I generally like to give new TV series time to settle in before giving them the once over because it’s hard to judge from a single episode, especially a pilot.  Some potential series have killer first shows and then go down hill faster than Bode Miller.  Others are like fine wine and require time to breath before easing into big hits.  Then there are shows that fall somewhere in the middle like CBS’s new dramedy Love Monkey, starring Tom Cavanaugh, and which could have easily been called Ed In The City.  

Love Monkey is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Kyle Smith which was touted as an American version of Brit Nick Hornsby’s High Fidelity, which, in turn, was Americanized for the film version staring John Cusack and Jack Black.  Both book and TV show are about four thirty-something males living in New York, all at different stages of life, who hang out together and discuss the idiosyncrasies of their existence, which in most cases involves women.  The title stems from the idea that single guys in the jungle of the big city swing from relationship to relationship, looking for the right woman to settle down with.  The show veers from the book by changing the main ape, Tom Farrell, from a newspaper writer to a recording industry A&R man who gets fired from his cushy major label job because he cares more about the music than the bottom line.  He downgrades to a friend’s independent label where he can make more of a difference in helping undiscovered talent hone their craft and head towards stardom.  Tom’s trials and tribulations with musical artists are interspersed with his trials and tribulations with the opposite sex, which so far have only involved a few.  He breaks up with one romance at the start of the pilot, and after a few episodes, the embers are smoldering on another with one of his colleagues at work.  Along for the ride are three male buddies and a platonic girlfriend, who seem to act like the devil and angel on Tom’s shoulders, dispensing advice that may be well-intentioned but not always the best route to take.  It’s Tom finding his own path and his life revelations that make the show entertaining and meaningful.

Upon seeing the pilot, I was pleasantly surprised to find a show that doesn’t overtly try to make an audience like it.  It’s not a Desperate Housewives jumping up and down and waving in hopes of attracting your attention, but it’s also not dull pabulum for tired folks who want nothing but to sit and watch programs that hardly even use up one brain cell.  The characters are all interesting, likable, and flawed — which means that you want to find out what happens to them.  And that is what will make the show successful, if the writing stays fresh.  

Though, Tom Cavanaugh is the star, the show feels more like an ensemble piece, and if the rest of the cast is allowed to shine, I believe Love Monkey will turn into a big hit.  The writers need to take advantage of Judy Greer, who plays Tom’s platonic friend Brandy, a very astute actress who has great comic timing, charm, and a lot of chemistry with Cavanaugh.  One part of me wants them to build up the Brandy-Tom relationship, but another part wants there to be a good platonic relationship on TV that doesn’t involve one of the characters being gay.

Tom Cavanaugh takes his Ed character and fine tunes it, giving his screen Tom a little more edge and cynicism, which makes him not only more real than Ed but adds a lot more charisma, without losing the sweet charm that has been the actor’s appeal.  Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills, 90210) grows up to play the married buddy who is about to become a Dad and perhaps may not be grown up enough for the challenge.  Larenz Tate is Shooter, the rich playboy who works for the family business that allows him more time to entertain the ladies in the bedroom than attend meetings in the boardroom.  Christopher Wiehl is the not-so-enlightened ex-jock sports announcer who’s keeping his personal life secret for good reason.  There’s a lot of room for the characters to explore life in the big city much like their uptown counterparts who made it fashionable for ladies to talk about sex.  Perhaps Love Monkey will make it okay for men to talk about their emotions, though I can’t see Tom Cavanaugh ever appearing on the cover of GQ anytime soon. But you never know, he may one day become a Gap spokesman.

I recommend switching the channel over to CBS for Love Monkey after watching American Idol and House on Fox for a light but satisfying snack before bedtime.  It may not be issue-stretching material or shockingly thrilling, but with good writing and interesting characters, I think Love Monkey has the chance to become another Northern Exposure, quietly entertaining viewers for years to come.  You can catch Love Monkey Tuesdays on CBS, 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Rich Burlingham