TITUS IS NOTABLY AVERAGE

By Mike Thompson

As I was preparing this week’s column (okay, I was in class, but I had my column on my mind, mainly because I hadn’t written it yet), someone asked me why I have only been writing about cancelled shows lately. Of course, he meant Freaks and Geeks, which I penned a tribute to last week. He also mentioned Sports Night, at which point I reminded him that that show hasn’t been axed- - yet. Still, it made me think. Instead of concentrating on shows that may be or already have been cancelled, why not do a write-up on a new up-and-coming show? I liked my idea (as I usually do) and decided to review Titus. I came to the conclusion that, despite some interesting sequences, Titus is still just an average sitcom.

Titus debuted on FOX March 20th. It was heavily promoted, and was given a nice timeslot (Mondays at 8:30- - cushioned between hits That ‘70s Show and Ally McBeal). I checked out the pilot episode and found that, as pilot episodes go, it wasn’t terrible. It established the show’s premise and its characters. As mentioned before, Titus stars as Christopher Titus, a mechanic. His brother, Dave (played by Zack Ward), lives at home with their father, Ken (Stacey Keach). Cynthia Watros plays Christopher’s girlfriend Erin, and David Shatrow is his friend and co-worker Tommy. The main emphasis of the show is on the many ways the Titus family is dysfunctional.

The pilot also introduced Titus’ most interesting concept. Fortunately, this is a concept that will likely continue as long as the series remains on the air. Several times during an average episode, the action stops and the camera jumps to a dark room that contains only a light bulb and Christopher. In these sequences (which are filmed in black and white), Christopher talks directly to the audience. These serve as a way for Christopher to offer amusing comments that pertain to the plot. They also occasionally frame flashback sequences to Christopher’s childhood and adolescence. These sequences also house some of the funniest moments in the show.

Since the sequences find Christopher alone, they probably most resemble Titus’ critically acclaimed real-life standup act. Some clever lines emerge from these sequences. In a recent episode, Christopher comments, "All anybody wants is a normal life and a cool car. Most people would settle for the car." Another line from that same episode provides some funny commentary on Christopher’s less-than-nuclear family: "The Los Angeles Times reports that sixty-three per cent of American families are now dysfunctional. That means we’re the majority." Another fine aspect of these sequences is that they show Christopher to be a likeable character. It’s always good for a sitcom to have an affable main character. These sequences are very enjoyable to watch.

Unfortunately, the rest of Titus is pretty bland. The plots so far have been pretty standard stuff and fairly predictable. One recent episode dealt with Christopher and Dave fearing Ken is dead. First Dave refuses to go into his father’s room to confirm that he’s dead, afraid of seeing a corpse. Christopher chews him out, and then he also chickens out at the last minute. Erin then comes over, chastises both Christopher and Dave for not having the guts to enter the room. Guess who finds herself also afraid to check out the room? By the time Tommy appears and is fearful of confirming Ken’s death, the whole thing has grown tiresome. Another problem with the plot is that everyone in the audience knows that Ken isn’t really dead. And when Christopher and Dave start telling critical jokes about their father, you know that Ken is going to walk in to the room right at that moment.

Also, these standard plot-advancing sequences of Titus aren’t all that funny. Ken is overly fond of beer as well as abusing his children, both physically and mentally. The character has little redeeming qualities, and is quickly becoming a cartoon. Furthermore, the jokes are markedly worse than they are in the black-and-white sequences. Some of them are okay (such as when Christopher says to Dave, "Dad is not the kind of guy to kill himself. Us, maybe, but not himself."), but none are as funny as the overly loud and annoying studio audience would like you to believe.

Even though a lot of it is predictable and average, Titus still has potential. Hopefully, the writing of the plot-advancing sequences will improve and match the level of the great black-and-white ones. If so, Titus will be a very good show. But don’t just take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. The show airs Mondays at 8:30, on FOX, which is located at Channel 5 on the Marist television dial.