10-11 p.m.
Sunday, April 15
ABC

Part "Friends," part "thirtysomething," "What About Brian" is focused, ostensibly, on the only single member of a group of seven friends. Easygoing and boyishly charming, Brian (Barry Watson) might be perfectly happy to remain the serial monogamist that his latest girlfriend accuses him of being but for the three couples in his life who all agree it's time for him to settle down.

Not that his friends are enjoying lives of nonstop bliss. Dave (Rick Gomez) and Deena (Amanda Detmer), parents of three, despair about their missing sex lives. Brian's older sister, Nic (Rosanna Arquette), newly married to much younger Angelo (Raoul Bova), worries that she has put off having children for too long. And after a two-year relationship, clueless Adam (Matthew Davis) is unsure and impulsive about marrying Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster).

Brian, it turns out, has his own complication. He realizes too late that Marjorie would have been perfect for him.

Exec producer and writer Dana Stevens employs a bold mix of romantic comedy and Lifetime-like drama. The characters cover so vast a range of situations and temperaments, that it would be hard not to relate to at least one of them. And, even though the title suggests everything revolves around Brian, the premiere promises that the others will have their own stories as well. It's possible we know someone like Brian but more likely we know one of the others.

Ironically, the differences among the characters that make the show interesting and even, at times, compelling, also test its credibility. You wouldn't expect couples with so little in common to hang out together. There are exceptions, of course, but couples with kids usually socialize with other couples with kids. Same with dating or childless couples. There is something that doesn't ring true about Brian and his circle of friends.

Meanwhile, while you're not thinking about that, it's also best not to think about what it is that bright and perceptive Marjorie sees in fickle Adam. At one point, she confesses she picked Adam because he had such a great friend in Brian. But why choose the cubic zirconium when the diamond is equally available?

All that notwithstanding, the show should resonate with a young female demo. The cast is universally appealing and the Los Angeles locations give it a sort of "endless summer" appeal. That makes it a smart choice for the 10 p.m. Monday slot it will settle into following its premiere Sunday in the "Grey's Anatomy" time period.

WHAT ABOUT BRIAN
ABC
Touchstone Television in association with Bad Robot Prods.
Credits:
Executive producers: Dana Stevens, J.J. Abrams, Jeff Judah, Gabe Sachs, Thom Sherman, Bryan Burk
Co-executive producers: Dan Lerner, Sheila Lawrence
Consulting producers: Stuart Zicherman, Raven Metzner
Producers: David Graziano, Kate Angelo
Produced by: Carol DunnTrussell
Co-producers: David Schulner, Cathy Mickel Gibson, Debra Lovatelli
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Dan Lerner
Creator-teleplay: Dana Stevens
Directors of photography: Russ Alsobrook, Uta Briesewitz
Production designers: Jeremy Cassells, Derek Hill
Editors: Sue Blainey, Louise A. Innes
Music: Michael Giacchino, Grant Lee Phillips
Set designer: Susan Benjamin
Casting: Linda Lowy, John Brace, Jason LaPadura, Natalie Hart
Cast:
Brian: Barry Watson
Adam: Matthew Davis
Marjorie: Sarah Lancaster
Nic: Rosanna Arquette
Dave: Rick Gomez
Deena: Amanda Detmer
Angelo: Raoul Bova
Karen: Amy Jo Johnson