TV REVIEWS : ‘High Society’: High-Volume Sitcom Starring Jean Smart

At the very least, “High Society” has more vitality than “If Not for You,” the monotonous buzz of a comedy it replaces in the CBS lineup tonight. And it’s somewhat funnier, too, ever so often snapping off bright lines of dialogue worthy of guffaws.

Dott (Mary McDonnell) to her 17-year-old conservative son, Brendan (Dan O’Donahue): “I think you’re brainwashed by that dangerous gang you run with.”

Brendan: “Mom, that’s the Young Republicans.”

Unfortunately, the show’s neurotic co-protagonist, Ellie (Jean Smart), is so loud and abrasive that you may want to hit the “mute” button every time she’s on the screen. And she’s on the screen nearly always, making the premiere of “High Society” all but unwatchable.

The cast members are skilled, and none more so than Smart, who nevertheless soars so far over the top that she appears headed for Pluto.

Dott is a successful publisher; Ellie, her best friend, is a successful author of trash books and a relentless pursuer of males (including young Brendan). The latter trait gives her a megaphone for double and triple entendres, each delivered in a voice that could shatter glass.

Meanwhile, Dott’s mother (Jayne Meadows) drops by, and Dott drops by the office so that we can meet her partner (David Rasche) and her assistant (Luigi Amodeo).

Then comes the bubbly Val (Faith Prince), a former college chum who moves into Dott’s swanky Fifth Avenue apartment, causing the jealous Ellie to have an epic, infantile, nerve-racking snit, a conflict that apparently will seep into future episodes. Pass the earplugs.

* “High Society” premieres at 9:30 tonight on CBS (Channel 2).