Big fat spinoff starving for more original shtick

The good news for Monday night’s premiere of “My Big Fat Greek Life” was that its lead-in was one of TV’s funniest, most popular comedies, “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

That, along with heavy promotion as CBS accelerated the show’s debut by slipping it into the all-important February ratings sweeps, promised a high initial tune-in. (On Sunday it moves to its regular 8 p.m. slot.)

Hence the bad news, for comparing the back-to-back half-hours about domineering families, joke for joke, laugh for laugh, made this spinoff of the hugely profitable hit movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” look especially undernourished.

If “Raymond” is a hard act to follow -- even when it’s not at its best -- so is the movie, whose fans surely approached Monday night with high expectations.

Although premieres are rarely the final word on TV comedies, this one felt like just another sitcom instead of stage two of Nia Vardalos’ engaging froth about a 30ish Chicago travel agent whose intensely Greek family has an adverse reaction to her attachment to a “non-Greek” guy. Whereas the movie was over-the-top funny, the sitcom’s opening episode was over the top minus the funny, despite lacking only one member of the big-screen cast.

Although waves of studio -- or was it canned -- laughter met every attempt at a gag, think geek instead of Greek. The Zorbas didn’t dance. Skilled farceurs Michael Constantine (as patriarch Gus Portokalos), Lainie Kazan (as matriarch Maria Portokalos) and Andrea Martin (as Aunt Voula) were barely farcical.

And the charming innocence that Vardalos projected on the big screen as Toula (renamed Nia here) was missing as she and her new husband, Thomas (Steven Eckholdt, taking over that role from John Corbett, whose own new show soon will arrive on FX) were greet by a Greek swarm when they arrived at the airport following their honeymoon.

Then ... the pushiness. Would the newlyweds accept a new house -- and all the strings it entailed -- as a wedding gift from the Portokaloses? Absolutely not. Well, maybe. Actually, after thinking about it, yup. And expect it to be within Windex range of the parents.

Meanwhile, cousin Nikki (Gia Carides), was still shaking and baking. Still the enforcer, brother Nick (Louis Mandylor) was dispatched to the couple’s apartment to give them assistance. Mama arrived with food, and soon the place was teeming with Greeks bearing gifts of themselves.

At one point, Thomas (who was named Ian in the movie) complained about being “backed into a corner.” Viewers will understand the feeling.

*

‘My Big Fat Greek Life’

Where: CBS

When: 8 p.m. Sundays

Rating: The network has rated it TV PG (may be unsuitable for young children).

Nia Vardalos...Nia Portokalos

Steven Eckholdt...Thomas Miller

Michael Constantine...Gus Portokalos

Lainie Kazan...Maria Portokalos

Andrea Martin...Aunt Voula