ABC (Fridays, 9:30 p.m. ET)
As I write, it appears that this low-rated comedy will need the luck of the Irish to survive. So don't tarry if you're of a mind to bond with the Madigan males: grandpappy Seamus (Roy Dotrice), newly arrived in Manhattan from the Emerald Isle; his son Ben (Gabriel Byrne), a recently separated architect warily rediscovering the dating scene; and Ben's son Luke (John C. Hensley), a teenager with girlfriends to spare.
Byrne (The Usual Suspects) is the ostensible main attraction of Madigan Men, but his gloomy mien ill-befits a sitcom star. On the other hand, Dotrice (who won a Tony acting with Byrne in Broadway's A Moon for the Misbegotten) seems to enjoy himself as an unabashedly stereotypical Irishman fond of pub society and "When I was a lad..." blarney. The rookie series showed promise in a funny episode that found Seamus attempting an Angela's Ashes-style memoir. Alas, Ben is burdened with a grating work partner (Grant Shaud) who's sexually desperate but ready with advice on how to handle the ladies.
Bottom Line: Foxy grandpa, marginal Men
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