SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 21:24 Min.
First airing in syndication on December 6, 1986, J.D. Lobue directed this episode off Roger Garrett’s script. Ultra-snooty restaurant critic and acclaimed international chef, Francois Roti (Braden), is personally invited from France to come review the L.A. restaurant: Above The Top. Maître’ d’ Nancy (Mercer) is warned by a corporate executive (Lieberman) that there had better be a dazzling profile coming from Roti … or there will be wholesale turnover in staffing.
As it turns out, the womanizing Roti is Howard the chef’s (Stahl) despised rival from cooking school several years before. Hence, how far is a determined Nancy willing to go to impress Roti and potentially save all their jobs?
The waitresses, meanwhile, are baffled why Ginger (Lee Ralph) would gladly accompany pianist (and perpetual sleazeball) Sonny (Kreppel) for a Palms Springs weekend road trip.
Jan Hoffmeyer Gray: Barrie Youngfellow
Dorothy “Dot” Higgins: Gail Edwards
Amy Tompkins: Crystal Bernard
Ginger St. James: Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sonny Mann: Paul Kreppel
Howard Miller: Richard Stahl
Nancy Beebe: Marian Mercer
Francois Roti: John Braden
Mrs. Colette Roti: June Claman
Mr. Whalon: Rick Lieberman
Restaurant Extras: Uncredited
REVIEW:
Leading off with a pair of fun Sonny sight gags, “Critic’s Choice” is a welcome sitcom treat – no matter how middling it otherwise seems. While the ‘Howard vs. Roti’ feud gets the most chuckles, the ensemble cast all contribute watchable performances. The scene where Richard Stahl’s generally stone-faced ‘Howard’ verbally runs down his old nemesis, is an amusing surprise. Another script asset is giving Marian Mercer’s flirtatious ‘Nancy,’ along with Stahl, some fine character moments.
As for the ‘Ginger/Sonny’ sub-plot, it predictably amounts to nothing. Still, Sonny’s latest round of ineptly schmoozing the four waitresses for a meaningless weekend fling is worth a chuckle. This re-run, overall, modestly wins on its mid-80’s charm, including even the ridiculously cheery opening credits/theme song segment.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
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