recess guides you through this fall's hottest shows

Imagine the pomp of Frasier Crane and acidity of Everybody Love Raymond's Debra colliding in a newsroom sitcom. Sounds like the makings of comedic brilliance. Too bad the show is broadcast on FOX. In spite of a strong cast, FOX's Back to You, starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, Cheers) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) is a shallow attempt at humor, laugh track and all. The show begins with anchorman Chuck Darling (Grammer) having a viral video of an extreme breakdown at an L.A. station. Grammer is fired and returns to the newsroom minor leagues of a Pittsburgh station where he reunites with his old news team, led by Kelly Carr (Heaton). Darling, a less politically incorrect version of Ron Burgundy, thinks Carr is in love with him, causing the two to butt heads. What could be finely crafted raillery between two adept stars falls hard into predictable territory. Grammer and Heaton would be wise to use their talents elsewhere. The supporting cast reveals serious flaws in the show. Fred Willard takes the sportscaster role, applying all the tendencies of his Anchorman character, a gimmick that does not work without Will Ferrell. A stereotypically saucy Latina weatherwoman and angry wannabe anchorman also sour the show. The episode ends with a twist where Carr reveals her animosity toward Darling. Darling' realizes he impregnated Carr after a tryst on his last night in Pittsburgh and Carr is now the mother of Darling's baby. While this spin adds a much-needed dimension to the show, the pitiful writing limits the potential of the show. Back to You has talented leads and enough star power to win over audiences. However, unless the writers can figure out how to earn the canned laughter, the show, for the benefit of audiences everywhere, is doomed to join the annals of cancelled television. TV fans looking for their fix of office-place humor should instead turn their television sets to NBC's far superior The Officee.