Buddy up to "Buddy Faro' and 'Two of a Kind'
Friday, September 25, 1998 BY JOHN KIESEWETTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Buddy Faro cruises into town today for a real joy ride, the best new fall drama.
If your kids are looking for laughs, deal them Two of a Kind and discard Brother's Keeper.
Here's a preview of tonight's three premieres:
Buddy Faro (9 p.m., Channel 12, 7): Meet swinging '70s private eye Buddy Faro (Dennis Farina from Saving Private Ryan and Crime Story), who dries out after a 20-year drunk to cruise Sunset Strip once again in his black Thunderbird.
He's "the complete package," to use one of his favorite phrases. He "wrote the book" for private eyes.
The suave lady's man always looked "like a hundred bucks." Everybody knew Buddy Faro was coming when they saw his "boss wheels," according to the delightful script from Mark Frost (Twin Peaks). But Faro doesn't rule the world any more. He's totally lost when his new partner (Frank Whaley from Pulp Fiction) mentions beepers, cell phones, CD-ROMs, fax machines or the Internet.
"I never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer," Faro says.
Compared to Buddy Faro, the other new fall shows are chump change. Watch tonight and you'll say, "Thanks a million."
Two of a Kind (8 p.m., Channel 9, 2): If your kids loved Full House, they'll love Two of a Kind.
Twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who shared one role (Michelle) on Full House, star as twin sisters being raised by their widowed father (Christopher Sieber), a science professor.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the cute grad student (Sally Wheeler) who signs up for his class becomes the girl's nanny.
In the debut, the writers tried to give the girls separate identities -- Mary-Kate the tomboy, Ashley the boy-crazy one in dress and makeup. But the fun comes, as they used to sing about Patty Duke, because "they laugh alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike. (You can lose your mind, when sisters are two of a kind.)"
The weakest part of the show is Mr. Seiber's bland performance. Where's Bob Saget?
Brother's Keeper (9:30 p.m., Channel 9, 2): Don't stop me if you heard the one about ABC's single dad-professor because . . . William Ragsdale (from Herman's Head) stars as a single father needing help raising his kid (Justin Cooper from Liar, Liar). So he takes in his brother, a spoiled pro football player (Sean O'Bryan from Louisville).
Hardly original, barely funny. This one isn't a keeper.
John Kiesewetter is Enquirer TV/radio critic. Write him at 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, 45202.
