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Cast Triumphs Over Script in "Pizza"
By Dennis Mahoney,
UltimateTV Reviewer

Berg (Ryan Reynolds) and Pete (Richard Ruccolo) are grad students in Boston who share an apartment and work together at the local pizza joint. According to ABC’s press release, "Berg’s cavalier approach to life and women is in direct contrast to the overly analytical Pete." Okay. Their pal Sharon (Traylor Howard) lives upstairs and has a job selling chemicals. She hates her job, "but loves her Beemer and the other amenities afforded her by her hefty salary." They are the heroes of "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place," the new sitcom from producer Danny Jacobson, co-creator of "Mad About You." Described as a comedy about life, love and friendship (aren’t they all), what "Two Guys" is really about is the ability of a talented cast to overcome a mediocre script and end up with a halfway decent show.

Ruccolo is sweetly appealing as the orderly but romantically befuddled Pete, and Howard ("Boston Common") is especially good as the free spirit trapped in the persona of a selfish yuppie Sharon. But the standout of the trio is Reynolds as Berg. A Kramer in training, Berg seems to have some degree of luck at just about everything he tries, without ever actually putting forth any real effort. His life just sort of happens to him, and so far it has worked out. Only when he meddles in his roommate"s life (which is often) does he ever really fail.

Most of these failures involve Pete’s girlfriend, Melissa (Jennifer Westfeldt). Smart, beautiful and completely devoted to him, Melissa is the perfect woman for Pete except for one thing: he isn’t sure he loves her.

Rounding out the cast are David Ogden Stiers ("MASH") as Mr. Bauer, a regular at the pizza place who is quick to offer the youngsters advice based on his own experiences (all of which are actually culled from movies and television); and Julius Carry ("Murphy Brown," "The Last Dragon"), the owner of the pizza place, who treats the boys as if they were family.

"Two Guys, a Girl And a Pizza Place" suffers from a familiarity that comes from it’s resemblance to several shows, most notably "Friends." The younger members of the cast are all game, and Carry and Stiers are old pros. They make the show watchable, if not terribly compelling television.

"Two Guys, A Girl And a Pizza Place" airs Wednesday, March 11 at 9:30 p.m. on ABC

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