TV Reviews : ‘Normal Life’: Another Sappy Family Sitcom

“Normal Life” is normal life for TV comedy--infinite high jinks yielding few laughs--and that’s the biggest problem. The premiere on CBS (8 tonight on Channels 2 and 8) puts its two left feet forward.

Meet the Harlows: Parents Anne (Cindy Williams) and Max (Max Gail), and kids Tess, 22 (Moon Unit Zappa); Jake, 19 (Dweezil Zappa), and Simon, 13 (Josh Williams).

They’re zany. As a bonus, Tess’ friend Prima (Bess Meyer) is ditzy and the family’s neighbor Bob (Jim Staahl) is klutzy.

Tonight Max leaves town before he has a chance to be zany, but Anne compensates for his absence. Meanwhile, a benign burglar (played by co-executive director Greg Antonacci) invades the house, and Simon is under pressure to match Jake’s accomplishments on the junior high school basketball team.

That the show-ending basketball sequence may be TV’s worst ever is forgivable. Far worse, the opener is not merely scoreless when it comes to wit, it doesn’t even get the ball in bounds. Moon Unit Zappa has a nice, spontaneous quality, and although her real-life brother Dweezil won’t electrify anyone as an actor, he does provide a refreshingly offbeat presence as this kid who not only wants to succeed as a rock musician, but who also actually plays the guitar (he also hits his jump shots).

Unfortunately, “Normal Life” is otherwise utterly conventional, from the repeated establishing shots of the family house to the sappy ending. Viewers should get free throws.