MidSeason TV
Entertainment Weekly
3//02

The clock is ticking for new mom Ally McBeal, and we're not talking about her biological one. With ratings for the lawyer dramedy dwindling since Robert Downey Jr.'s exit last season, Fox needs a back-up plan. ''American,'' a dramedy about a plucky Midwestern girl who gets a gig as a vice consul in London, could be the network's answer (it will be tested in '' Ally'''s timeslot). Though reactions to the show are mixed, most critics agree that it has a decent chance of matching, if not topping, ''Ally'''s ratings. ''If I was an advertising sponsor and I had to choose between this and a repeat of 'Ally,' I'd choose this hands down,'' says media analyst Paul Schulman of Advanswers PHD, who gives ''American'''s premise and star (Arija Bareikis of ''Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo'') high marks. ODDS: Even

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