The WB (Sundays, 8 p.m. ET)
West Wing Lite. MTV D.C. It's tempting to label and dismiss Law & Order creator Dick Wolf's new drama series about five recent college graduates sharing a house and striving for success in Washington. The April 2 pilot opens with this generational boast from one of the up-and-comers: "We're the only ones with enough energy to write the laws, run the committees, party till 3 and then do it all again the next day." As if a middle-aged congressman can't legislate with a hangover.
But I'm not ready to vote D.C. down, primarily because Gabriel Olds gives an intelligent performance as Mason, a Capitol Hill aide trying to balance idealism and ambition. The character is a tad priggish, yet Olds makes him sincere enough to win sympathy. Daniel Sunjata also shows promise as Supreme Court clerk Lewis, though it's not until week three that he gets major screen time. On the minus side, D.C. shows little inclination to address real political issues. Resident womanizer Pete (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) calls himself a lobbyist but says next to nothing about what interests he represents. Something tells me this show will be more concerned with whether Pete stirs the passions of Mason's sister (Jacinda Barrett) or Lewis's journalist girlfriend (Kristanna Loken).
Bottom Line: Subject to debate
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