Role in guy dramedy is revelation for Yakima actor

Everyone wants TV to be different, and then nobody watches when it is different. But midseason briefly opens the door to experiments like CBS' one-hour dramedy "Love Monkey," which debuts at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

"Love Monkey" stars Tom Cavanagh as record-industry executive Tom Farrell and is based on the best-seller by Kyle Smith. CBS is leaning away from married tele-chubbies these days, and heroes like Tom are part of the plan to get younger viewers.

I was often reminded of "High Fidelity" and "Sex and the City" while waiting for "Love Monkey" to establish its own tone. That never quite happens, though the series has some distinctions.

It combines flipness and sincerity without reducing the experience to head-snapping soap opera. It gives thirtysomething men the same attention normally reserved for women on TV, and in a way that's angled toward both male and female audiences.

"Love Monkey" also has a few surprises. One involves a sportscaster played by Yakima native and University of Washington drama graduate Christopher Wiehl (more on him shortly).

Still, tomorrow's major plot point — instant karmic reward for a good deed — robs the main character of interest. More suffering would be better for "Love Monkey" and for Cavanagh, whose starring role on NBC's "Ed" set the mold for confused romantics.

The supporting cast includes Jason Priestley, Larenz Tate, Judy Greer, Ivana Milicevic and Katherine La Nasa, who somehow don't say or do enough that's memorable. Maybe "Love Monkey" will age well; it's got precisely eight episodes to prove itself.

Meanwhile, time to chat with a home boy. Up-and-comers come and go in Hollywood, but Wiehl hasn't stopped working since he graduated from U Dub in 1994. You could even call him the Wiehl thing.

Q: Hey — you're from Yakima, Wash., and you starred in a film called "Yakima, Wash."

A: That was a film I produced, my first. It's a caper movie about a small-town sports hero and actually got distributed. Then I produced a vampire movie, got my teeth wet.

Q: Speaking of wet teeth, you — or rather Owen Thurman — are on all the "Buffy" sites.

A: My first role on a regular TV series. No idea it would be a hit.

I refer to myself as a lunch-pail actor. I study a lot, work out a lot, have a good team. My parents have been a solid stone in my life. I'm fortunate. Then again, I've done six or seven pilots and have yet to make one to sophomore season.

Q: You were the quarterback in ESPN's football series "Playmakers," which was hugely popular. What happened there?

A: Any way you look at it, we were a hit. But the NFL commissioner called ESPN and basically said if you want a contract for "Monday Night Football," get rid of "Playmakers." Disney [the producer] wouldn't even let the show move to HBO. It was squashed.

Q: You should have talked to your sister.

A: Lis and I are too busy competing for television time. She's a legal analyst for Fox.

Q: You've played jocks a lot over the years. In "Love Monkey," you're an ex-baseball player.

A: Right before I did "Playmakers," I played an athlete on "Monk," then later I did "Clubhouse."

On "Love Monkey," I'm playing Jake, a former New York Mets third baseman who's now a radio sportscaster. The twist is that he's gay, but he's got to stay in the closet in order to keep his career alive. Or at least that's what he thinks.

Q: That could be good for your career in a "Brokeback Mountain" kind of year.

A: What really drew me to this part is that they're doing it in a different way. He's not all out there and he's not a martyr. It's very realistic about the sports world.

Coming from Yakima, where homosexuality was not talked about while I was growing up, to L.A. opened my mind. I applaud CBS for trying this out.

Q: So now I have to ask: Who's the hottest co-star you worked with: Elisabeth Röhm, Omar Gooding or Jason Priestley?

A: This is the most fun I've ever had with a cast, including Jason. But I'm still gonna say Elisabeth Röhm.

Q: So does being a make-believe sportscaster on a CBS show get you great seats at Seahawks games?

A: I've been on location in New York, so I could only watch in a sports bar. First the 'Hawks were on one little TV back in the corner, now they're on more and more sets.

But CBS has promised me that if the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, I will have a seat.

TV Notes: At 8 Tuesday on KCTS-TV, Nova's "Deadly Ascent" climbs Denali (aka Mount McKinley) to explore the science of high-altitude death and why so many well-equipped climbers have met with disaster. A fascinating show.

Kay McFadden: kmcfadden@seattletimes.com