Room for Romance

Room for Romance is an anthology series set in a large New York apartment building; think of it as The Love Boat in dry dock, or Hotel goes condo. It also makes its TV predecessors look like masterpieces by comparison.

The series is overseen by the apartment building’s concierge, played by Dom Irrera. A talented stand-up comedian, Irrera here does little more than stand around in the lobby and set up the stories. The show’s only other regular is Rebecca Harrell as an independent little girl who lives in the building and knows everything about its inhabitants. Her character is supposed to seem precocious and sweet; instead, she’s smug and bratty — she needs a good spanking.

And the lovey-dovey vignettes Irrera and Harrell set up? They’re either old-fashioned or preposterous. In the series’ premiere last week, a college student brought her roommate home to meet her mother…and it turned out the roommate was a boy! Oh, my, was Mom ever shocked! ”You’ve been lying to me for an entire school year!” she cried bitterly.

In another segment, a living-together couple had a spat; she left him, and he started dating someone else. When the estranged couple met in the hall, she asked, ”How does it feel having someone else touch you?” He said, ”It’s very exciting.”

Yeah, right; I’m sure. D