letterten 2003-04 fall preview

debuts Friday, Sep 26, 8:00pm

premise from	Kate Fox, a divorce lawyer who dabbles at matchmaking on the side, finds herself thrust into the spotlight (and dismaying her boss/father) when a socialite bride credits Kate to the press as being the secret to her romantic success. [NBC link]
stars	Alicia Silverstone ("Clueless"), Ryan O'Neal, David Conrad ("Relativity"), James Roday, Lake Bell, Jodi Long
producers	Darren Star, Brian Grazer, David Nevins
studio	20th Century Fox Television with Imagine Entertainment and Darren Star Productions

opinions
	Divorce lawyer by day, matchmaker by night. Do-gooder does good. I think it takes over where "Providence" left off. It'll get sampled by Alicia fans. Looks cute, could easily get too sugary. Darren Star knows how to balance a show. Keep "Central Park West" in the back of your mind to know that he can miss occassionally.
	After entering a long, awkward stage after "Clueless," Alicia Silverstone is back with quick timing and a twinkle in her eye. The show may rely a bit too heavily on its dual ironies (she's ends relationships by day and starts them by night, plus she's a matchmaker who can't find love herself), but Silverstone and Darren Star ("Sex and the City") could provide naughty fun and David Conrad has potential as a romantic foil. Silverstone's assortment of breezy shirts and low-cut tops will likely produce the largest outcry of "Lawyers don't really dress that slutty" since the glory days of "Ally McBeal."

my thoughts on "Miss Match"
	It'll make it at least to midseason. It's got a good slot on Friday, even if the 8:30 Friday half-hour is the only one all week that is all-new across the board. As if it wasn't clear: it all hinges on Alicia.