ÒWatching EllieÓ:
A slice-of-life comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus
By Frazier Moore
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — You don’t need “Watching Ellie” as proof. The so-called “Seinfeld” Curse said to plague its co-stars’ follow-up projects is a myth.

Anyone who tuned in knows the swift demise of “The Michael Richards Show” and the Jason Alexander sitcom “Bob Patterson” had nothing to do with any curse beyond the self-inflicted curse of mediocrity.

Each comedy jinxed its star with a bleakly formulaic concept and a flimsy knockoff of the character he played for nine seasons on the groundbreaking “Seinfeld.”

Now, with “Watching Ellie” — the delightful return to series TV by “Seinfeld” alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus — the only hex to beware of is the one viewers place on it by snubbing this show for the opposite affront: Its star has boldly chosen to play a role different (but not TOO different) from Elaine, while daring to make a comeback bid refreshingly different (but not TOO different) from sitcom orthodoxy.

Brava! (It airs Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.)

The most strikingly offbeat thing about “Watching Ellie,” which tracks the life of L.A. club singer/thirtysomething single Ellie Riggs, is its weekly 22-minutes-in-real-time format.

The novelty of that approach may have been undercut by the Fox suspense drama ”24,” which is ticking off 24 consecutive hours over its 24 hour-long episodes.

But “Ellie” boasts its own atomized variation, seizing willy-nilly a 22-minute chunk of Ellie’s life (getting ready for her nightclub gig; singing at her best friend’s wedding) and presenting this interlude unabridged.

Yes, it’s an odd way to frame a story, at least on TV, where time is usually nipped and tucked to assist a broader narrative.

Yes, that digital readout is initially off-putting, even though the numbers are ghostly faint in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen and soon escape your notice.

And yes, you might wonder why Louis-Dreyfus and her husband, the show’s creator-executive producer Brad Hall, have challenged themselves with this storytelling exercise — the sitcom version of composing haiku or building a ship in a bottle.

I admit, 10 minutes into the “Ellie” premiere, my response could be summed up as “What were they thinking?”

But after 22 minutes, I was charmed. After the second episode, I was hooked.

Hooked on the format. The premise. The bright, nimble writing. The handsome production values. The splendid ensemble. And, of course, on the title character, a shining departure (but not TOO much of a departure) for its star.

The premiere episode finds Ellie at home, dressing for her club performance. Already late, she meets with one delay after another. Her toilet overflows, requiring immediate attention from her not-so-handy handyman neighbor (Peter Stormare).

But then he slips on the flooded bathroom floor and knocks himself out, requiring immediate attention from another neighbor, a nerdy physician (Don Lake).

Dr. Zimmerman: “I wish he was a cat.”

Ellie: “Why?”

Dr. Zimmerman: “I’m a vet.”

Ellie: “You’re a vet?!”

Dr. Zimmerman: “Sure. You knew that.”

Ellie: “Oh, I thought you were —”

Dr. Zimmerman: ”— on probation? OK, look: I’m on probation. But that’s, uh, like a paperwork snafu.”

And there’s still 12:15 to go.

Like Elaine on “Seinfeld,” Ellie is plucky, scattered, meddlesome, sexy and unlucky in love. Unlike Elaine, she is sweet, sincere and concerned about the other guy. Think: Mary Richards for the ’00s. Ellie sure can turn the world on with her smile.

Ellie’s world also includes her married-with-child younger sister (Lauren Bowles), her married boyfriend who’s also the guitarist in her band (Darren Boyd), and ex-beau Edgar (Steve Carell), a voice-over actor whose loutish smarm is matched only by his flights of twisted logic.

“How ya doin’, El?” says Edgar after running into Ellie on the street. “You OK?”

“I’m fine. I’m just a little late.”

“Is that why you look so frazzled? And tired?”

“You see? Do you see? This is what you do, Edgar!”

“I didn’t say you look BAD,” he persists, then wastes her time further with a loony elaboration.

Ellie finally arrives at the club, thank goodness (it’s just a block from home), and begins her first number, “So Nice,” which is frozen in mid-phrase 74 seconds later as the countdown hits 00:00. Still-frame. Fade to black.

Thus ends the first “Watching Ellie,” which, with the viewers’ say-so, could emerge into a rich and funny mosaic of Ellie. More than a series, this promises to be a cumulative portrait, 22 minutes at a time.

credits

TCU Daily Skiff © 2002