Bowling for a hit; NBC strikes comedic gold with CBS reject 'Ed'

NORTHVALE, N.J. - We all need second chances in life. That's the simple gospel of Ed Stevens, the amiable and oddly inspiring namesake of NBC's new one-hour comedy series "Ed." It's also the message we take away from "Ed," a show that, like its hero, refused to give up when others said die. Good thing, too. "Ed" - the brainchild of two former head writers for David Letterman - is a gem of a show, with a superb and versatile cast playing out stories that can be wonderfully absurd one minute and genuinely sweet the next. "Ed," which debuts Oct. 8, has been one of the most buzzed-about shows of the summer, although jaded TV insiders fear it is doomed in its Sunday night time slot against "The Simpsons" and "Malcolm in the Middle." No other program on the fall schedule has been molded as long (five years) or as lovingly as "Ed" has. The show's creators kept at it even after another network declared it unfit for broadcast - usually the kiss of death for a TV show. It just proves you can't kill off television's first bowling-alley legal romantic comedy that easily. Maybe that's why today "Ed" isn't filmed on some arid, gated lot in Southern California but in the suburbs of New Jersey. You'll find the set tucked away in the hem of Bergen County's white collar, next to an Ace Hardware store: a long, nondescript building with a sign covered by camouflage netting. The sign reads "Stuckey Bowl." The netting is so the residents of Northvale won't think the long-abandoned lanes have been re-opened and walk in hoping to rent some shoes (it has happened). Recast in classic coral orange and aquamarine blue and adorned with signs of the genre ("The Healthy Sport for Everyone," "Use Ashtrays - Floors Burn"), the bowling alley has been transformed into the retro-hip agora of "Ed." This is where Ed Stevens will try to pick up the spare after rolling life's proverbial gutter ball. This is where the quirky inhabitants of Stuckeyville will go to have fun, drink beer and get expert legal advice. Across the street, in an even less descript office building, the two men responsible for "Ed," Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, are polishing their scripts. The suburbs of New Jersey are terra firma to them: Each man has ridden along many times with Letterman to do those comedy bits where Dave holds forth with the locals. "Ed" is in large part a result of Burnett and Beckerman's special kinship with the dean of late night. They even deferred their dream for him, in 1996, when other key staffers were leaving, and Letterman's ratings were in freefall. Cranky as he is behind the desk, Letterman is a generous employer. Two years later, he gave "Ed" his blessing - no small gesture from the man who made Ray Romano a household name. ("Ed" is co-produced by Viacom, Letterman's Worldwide Pants company and NBC.) "It was important to Dave that his writers be able to move on without having to leave the Worldwide Pants family," Beckerman said. Perhaps Letterman also knew these two were on to something. Since the heyday of "Murphy Brown," CBS has had a terrible time getting younger viewers to watch its sitcoms (remember "Dweebs"?). Maybe the network would bite on a prime-time comedy with unusual pacing and no laugh track, like its early-'90s hit "Northern Exposure." When Burnett and Beckerman approached the network, executives were indeed interested. They ordered a pilot episode for "Ed" last year, only to pass on the show after viewing it. From the start, "Ed" revolved around the character of Ed Stevens, a likable loser with the gift of gab and a resilience that would have viewers rooting for him. The story went that Ed left his Midwestern roots behind, married, got a law degree and a job in New York. Then, through a series of tragicomic events, he lost the wife and the job. Betrayed but ever hopeful, Ed moved back home to Stuckeyville. Beckerman said they looked at "zillions and zillions" of potential Eds during the long casting process. Standup comedians, they found, couldn't muster the right emotions for the tender scenes, while straight actors seemed to have trouble with the funny lines. Then came a casting miracle: Tom Cavanagh, a little-known Canadian actor who looks and sounds like a tall Jon Stewart. On and off the camera, he turned out to be the embodiment of Ed. One of the sublime joys of "Ed" is watching Cavanagh play the One Sane Man surrounded by neurotics and oddballs, then spin around and take on some quixotic mission, like buying Stuckey Bowl or asking out the former cheerleader who ignored him all through high school. "They told me that the show would have the resonances of Letterman humor, but with heart," Cavanagh said. "Rob and I really tried to connect Ed with the notion of: What if you tried to do the thing you really wanted to do? Professionally and romantically? This is purely conjecture, but I think people will be able to relate to that." After CBS turned down "Ed," Burnett and Beckerman asked Cavanagh if he could keep himself available for a few months while they looked for another network. The star agreed. He took a recurring role last season on "Providence" to fill the time. "I just thought it was the right thing to do," he said. "If I didn't, I knew that Rob and Jon might miss their turn at bat." What an endearing, Ed-like way to put it. The show's breakout character may well be Phil (played by Michael Ian Black), the wild-eyed Stuckey Bowl employee who sleeps on Lane 1, orders salt shakers by the truckload and convinces Ed to set up his legal practice inside the bowling alley. The rest of the ensemble is great, too: Julie Bowen as Carol Vessey, the object of Ed's ardor; Lesley Boone in the Rosie O'Donnell-ish role of Molly, Ed's friend and confidant; and Josh Randall as Ed's old friend, now married to the hilariously Type-A Jana Marie Hupp. Since Ed will be in court most weeks, there will be a steady stream of eccentric clients as well. "Ed" has been earning a lot of raves this summer from TV critics. But many are fearful that the show will die quickly in a tough Sunday-night time slot. One called it this season's "Freaks and Geeks" - another quirky show NBC killed off in March. O they of little faith. "I think the show's being promoted amazingly," Burnett said. "They (NBC) gave us a one-minute promo. I haven't seen one of those since 1965." He also said "Everybody Loves Raymond" started out in a terrible Friday-night slot on CBS. Maybe NBC will do the right thing too and give "Ed" more than a couple of outings to prove itself. Even if it doesn't roll a strike, a show this special deserves a shot at that spare. To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TVBarn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CREDIT:NBC @ART:Photo (color) >>>