TV REVIEW : Overfamiliar Fare Served at ‘Jack’s Place’

Last year’s summer-replacement series “Jack’s Place” turned out to be a surprise hit in its time slot, so the comedy-drama has been brought back for a winter run (beginning with a special “preview” tonight at 10 on ABC Channel 7, and commencing in its regular time slot Thursday at 9). The restaurant run by Hal Linden has new decor and an annoying new pair of bickering chefs, but it’s the same old innocuous hokum--basically taking the romance-of-the-week guest shots typical of “The Love Boat” and plopping them down in a “Cheers” setting.

In tonight’s preview, a pair of childhood sweethearts meet up at the eatery to make good on their vow exactly two decades earlier at summer camp to reunite as adults. One catch: The fellow admits during the lady’s nose-powdering break that he’s a smitten impostor, filling in for his dead buddy! Will he get the nerve to tell her the truth? Will they get poison ivy revisiting old climes?

The other story arc has proprietor Jack dating a seemingly love-struck restaurant critic. Will their mutual ovens warm? Will his romantic wariness result in a scathing Page 1 deconstruction of the mashed potatoes?

And for those inclined to make it to Thursday’s episode, Anthony Zerbe guests as an agoraphobic songwriter romancing a bookish wallflower, his character even penning her the tune “I Will Always Love You” (!), to be sung by thrush Sheena Easton (!!) in the grand finale. A magician’s convention in the back room provides running comic relief as (har har) steaks and wine bottles repeatedly disappear from tables.

Pointedly aimed at an older demographic with its nose-thumbing at rock music, etc., “Jack’s Place” clearly isn’t very hip, nor is it very good. But it does have an attractive cast of regulars--namely, Finola Hughes and John Dye as the hired help--bookending the revolving door of guest players while it provides heaping portions of the TV equivalent of “comfort food,” so it might last longer than the average bistro. Pass the ham.