"Miss Guided" Grade: C-

ABC's new sitcom "Miss Guided" is one of a number of shows from the network lately that sound promising but...somehow...miss the mark. Think of "Eli Stone," "Men In Trees," "Big Shots," even "Dirty Sexy Money." (C'mon, I know you want to like it, but really, is it that good?) Nonetheless, in this strange March mid-season, with the writers strike and NCAA basketball both messing up normal viewing habits, I seem to have watched four episodes of "Miss Guided" in the last 10 days or so. Go figure.

Judy Greer stars as high-school guidance counselor Becky Freeley, a "nice" girl who's starting to realize that it's good to be a little bit bad from time to time. That may have to do with the fact that she's closing in on 30 and still single. Cheery and perky, her darker thoughts usually voiced in asides, she could be a winning character, but the show is kooky in mostly predictable ways.

Becky is frenemies with Lisa Germain, the sexy English teacher played by Brooke Burns; when they both attended the school, Becky was a dork and Lisa was a cheerleader and big-time Heather. Now they both have the hots for Spanish teacher Tim O'Malley, a cheerful hunk played by Kristoffer Polaha, who is so dim he doesn't know they're fighting over him. Chris Parnell plays the obligatory clueless-martinet Frank Burns figure, Vice Principal Bruce Terry. Earl Billings is the exasperated, pragmatic, African-American Principal Huffy, who just doesn't want any trouble; we'll know America has finally outgrown its racial prejudices when we can cast the black guy as the clueless martinet.

It tells you something that I can only remember the plots of three of the four episodes I've seen. In the first, guest Ashton Kutcher (also a producer) guested as a scarf-wearing, guitar-toting douchebag new Spanish teacher named Beaux. You've now read pretty much everything funny about the episode. Beaux charmed everyone, and his presence threatened to relegate Tim back to teaching shop, not exactly the most compelling peril. I had the feeling that when he wasn't in a closeup, Kutcher was covertly checking his Blackberry for messages about more important projects.

Two episodes aired last night. In one, Becky and Tim and Lisa were working late when they went a little crazy and, pursued by V.P. Bruce, ran themselves right into a music-video-style "Breakfast Club" homage. All together now: Ick. In the second, actually not bad ep, Edie McClurg guested as Mrs. Pool, a viciously domineering veteran teacher whose long service was to be honored with a party reluctantly organized by Becky and Lisa. But when Becky told off Mrs. Pool for her domineering ways, Mrs. Pool croaked. I saw it coming five minutes before it happened.

There was, though, a funny scene as the teachers went ahead with the party, and ended up venting about the old bat. Tim admitted he'd been blackmailed into doing humiliating favors for her. And in a moment of good fellowship, V.P. Bruce admitted that he too had been bullied into doing her chores, but that having sex with her was the worst part. Thudding silence. I didn't have sex with her, Tim said. Awwwwkward - and actually pretty funny. But there are far too few such moments in "Miss Guided."

Comments

[fred]

I haven't watched last night's episodes because I gave up on the show already, and I agree it's really not good, or funny.

But I think you're wrong about Eli Stone though. At some point I was getting annoyed with the show and considered to stop watching, but I kept watching and I'm really happy about it : it never stopped evolving and getting better, and it is now a really fun & enjoyable show. If you didn't watch every episodes of it so far, I really think you should give it another try, it's worth it.

[Toni]

I disagree. Actually, I thought the Breakfast Club bit was hilarious. I think, and I hope, that this show will be around for a while. Its nice to see a comedy that's more about being funny than about being rude.