Love Monkey

Wendesday night at a work-related dinner I told Sara, "I am getting old. I really am starting to like CBS primetime." She reassured me that wasn't the case. "No, CBS is getting better: younger." That being said, I can write the following review.

CBS premiered it's new show, Love Monkey, on Tuesday January 17th. The initial attraction for me was Tom Cavanagh. Of course Tom first broken into our hearts with the comedy/drama ED about a New York city lawyer who returns to his quirky small, midwest hometown of Stuckeyville after being fired and finding out his wife is sleeping with a mailman. He runs into Carol Vessey, the most popular girl from High School who he crushed on all four years. Under the temporary insanity caused by losing his wife and job, Ed ends up kissing Carol in the town's bowling alley and buying it the next day. Instantly he becomes the bowling alley lawyer, begins his 4 year love-struggle with Carol in a show that was Northern Exposure, plus bowling pins and Michael Ian Black.

That was Ed. Love Monkey is not Ed. First it doesn't have bowling alley appeal. Second, although the show starts in a similar way (Tom Cavanagh's character being fired), Tom's character "Tom" is no "Ed". Tom Cavanagh shows us he has testicles as he portrays a mans man in the dog eat dog musc world. Unlike the love-sick, fairy-tale romance of Ed, Love Monkey a cross between High Fidelity and Jerry Maguire. I say High Fidelity because the show has a TV-audience milder, but still very Nick Hornby feel. Also the lead character "Tom" is deeply involved both on a professional and personal level with music. Where High Fidelity (the movie) has John Cusack talking to the camera for the narrative device, Love Monkey uses the over-played voice over narration. I say Jerry Maguire for the plot of agent (music, instead of sports) being fired from a huge company to be independent and get back to the reason he loves the industry in the first place.

Love Monkey has heart centered in reality. Tom drinks with his friends, attempts to get women in the sack, finds challenge in his female best-friend (who of course will eventually be a love interest) and smack-talks with his three male buddies (one of whom is a slightly overweight Jason Priestley).

We will have to wait and see but Love Monkey could prove to be one of my favorites. Which of course, if it is anything like Ed, would mean that it would get moved around from night to night, then interupted for baskball games and eventually taken off the air.

The title of the show is the second biggest reason I tunned in for the pilot premiere and I am glad I did. I give it a 4 out of 5. Good job CBS. Let's see if you can keep it up.