“Partners” — Two Thumbs Medium

“Partners” is a new sitcom based in Chicago (as are about six other series) starring Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence.

Kelsey Grammer just can’t stay away from TV. Anyone remember “Back to You” with Patricia Heaton? It ran for 17 episodes. Seemed like a very long time.

Grammer is Executive Producer of Partners as well as one of two lead roles. The other belongs to Martin Lawrence, and it’s a real departure for him.

Allen Braddock (Grammer) is a highly unethical lawyer (Is that redundant? OK, sorry, lawyers) who has just been fired from his own father’s law firm. He hears Marcus Jackson (Lawrence) talking about his upcoming divorce, and how he’s going to be cleaned out. Braddock tells Jackson it doesn’t have to be that way. But he has to fight, stand up for himself and stop being, well, so nice.

They form an uneasy partnership with Braddock showing just how many rules can be bent. Really bent. Jackson, a by-the-book environmental activist, seems baffled.

Nobody does conceited and condescending like Grammer. It’s not the pomposity of Frasier, but not as funny either.

The pilot was weak. It was followed by another episode about a “gwedding.” That’s right, a gay wedding. This is where Michael (Rory O’Malley), Jackson’s assistant, really shines. Michael’s two gay-guy friends are getting married, but it seems they’re being shafted by an unscrupulous wedding planner (Missi Pyle, who else). Amazed that the lawyers saw through her fraudulent ways, Michael has the best line of the night: “Never in a billion years or Cher’s lifetime, did we think we’d win this.”

The second episode was far better than the pilot. Partners will continue with back-to-back episodes for the next five weeks. The show has been approved for ten episodes. Let’s see whether it’s successful.