My Wildest Dreams You Don't Know Me

 ((Sun. (28), 9:30-10 p.m., Fox))

By TONY SCOTT

Taped at the Culver Studios by Columbia Pictures TV. Exec producer, Micki Raton; co-exec producer, Jordan Moffet; producers, Jon Spector, Richard N.C. Portofino; co-producers-writers, Linda & Mike Teverbaugh; co-producer, Sam Baum; director, Jeff Melman; creator, Shawn Schepps; based on a character by Lisa Ann Walter.
 
Cast: Lisa Ann Walter, John Posey, Kelly Bishop, Mary Jo Keenen, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Evan Bonifant, Melissa & Michelle Grimes, Candace Brown.
 

Singers: Lynn Fanelli, Vatrena King, Lynn Rose.

Built around character created by comic Lisa Ann Walter, domestic comedy written by Linda and Mike Teverbaugh begs to amuse, but the opening seg comes off frayed. There are few laughs, and Walter's brash Lisa McGinnis doesn't offer much style or hope.

Lisa and Jack (John Posey), waking up to their eighth wedding anniversary, try acting cozy, but 7-year-old son Danny (Evan Bonifant) breaks into their bedroom. After Danny ankles, Lisa, turning cute, wants to know what Jack's got her for their anniversary, and of course he's got nothing. Lisa turns mildly downcast.

It may not be her fault that she's tough: Meet her mother, Gloria (Kelly Bishop), an embittered divorcee who'd like to see her ex dead. (News which makes the audience chortle.) Gloria has stopped by to take out Danny, who's annoyed that Lisa didn't mail his letter to Santa last Christmas; a lump of coal for him for his snooping.

And so it goes. Lisa's benign sister Stephanie (Mary Jo Keenen) steps in for an intro, but she's no diversion. Best moment in the fuzzy new sitcom comes when Lisa calls her boss, Chandler Trapp (Miguel Nunez), a sound effects expert, and gets him to impersonate Santa on the phone for Danny.

Nothing's really wrong with the rest of the program except that the concept's been wrung dry, Walter doesn't inhabit her character, and director Jeff Melman doesn't find much to work with. Posey's OK as the mild husband, while young Bonifant as Danny acts smart.

Production, taped before a studio audience, gets inexplicable ripples of laughter. T'ain't funny, McGinnis.

Camera, Mikel Neiers; editor, Larry Harris; audio, Christopher Banniger; tech director, Robert A. Bowen; music, Jonathan Wolff; production designer, Larry Wiemer.