The producers of Gary Unmarried must love to gamble

I say this not because they built a sitcom around Jay Mohr, though that certainly seems like a risk. As Gary's ex-wife, the one with whom he will exchange comic banter throughout the series, they chose Paula Marshall.

Marshall is a talented actress and a lovely woman. I'm stunned to learn she's in her mid-forties, and I'm glad she's still getting high-profile work. She will forever have a legacy as part of "The Outing," one of the best "Seinfeld" episodes ever. I actually enjoyed her as a star of many shows in the past--all of which tanked. If anyone deserves the tag of "show killer," it would have to be her. I'm not saying it's her FAULT that "Chicago Sons," "Cupid," "Snoops," et cetera, failed. But doesn't that kind of track record give you pause?

I would think so. But the brain trust behind "Gary Unmarried" not only thrust her into a lead role, but it makes her character unlikable. At least based on one episode (hey, it was enough for me), I can only conclude that they are daring viewers to change the channel.

As much as I like Marshall, I have to say she doesn't exactly radiate warmth as an actress. So it's vital that she play a reasonably appealing character if she is to have a major role on a weekly sitcom, even if that character is supposed to be a foil. Unfortunately, Marshall does the following in the first episode alone:

*Demeans Gary
*Treats him like an idiot
*Complains a lot
*Acts generally shrill at best, cold and uncaring at worst
*Reveals that, after agreeing with Gary not to go into a relationship until everyone's on the same page, she has been secretly dating their marriage counselor
*That counselor she's been dating is played by Ed Begley

Combine those last two alone, and Gary has grounds for a hell of a lot more than divorce.

Despite all this, the show has aired several episodes, and, while I'm no People Meter, it appears it's doing rather well. I guess the producers have won their gamble, but it still seems to me they're taking a chance if they don't tone the character down a bit.