All grown up, and loving it

BYLINE: Ong Sor Fern --
Four shows steal the scene from teens and bring things into a more adult focus, but some of the cuts are unkind

GROWING up is hard to do. That's my life lesson for the week, courtesy of the new shows on TCS 5.

No fewer than four shows have debuted on the goggle box over the past couple of weeks: Judging Amy, Malcolm In The Middle, Once And Again and The Sopranos. After a couple of months during which teens dominated the tube, it is rather nice to see two new adult dramas sneaking into the schedule.

I am talking, of course, about Judging Amy and Once And Again, both of which are targeted at a crowd likelier to set curfews than have to obey them.

It may be early days to be passing sentence on Judging Amy. But this drama about a divorced corporate lawyer-turned-family court judge has got me thumping my gavel in approval.

Star Amy Brenneman, who also executive produces, plays Judge Amy Gray, a character inspired by the actress' mother, a real-life judge. Last seen on TV as NYPD Blue's screwed-up rookie cop Janice Licalsi, Brenneman revels in playing a slightly less screwed-up single Mum juggling parenting and career. The scripting may not be showy, but it is solid, shored up by strong performances from the likeable cast.

Tyne Daly's naggy mother could have been a one-note act, but the veteran actress limns the role with a confident mix of bullheadedness and tenderness. Her natural chemistry with Brenneman ensures that the prickly mother-daughter relationship rings true to life.

The other "adult" show which has got me glued to the screen is the oh-so-tender Once And Again. Okay, so Sela Ward and Billy Campbell make for a preternaturally-beautiful 40something duo. But the show has been evolving into the best explorations of the repercussions of divorce on TV.

The show could easily have gone for the sexy angle with such gorgeous stars. But the smart scriptwriters have realised that the love affair can only go so far.

So the show has turned into an engaging study of modern family dilemmas: How to deal with the breakdown of nuclear families and how do divorcees who are far from over the hill juggle their desire for a new partner with family commitments.

There is a sneaky pleasure in watching supposed grown-ups wrestle with the age-old terrors of new love and first dates.

While Judging Amy and Once And Again are obviously targeted at a mature crowd, Malcolm In The Middle is an adult show masquerading in kids' clothing. It looks like a typical family sitcom -- four rowdy boys and struggling parents. Cue canned jokes.

But the pilot wrecked expectations with some startling scenarios. Mother Lois is shown shaving a very hirsute father in the kitchen, with the implication the latter is stark naked. In a later scene, Mother is running around the house topless, in a tizzy, trying to get the boys organised for school.

The show also revels in being politically incorrect. When Malcolm rebels at being singled out for an advanced class, Lois says: "There's nothing wrong with being cut from the herd. It makes you the one buffalo that isn't there when the Indians run the rest of them off the cliff."

The show does not simply go for the cheap laugh. The quirky, black humour sets it apart from the conventional sitcom. Frankie Muniz, who plays Malcolm, with his saucer-eyes and button nose is appealing without being cutesy and, more importantly, acts instead of mugging for the camera.

The one dud in this bunch of promising new shows is, unfortunately, The Sopranos. Having seen uncensored episodes overseas, I was looking forward to the show. But the droll Emmy award winning drama about a Mafia boss has been cleaned up to its detriment.

The dialogue was redubbed to get rid of the colourful language, which has affected its rhythm and clarity. I found myself straining to understand the speech.

The snipping of certain scenes left much to be desired of the continuity, and in fact, damaged the characterisation of James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano. He turned from a believable, midlife crisis-stricken Mafia boss into a wimp.

The Sopranos is produced by cable channel HBO and in the United States, it is aired only on cable. Which explains the foul language and nudity because cable TV is restricted by subscription. To take a cable programme, hack it to ribbons for free-to-air TV when Singapore now has cable, makes no sense.

I know the censors here have a job to do, and I have yelped about hamfisted wielding of the scissors before. But maybe it is time to ask again: When will the censors allow the audience to grow up?____The (Singapore) Straits Times (October 15, 2000)