Take equal parts "All in the Family" and "Will & Grace,"
neglect quality and let the cliches fly. The result is ABC's "It's
All Relative," the flavor of humor without the carbs of biting
social commentary.

Lenny Clarke ("The Job") leads this no name cast as "Mace"
O'Neil, a predictable, Irish-Catholic, bar-owning, Republican, poor
man's Colin Quinn. His son Bobby (Reid Scott) is engaged to Liz
(Maggie Lawson), who he met on a ski trip. He is a bartender who
went to junior college; she goes to Harvard. Just for good measure,
she has two gay fathers.

In the pilot, the parents of the two crazy lovebirds finally
meet. Liz's dads go "undercover" to the O'Neils' bar as straight
dock workers and the forced jokes fly. While this show is somewhat
humorous, it is by no means appointment TV, just an amusing waste
of a half hour.

In an effort to regain middle-American family ratings, ABC has
countless interchangeable fighting in-law shows this season. Not to
be outdone, "It's All Relative" offers several of the classic
sitcom stereotypes: the slow-witted guy, the wife who continually
puts her husband in his place, the effeminate homosexual and the
wise-cracking sister.

The show is forced at times and may offend both sides of the
ideological spectrum. Obviously ripping off Archie Bunker, both in
characters and in title, "It's All Relative" works better than
saying what it really is: "Thirty minutes till 'The Bachelor.'"

Rating: 3 stars