Everybody Loves My Big, Fat, Greek Family

I watched the premiere episode of Nia Vardalos' My Big, Fat, Greek Life. Maybe I should have waited a few weeks until they had the kinks worked out before watching, but I couldn't help it. I was waiting for the start of CSI: Miami and it got in the way.

I liked the movie. It was sweet, it was funny and it was touching. It has that `ugly ducking is really a beautiful swan' storyline. It has the `my family is nuts' storyline. And it has the overarching theme of `love is all you need' going for it.

In short, it has a lot of things going for it that the series doesn't have. Yet.

When you strip out the warmth and the humanity of the movie, what you're left with is a is a sitcom formula that's been used over and over. And over.

Okay: Here's the show's premise: They're in love. Her family's Greek; he's not.

Recognize this one?: They're in love. His family is Jewish; she's not. (Bridget Loves Bernie).

Or this one?: They're in love. She's from Flatbush and she has a Jewish Mother; he's not. (The Nanny)

Or this one?: They're in love. He's Cuban; she's not. She's zany; he's not. (I Love Lucy).

Or this one?: They're in love. She's a witch and so is her mother; he's not. (Bewitched)

Or this one?: They're in love. He's a stereotypical male who loves power tools; she's not. (Home Improvement).

What this new show will have to find is a reason for tuning in beyond the simple premise, and they haven't found that. They had a few inside jokes about how her wedding would make a good movie. And Andrea Martin could be a treasure.

What I think is missing is pretty essential. The network pulled in its veteran writers to punch up this show, and instead made it punch drunk. What made the movie special was the fact that it was written by a woman who lived that story – Nia Vardalos. For the show to be a hit, they need writers who have done the same.

More soon.