After Crashing and Burning, He’s Rising From the Ashes

There is a glaring omission in the CBS biography of “Yes, Dear” star Mike O’Malley.

It lists his previous credits going back to his start on the Nickelodeon shows “Get the Picture” and “Guts,” touts his ESPN stint as the sports fanatic “The Rick” and cites his playwriting career and his upcoming off-Broadway play “Searching for Certainty.”

But nowhere is there a mention of the most high-profile project of O’Malley’s career, “The Mike O’Malley Show,” which was crushed in reviews by critics and axed by NBC after two episodes. O’Malley became a favorite whipping boy of the media, and many wondered if he was destined for oblivion.

What a difference a year makes.

With his starring gig on “Yes, Dear,” O’Malley has achieved creative redemption. The comedy, which received largely negative notices from critics, is one of the most popular new sitcoms of the fall season among viewers.

But the star-playwright is not gloating. The sting of last year’s lashing is gone but not forgotten.

“I’m not sure anything will erase what happened last year,” said O’Malley. “It’s very firmly planted in my memory banks. True, ‘Yes, Dear’ got some scathing reviews, but certainly nothing can compare to what I went through last year.”

He is philosophical about what went wrong last season: “TV is a very fragile business. A number of things have to be in place for a successful show. The stars really have to be aligned.”

When first approached about joining “Yes, Dear,” O’Malley was more than apprehensive: “When you work hard and it all goes down in flames, you’re not eager to get roasted again. But what I am going to do? I’m an actor. I’m just happy that CBS and the show’s creators, Alan Kirschenbaum and Greg Garcia, wanted me.”

He was also anxious about whether “The Mike O’Malley Show” stigma would be attached to his new colleagues. “I was worried that it would cloud the great work that the others were doing.”

Anthony Clark, O’Malley’s “Yes, Dear” co-star, said he was not concerned that O’Malley’s involvement might draw negative reaction to the new show.

“What happened to Mike before means nothing to me,” said Clark. “I never saw an episode of that show. I had seen his commercial campaign on ESPN, and I just thought Mike was brilliant. I felt we would be the perfect fit.”

O’Malley said he’s glad to have a hit show but is not taking it for granted. “To be honest, I’m just happy to have a job.”