BUZZ FACTOR You rate the show CONCEPT Al Ortega (Al Madrigal) does a talk show out of his house, cohosted by his parents and grandma. Real studio audience, real celebrity guests (well, Denise Richards and Howie Mandel in the pilot), real Cheech Marin as Al's dad. THE SCOOP Based on the British hit ''The Kumars at No. 42,'' it's actually much closer to E!'s ''Michael Essany Show.'' Executive producer Wally Wolodarsky notes, ''The guests come with no knowledge of the script, just a regular talk-show pre-interview. We ask them to be themselves and let the actors work around them.'' Sample question to Mandel: ''You are Canadian and you are Jewish.... Can you eat Canadian bacon?'' You sense either panic or despair behind Mandel's shades. BOTTOM LINE Fox shoulda just kept ''Andy Richter Controls the Universe.'' Madrigal is all too convincing as a TV amateur and Marin seems queasy delivering so many trite Mexican jokes after all these years. |
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