I didn't pay much attention to this series during its initial short run on network TV, but since it has been rerun on the USA cable network I've taken a closer look. For some reason, when a series is "devalued" by going off first-run TV and is played weekdays on syndication, I'm much more forgiving of any flaws it may have.
This could be an example of a "guilty pleasure." Even though it's never a bad show, too often it's mediocre, using generic jokes to cover up the script's thinness. What it does have going for it is its cast. Mel Harris, formerly of 'thirtysomething,' is very likeable in one of the leads and Jere Burns proves he can play another character besides his obnoxious one from the show 'Dear John.' The children (Marne Patterson, who has got to be the cutest teenager ever on TV, Billy L. Sullivan and Emily Ann Lloyd) all do fine jobs as well. Plus Christine Dunford as Burns' ex-wife is frequently hilarious in her role that sees her as a heroine of a TV fantasy-action series. But the inconsistency of the writing makes you wish you could like the show better than you do.
