Not Waiting for Rapaport

This week Fox is touting the season premier of their strong Sunday night comedy lineup: The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy and The War at Home.

Yes, The War at Home.

What gives with TV executives?

First, its hard to imagine anyone liking The War at Home,an injection-molded family sitcom that, I'm guessing, was created as a vehicle for Michael Rapaport.

Second, its even harder to imagine that the people who tune into Family Guy or The Simpsons will find The War at Home funny. Its like thinking that Antique Roadshow's is a good lead-in for Jackass.

Q: Who's Michael Rapaport
A: A minor film actor who gained some acclaim in a series of roles including Zebrahead, an independent film hit.

Q: Why did someone create a vehicle for him

A: I don't know but the answer is probably fascinating.

Because the family is so off-the-shelf, I have no choice but to believe that War is Rapaport's gig. Its interspersed with "comic" cut-aways of Rapaport addressing the audience and, whatever his talents, stand-up isn't one of them. The asides are delivered in character, the character being a tough, NYC-bred, smart-ass. You can probably already guess the material. The kind of soliquy that begins with "back in my dad" and ends with "am I right?" East coast comics started doing this schtick in the 70's and it was usually aimed at California -- hot tubs, encounter groups, EST, really anything that was perceived as new and unmanly. It was old by 1981. Today, this material would only garner polite chuckles at an open mic night.

That the programming gibbons at Fox would pick this show up and plop it down amidst the funniest shows on television tells me that either they think The War at Home is as funny as Family Guy, American Dad or The Simpsons or they really don't get any of them. Either way, they wouldn't know funny if it crapped on their bed spread. And they're deciding what you get to watch