letterten 2005-06 fall preview

Fox Monday 8:30pm

debuts September 19, 8:30pm

concept from	Celebrity-chef Jack Bourdain (Alias' Bradley Cooper) is cooking up a comeback. Having crashed and burned as an overindulgnt young star, Jack is given 48 hours to assemble a crew to jump-start a fancy New York City eatery. Jack's short fuse and arrogance, plus his staff's antics - Anyone seen that missing finger? - could be a recipe for disaster.
stars	Bradley Cooper, Bonnie Sommerville, Owain Yeoman, Nicholas Brendon, Jamie King, John Francis Daley
producers	Darren Star, David Hemingson, Jim Rosenthal, David Knoller
studio	Twentieth Television, New Line TV, Darren Star Productions

i opine...

This year, most shows have clips available online, not this one. Does that mean it's like the movie that isn't released to critics because it's so god-awful? Hope not. A likable cast and a Darren Star pedigree (although everything he touches doesn't always turn to gold, anyone remember "Central Park West"?) seem to bode well. Interestingly, it slots "Buffy" alums Allyson Hannigan ("How I Met Your Mother," CBS) against Nick Brendon. From the notes, it would seem that Bonnie Sommerville is playing a bitch -- I never like her in that kind of role. Overall, I'm just not feeling it.

the breakdown
	A Top 5 Early Cancellation Candidate. A lot depends on how many folks will discover "Arrested Development." I suspect CBS will kick Fox' ass with comedy on Monday.