Are You Hot For “Hot In Cleveland”?
I resisted for a while, but now I have a confession to make: last night I watched “Hot in Cleveland,” starring Saint Betty White. Or I should say: I’ve started watching “Hot in Cleveland” because last night I happened upon an episode of TV Land’s other Wednesday-night comedy, “Happily Divorced,” with Fran Drescher, and after that program was over I got all “Hot.” I can’t say I was completely won over. I laughed more at the Fran-fest, a yuk-yuker with Herself as a middle-aged woman divorced but still living with her gay ex-husband. Here’s what I like about “Divorced”: Fran’s face-lift(s) have had time to settle in, so she can actually eke out an emotion or two. The men on the show, starting with the ex, played by John Michael Higgins, are actually like most middle-aged men: they have love handles. The network, TV Land, didn’t force them into lipo and rigorous workouts with trainers that immediately got broken (chocolate, ice cream, beer, oh my!) when the trainers had pulled away in their Hummers. I also like the Fran honks out an occasional funny line or two. As for where I came in, “Hot in Cleveland,” I need to watch a few more episodes before announcing myself as an expert. In principle, I avoid any female-quartet shows (“Sex in the City,” for example) that have stolen their formula from “The Golden Girls.” But I’m willing to change my mind if absolutely necessary.
