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CBS Says Welcome To The Hotel California

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By WALT BELCHER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2008

TAMPA - Only slightly amusing and cute but lacking real funny moments, "Welcome to the Captain" debuts on CBS at 8:30 tonight.

This midseason sitcom is of interest only because the cast includes Jeffery Tambor, who was brilliant on "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Arrested Development"; former sex goddess Raquel Welch, who still looks grand at age 67; and Tampa native Joanna Garcia, who may have to wait to find another series that can run longer than "Reba."

After playing Reba McEntire's ditzy blond daughter, Cheyenne, for six seasons, Garcia quickly landed another job. She does her best, but viewers may be checking out by the second episode.

On "Welcome to the Captain," Garcia plays Hope, an attractive and perky acupuncturist trainee who lives in a fabled and fading Hollywood hotel, the El Capitan.

The hotel turned apartment building also houses a collection of eccentric characters, including Tambor as Uncle Saul, a comedy writer who hasn't had a hit since he worked on "Three's Company."

Welch plays Charlene Van Ark, a former starlet who still has an active libido. She seduces every young man in sight but avoids old Saul, the one man who really loves her.

The story follows new resident and former New Yorker Josh Flug (the bland Fran Kranz). He's a young one-hit wonder who won an Oscar for best short subject documentary film. But he can't parlay that into a career. Suffering from writer's block, he needs something to get his creative juices flowing.

He immediately develops a crush on Hope, who apparently sees him only as a potential friend. She has just failed her licensing exam for leaving stray needles stuck in her instructor after the test treatment.

Also in the building is Josh's shallow, womanizing buddy (Chris Klein). He's more annoying than fun. But even more annoying is the hotel's desk clerk-bell captain, Jesus, a meddling stereotype played by Al Madrigal.

On "Reba," Garcia revealed that she has a sense of comic timing. But here she isn't given much to work with.

The 28-year-old actress started acting in Tampa stage productions when she was 10. The daughter of Jay Garcia and Loraine Garcia of Tampa, Joanna went to Tampa Catholic. In high school, she was cast in movies, commercials and TV shows that were filmed in Florida. She also worked on Nickelodeon's "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" series for two seasons.

She was on "Reba" for 124 episodes (from 2001 to 2007).

Garcia has a role in the upcoming comedy film "Extreme Movie," a spoof of teen sex comedies co-starring Frankie Muniz and Jamie Kennedy.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampa

trib.com.

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