So What About Brian?

There’s something disturbing about Barry Watson’s hair on the new ABC show What About Brian, which premiered Sunday night in the usual Grey’s Anatomy 10 PM slot. In one particular scene, Raoul Bova's character (an Italian model) says something the audience has been thinking throughout the show: “It needs some product.” Watson's coiffure is analagous to the show: a little limp, a little boring, but workable.

Here's Brian's premise: seven friends live in Los Angeles. Six of them are coupled up (with each other), and Watson's character is the only single left in the group. He's the most sensitive guy in the bunch and earnestly looking for love in LA. In the pilot, Brian thinks he's found the real thing in equally sensitive pediatrician Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster), who so happens to be his best friend's (Matthew Davis) fiancee. But Brian being a stand-up guy does the right thing and steps out of the way, much to his own misery.

Since the plot is similar to many chick flicks out there, we don't know how it can sustain an entire series. The characters are likeable enough, too, but the writing isn't quite up to snuff. It's not as angst-ridden as a thirtysomething and not as funny as Friends. Though What About Brian is billed as a comedy-drama, but the "product" line was the funniest of the pilot.

And as Angelenos, we have a few bones to pick with the life in LA storyline. First, friends who live on opposite ends of town -- at least one of the couples lives at the beach, while another couple lives in the Hills or Silverlake -- would never see each other this often. Secondly, if all friends are going to the movies, why cram six in a minivan? The Swingers method -- one car per person -- is the way we operate here...life in L.A. doesn't ring true otherwise.