not the recent "Ally"-oops episodes).
In the pilot, Ed Stevens (Tom Cavanagh) got fired from his job, caught his wife in bed with the mailman and returned to his hometown of Stuckeyville. There he rediscovered the beautiful Carol Vessey (Julie Bowen), the prettiest girl in his high school class, whom he never dared talk to as a teen-ager.
Older and bolder, Ed stole a kiss from Carol, bought the town bowling alley and set up a law practice inside. He's surrounded by characters best described as quirky, which makes the show sound like a "Northern Exposure" rip-off.
There are certainly similarities between the two, but "Northern Exposure" came more from the head, "Ed" comes from the heart.
In the show's second episode, Ed discovered his battle for Carol's affection will be a long one. For the time being, she's sticking with her long-time beau (Gregory Harrison), a brooding, manipulative writer.
Intertwined with the Ed-Carol story was a law case involving an old-time magician whose act promises children a trip to "the world of possibility." Of course, "the world of possibility" also refers to Ed's longing that love will blossom between him and Carol.
"Without the 'World of Possibility,' what do we have left?" Ed asks.
His devotion to Carol is sincere. Ed's clumsy attempts to win her over are kind-hearted and pure. Only those who have an allergic reaction to eccentrics or forget the first blush of romance can evade this show's charms.
"Ed" is clearly sentimental, but that shouldn't be taken to mean sappy or shmoopy dreck. There's nothing rewarding about false, contrived emotions. But when writing and performances are realistic, when it's clear programs come from the heart (with some smart writing from the head), TV series can legitimately leave viewers feeling better than they did before tuning in.
TV's new attitude also manifests itself in rediscovered idealism. Unlike the impatient, troubled Andy Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue," Craig T. Nelson's Jack Mannion on CBS's "The District" (10 p.m. Saturday) sees nobility in something as simple as an apology.
In the show's second episode, a man was arrested for murder. An investigation ultimately cleared him, but Mannion's public relations assistant resisted making an official apology.
"[He's] going to have a lawyer inside of 10 minutes," the flack said. "Do you want to tell me how you're going to apologize without admitting liability on behalf of the city?"
"There's got to be a way to say we're sorry," Mannion firmly responded. "With all these lawyers and everyone running around worried about being politically correct, everyone is trying to protect their precious little behind. Nobody has the guts to say they made a mistake."
NBC's "The West Wing" (9 p.m. Wednesday) takes idealism to a more sophisticated level, mixing positive politics, patriotism and romance in all its varied forms.
It's a sad state of affairs when I care passionately about the fate of fictional President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) after a shooting, yet my respect for the actual president is on par with my feelings about fellow politicians/adulterers Newt Gingrich and John F. Kennedy.
After watching the season premiere of "The West Wing" earlier this month, my spirit soared. That sounds silly -- a TV show did that? -- but it's true. "West Wing" provided two hours of warm feelings about the compassion of the show's characters, about leadership and about government.
"West Wing" may be pure fantasy, but it's more embraceable than the current political climate. Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) spoke for many real-life apathetic voters in a flashback to candidate Bartlet's presidential campaign.
"I'm tired of it, year after year after year after year, having to choose between the lesser of Who Cares?" Leo said. "Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences, of setting the bar so low I can hardly look at it."
Perhaps it is too much to ask that a presidential candidate admit that a congressional vote he cast hurt a constituent's pocketbook. Maybe in the real world, a candidate would not respond, "If that angers you, if you resent me, I completely respect that. But if you expect anything different from the president of the United States, you should vote for someone else."
"The West Wing" doesn't just allow viewers to indulge in political fantasy, it also showcases characters who embody the best aspects of humanity -- selflessness, love and respect for others.
Though he was shot, President Bartlet showed more concern for the condition of his Secret Service agent than for himself.
I almost got misty-eyed watching the scene where the president is about to go into surgery. Before he was put under, he asked his long-time friend Leo to lean closer.
"It's OK," Bartlet said gently, kissing Leo on the cheek.
Don't even get me started on the scene where White House staff member Donna Moss (Janel Maloney) learned her boss and potential romantic interest Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) was hit in the barrage.
"Hit with what?" Donna asked, dazed by the news and not wanting to accept it. "I don't understand -- is it serious?"
In that episode, "West Wing" was alternately serious, nostalgic, genuinely moving and filled with emotions ranging from heartbreak to hope -- but mostly hope.
It accentuated the positive, TV's hip new attitude.
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