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PrintJust as the two lovers in this romantic comedy often try too hard, so does this show. And yet, I succumbed to its quirky charms anyway.
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NBC Universal Josh Cooke plays Nate Solomon and Jennifer Finnigan is Marni Fliss in NBC's "Committed." Click photo for larger image.  WHEN: 9:30 tonight on NBC.STARRING: Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke.
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Brilliant, neurotic Nate (Josh Cooke) meets eccentric, upbeat Marni (Jennifer Finnigan), and they both turn out to be just weird enough to find the other one appealing. She sublets an apartment with a dying clown (Tom Poston) living in a walk-in closet ("He's used to small spaces," she says, "you know, the cars."), and he freaks out at a restaurant when a man waiting to use the bathroom stands in front of an emergency exit door for too long.
Nate's idea of a romantic gesture is to give Marni a gas mask. She thinks it's cute that he "really needs serious help."
Each half of the couple comes with a best friend to offer advice, but Marni's buddy Tess (Tammy Lynn Michaels, "Popular, "The L Word") is the funnier of the two.
"Committed" was created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, whose last effort was "Three Sisters" (shudder!). Here they're working in more "Seinfeldian" waters, especially in upcoming episodes that are by turns zany and madcap, but also examine the picayune details of life a la "Seinfeld."
The "Committed" leads are likable enough, especially cute Finnigan whose pinched, nasal voice gives her just enough of an off-kilter sound to fit this role perfectly.
In time, the weirdness of this "Committed" couple -- ha-ha, get the play on the word? -- may grow tiresome, but initially, at least, it's fresh and engaging.
'The Road to Stardom'
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Yet another reality show, this one takes young wannabe rap and hip-hop music stars and sends them on tour with Missy "I Must Have a Lollipop in My Mouth at All Times" Elliott.
Contestants vie for a recording contract, released single and $100,000. Missy and a posse of three dancers cast the final votes on who stays and who goes every week, but she's hardly in the premiere episode (she's much less a presence than Donald Trump in "The Apprentice"). It's really executive producer Mona Scott who seems to be running the show.
Scott is joined by R&B singer/songwriter Teena Marie and producer Dallas Austin in evaluating the performances each week. Contestants live on a run-down tour bus and face weekly tasks that determine who makes the bus and who gets kicked off the bus.
In tomorrow's premiere, the players (or would that be playas?) don't make much of an impression, and I really didn't care who got voted off. Not good. Quality reality shows can at least be edited to create characters, but there are few to be found here.
Maybe MTV addicts will enjoy "The Road to Stardom," but for anyone else, it's a path that's best not taken.
'Alias'
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How much did "Alias" executive producer J.J. Abrams dislike the show's 2003-04 season? Quite a lot given the words he puts in one of the character's mouths. Sure, Vaughn (Michael Vartan) is actually disparaging "last year," but given Abrams' comments about the show's third season, it's clear the line of dialogue can be taken both ways.
Abrams' solution? Return "Alias" to its first season both structurally and in the types of storytelling; less Rambaldi gobbledygook and more thrilling missions and family relationship stories.
But to get there, "Alias" must go through machinations that offer surprisingly good shocks, even if they require acrobatic plot contortions to achieve.
Some of the two-hour season premiere's best twists come in the set-up for the new season, so I'm hesitant to say much about the new situation Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) finds herself in or the current state of her relationships with one-time lover Vaughn and her father, Jack (Victor Garber), a fellow CIA agent.
Suffice it to say, "Alias" returns with a gripping two hours that sets the stage with the potential for more thrills to come.
