Show Description Dharma and Greg

Jenna Elfman ("Townies") stars as free-spirited Dharma Finkelstein, a yoga instructor and dog trainer. When she meets Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson, "Chicago Hope"), a Harvard-educated U.S. attorney, she falls in love. The feeling is mutual and before their first date is over, they are married - much to the dismay of both of their parents. The two are complete opposites, but are committed to each other and their marriage, showing their dysfunctional parents what true love is about.

I'm sure you've seen them: ads featuring the most sickeningly good-looking couple anyone's imagination could possibly put together. He is tall and Ken-doll handsome. She is tall and beyond-Barbie cute. Their faces beam out at us from the billboards, magazine pages and bus stops, content in their perfection. They make me sick. Or did, anyway, until I saw the first episode of their new ABC series, "Dharma and Greg."

"Dharma and Greg" is the unlikely story of two opposites who fall in love at first sight, spend the day together, then impulsively marry, all in episode one. The rest of the series will undoubtedly chronicle the problems they encounter while getting to know each other and their in-laws.

Dharma (the irresistible Jenna Elfman of "Townies") is a free-spirited San Francisco dog trainer/yoga instructor. Her parents, Abby (Mimi Kennedy) and Larry (Alan "L.A. Law" Rachins) Finkelstein, are stereotypical 60's relics who have trouble understanding what their precious flower child sees in Greg (Thomas Gibson, formerly Dr. Nyland on Chicago Hope), the U.S. attorney scion of the blue-blooded Montgomery's, Kitty (Susan Sullivan of "My Best Friend's Wedding") and Edward (Mitchell Ryan of "Lethal Weapon"). The Montgomery's, for their part, are horrified that their son has wed below his station.

Any show with a set-up as flimsy as this depends heavily on the chemistry of the leads. "Dharma and Greg" have chemistry up the ass. Dharma's openness and lust for life provide many possible pitfalls for the actress playing her, pitfalls which Elfman effortlessly avoids. Characters this happy and life-affirming usually make me want to slap them, but with Dharma, I just wanted a hug. Perhaps the only stereotype more overused than the earthy life-force is the WASP-ish stuffed shirt, but Gibson turns his spoiled child of privilege into an everyman that even a child of the barrio like myself can relate to.

I'm not overly familiar with Elfman's work, although I hear she was equally good on "Townies," the Molly Ringwald sitcom which didn't last long enough for me to see. Gibson, on the other hand, is a favorite of mine. His work on "Chicago Hope" was always entertaining, and he was great on PBS's "Tales From the City." But his work in such swell little films as "Sleep With Me," "Barcelona," and especially "Love and Human Remains," in which he starred, was uniformly excellent, and it's good to see such a talent on television.

As for the supporting cast, Sullivan and Ryan are hilariously snotty, making the most of every scene they appear in. Kennedy is also great, gamely playing up the cliches of her character. Rachins, on the other hand, is uneven, sometimes funny, sometimes overdoing the hippie burnout bit. Shae D'Lyn is fine as Dharma's overprotective best friend, Jane. And Joel "My Big Brother is Bill" Murray is wonderful as Greg's co-worker, Pete, the pretentious swine that Greg is trying hard not to be.

"Dharma and Greg" is one of the pleasant surprises of the new season, giving us a couple worth caring about. They pass the truest test of couplehood: if they ever have children, I would glady babysit for them. Until then, I'll just watch the show.