Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Friday

Capsule reviews of new shows on Friday night.

THE REST

Complete Savages, 8:30 p.m. (debuts Sept. 24 on ABC) If a show biz pedigree meant anything, this series - executive produced by film star Mel Gibson and written by former Simpsons producer Mike Scully - would be the next Seinfeld. That it is a horribly predictable comedy about a single dad with five sons starring Keith Carradine and a kid from Dinotopia only furthers the mystery about what works and what doesn't in Hollywood. Buzz factor: Low. But for a guy who made a blockbuster movie from the torturous death of Jesus Christ, spinning this piggish sitcom into TV gold should be a snap. Will it survive? Built on predictable jokes about disgusting male behavior, it should fit nicely into ABC's mediocre Friday comedy lineup.

Commando Nanny, 8:30 p.m. (premieres Sept. 17 on the WB) Following a hallowed tradition among egotistical TV producers, reality TV god Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) has created a show based on his life. But forget explaining why a skeptical millionaire businessman would hire a former British soldier with no references to watch his kids. Explain why would a guy who rules the TV industry bother making something as old-fashioned as a mediocre sitcom. Buzz factor: Low. Playing the typically blustery father figure, Gerald McRaney looks nostalgic for the days when he starred in quality comedies like Major Dad. Will it survive? Word is, original series star Philip Winchester broke his foot on purpose to duck starring in this turkey.

Medical Investigation, 10 p.m. (debuts Sept. 10 on NBC) Making the National Institutes of Health look like an elite commando team, this series about an emergency unit that handles infectious disease outbreaks neatly swirls together every cop, medical and forensics cliche on network television. Buzz factor: Middling. If Boomtown alum Neal McDonough and The Practice expatriate Kelli Williams can keep the breathless self-importance to a minimum, this could be the CSI of medical shows. Will it survive? Not likely on Friday. But people once said the same thing about CSI.

dr. vegas, 10 p.m. (premieres Sept. 24 on CBS) Centered around a doctor with a gambling problem who works inside a Las Vegas casino, this fairy tale drama unites two guys who flamed out in high-profile series last season. Unfortunately, Rob Lowe's Dr. Billy Grant and Joe Pantoliano's streetwise casino manager Tommy Danko aren't enough to keep this series from feeling like a bizarre blend of Medical Center and Vega$. Buzz factor: Middling. Critics love Lowe and Joey Pants but hate their penchant for picking mediocre TV projects. Bet somebody has a new agent by the time this series hits the skids. Will it survive? Friday seems up for grabs, but it's hard to imagine fans of CBS's military drama JAG, which will precede it, sticking around for stories about degenerate gamblers and the doctor who helps them.

The Complex: Malibu, 8 p.m. (debuts Monday on Fox with a two-hour episode, then airs Fridays) Based on an Australian series and developed by the minds behind American Idol, this show pits eight couples against each other for the chance to renovate one of four units in a swanky, cliffside apartment building. Because there just aren't enough home renovation shows on TV these days.