Holding the Baby

Jim 1990s

Aired: 1999 (FOX)Holding the Baby

DAD: Gordon Stiles (Jon Patrick Walker) / Divorced

DAD’S JOB: Salesman

KIDS: Daniel Stiles (Brendan and Kyle McRoberts) (baby)

WHERE’S MOM?: Ran off with Yoga instructor (sorry, that’s what the press kit says)

STAND-IN “MOM”: Kelly O’Malley (Jennifer Westfeldt), Adorable but Opinionated Graduate Student — ably assisted by Gordon’s womanizing brother, Jim (Eddie McClintock)

Wait a minute, wait just a dang minute here! Go back and look in at Two of a Kind and tell me if Kelly reminds you just a leetle bit of Carrie?

This show, name and all, was lifted from a UK series on Granada Television.

Reading the plot blurb from FOX about this show makes me NOT like the Single Dad in it. This character, Gordon, is written pretty much as someone trying to “dump” their kid on hired hands. Not even nanny-employers such as Bill Bixby and Brian Keith would take the attitude expressed by this dad.

I watched three episodes of this show, and it went ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. The jokes were telegraphed, the storylines trite, the characters paper-thin. Anyhow, the show’s been cancelled with 6 unscreened shows left in the can. Yep, it was that bad.