Hip but sweet sitcom a "Welcome" addition

Welcome to the Captain , 8:30-9 p.m., CBS

By Barry Garron

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A classic comedy if ever there was one, "Welcome to the Captain," with its dinner-theater characters and traditional boy-meets-girl romance, has a wide, multigenerational appeal. It's not clear whether it has something blue, but this single-camera sitcom from John Hamburg definitely has something old, new and borrowed.

Inserted in the midst of the CBS Monday night comedy block, the show brings a light heart and a deft comedic touch to bear on the foibles and stereotypes of Hollywood. Considering the present state of the industry, the timing couldn't be better.

Something new is Fran Kranz, who plays Josh Flug, a young writer whose short film won an Oscar five years ago but who has accomplished little since then. His girlfriend broke up with him, and he's ready to return to New York. However, his former college roommate, Marty (Chris Klein), a womanizing business manager, urges him to try once more, starting with new digs at the fabled and fabulous El Capitan.

There, he meets the warmest and wackiest group of residents since "Hot L Baltimore." Among them are terrific characters played by veterans Jeffrey Tambor (Uncle Saul, the building yenta who lives off writing residuals from "Three's Company") and Raquel Welch (as local femme fatale Charlene), who can still make hearts skip beats.

Competing with them to steal each scene is Al Madrigal, who plays doorman/desk clerk Jesus (pronounced the English, not Spanish, way).

What's borrowed is the locale. Standing in for the hulking El Capitan (called "The Captain" by residents) is the El Royale Apartments, a showbiz legend on Rossmore Avenue that, at one time or another, housed Clark Gable, Loretta Young and Judy Holliday as well as Ben Stiller, Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz.

In the opener, Josh meets aspiring acupuncturist Hope, played by Joanna Garcia, whose skills as a comedic actress have progressed nicely since her stint as Cheyenne, the daughter on "Reba." Hope has a boyfriend and plans to move back to New York, but we know better. The Josh-Hope romance becomes the center of this mildly absurd but sweetly conventional comedy.