"Samantha Who?" far from unforgettable

By Barry Garron

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In TV Guide last month, readers said the comeback they were most excited to see was that of Christina Applegate.

She returns as the star of ABC's "Samantha Who?" which is the last of the three names given to the series (after "Samantha Be Good" and "Sam I Am"). Applegate rewards her fans with a spirited performance sometimes verging on hyper. Still, the show -- by any name -- might not be worth the wait.

The premise is shaky: A young woman emerges from an eight-day coma with no recollection of her formerly mean, vain and unfaithful self but otherwise fully able to function. Similar cases of retrograde amnesia have been reported in real life.

More disconcerting is how Samantha, dazed and confused to the point that she can't recognize her parents, becomes a ball of nervous energy in every scene. What did the hospital put in those intravenous pouches? Red Bull?

Under Robert Duncan McNeill's direction, Samantha is everywhere at once and frantic when she gets there. In the premiere, she returns to her parents' home twice, her boyfriend's apartment twice and still finds time to take in a party and an AA meeting -- all in the same day.

At the party, she discovers that her old bad self had been cheating on Todd (Barry Watson), her kindhearted boyfriend, whereupon she breaks it off with her married lover. All of which begs the question of why a nice guy like Todd would have hooked up with this borderline abusive woman in the first place.

There's enough of a thematic similarity to "My Name Is Earl," in which a mean-spirited petty crook turns over a new leaf and makes amends, that this series was dubbed by some wags as "My Name Is Girl." "Earl," however, tells stories with a less frantic and more measured approach. "Samantha," on the other hand, leaps from place to place as if its rapid pace could conceal the bumpy story line or at least suppress the observation that none of this makes much sense.

From time to time, Samantha has flashes of her former self, and the rude behavior startles her. In addition, each episode is to offer at least one full-blown flashback of bad Samantha, though it really isn't necessary or particularly funny.

Samantha's transformation gives her a new start with her parents, Regina (superbly played by Jean Smart) and Howard (Kevin Dunn), both self-involved and largely oblivious. Other characters in the series are her best girlfriend, Andrea (Jennifer Esposito), who could teach Paris Hilton a thing or two about narcissism, and Dena (Melissa McCarthy), who comes from nowhere to renew a friendship that died in seventh grade. Don't ask. Apartment doorman Frank (Tim Russ) offers deep philosophical advice, which functions mostly as comedic speed bumps.

That said, one would be foolish to write off this single-camera sitcom. Applegate proves her versatility, and Smart finds laughs that aren't on the page. Blessed with a lead-in of "Dancing With the Stars" and up against weak sitcom competition ("Rules of Engagement" on CBS and "The Game" on CW), "Samantha Who?" might get the time it needs to stop hyperventilating and find its groove.

Cast:

Samantha Newly: Christina Applegate

Regina Newly: Jean Smart

Todd: Barry Watson

Andrea: Jennifer Esposito