letterten 2003-04 fall preview

debuts Friday, Sep 19, 8:30pm

premise from	A middle-class African-American family takes in an old friend -- a white single mother with a 16-year-old son. Even though she thinks a traditional family structure will be good for him, different parenting styles and the cramped quarters start wearing on everybody's nerves. [The WB link]
stars	Holly Robinson Peete ("For Your Love"), Kevin Michael Richardson, Megalyn Echikunwoke ("24"), B.J. Mitchell, Diane Farr, J. Mack Slaughter
producers	Dan Fogelman, Rick Weiner, Kenny Schwartz, Warren Littleford
studio	Warner Bros. Television

opinions
	Decent cast, but the "sit" seems, like a lot of shows this year, "been there." Reminds me of the 80's almost-hit, "The Torkelsons."
	Sitcom veterans Robinson Peete and Yasbeck will have to work hard to make this more than a one-note show. As it stands, the pilot looks to rely on a mix of culture-clash jokes and we're-all-the-same-inside hokum. The two biggest jokes in the preview clips both took place in the bathroom, which can't be a good sign. (You'd also think a middle-class family with two kids would live in a house with more than one bathroom, but that cuts the likelihood of wacky hijinks.) Nestled comfortably between the net's two top-rated comedies, though, it has a decent chance of survival. [note: This was obviously written before Yasbeck was replaced with Farr.]

my thoughts on "Like Family"
	Possible full season, especially with ownership, but I wouldn't ever expect this to make it to next season. With two other comedies debuting in the same slot, The WB handicap really hurts here.