Thursday nights at 8:30, NBC has strategically placed a new show between Friends and Seinfeld That show is Boston Common. Not since the popular Cheers has there been a Boston-based sitcom. And from the looks of it, Boston Common has a long way to go before it reaches this success. It is missing the bond between characters that has made other shows successful. When looking at other favorites (Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, and Cheers), there is a familiarity between characters and each one contributes to the show by providing his or her own unique talents.

In Boston Common, however, it seems as if Anthony Clark, the show's star and a native of Boston, is carrying the program. He plays Boyd, a lovesick Southerner, who came to Boston to bring his younger sister to Harrington College (a take-off of Emerson College). However, when Boyd meets Joy, the girl of his dreams, he is unable to leave. Despite an attraction to Boyd, Joy has a serious boyfriend, a pompous professor. Others in the cast include a rude and bitter desk clerk and an odd neighbor who is an expert on shoes. None of the characters is as strong as Clark. He is a tremendous comedic actor and he needs a strong supporting cast to complement his ability.

Boston Common has a promising premise: two small-town simpletons trying to adjust to life in the big city. It also offers fresh faces, but the actors of Boston Common have yet to "gel" and be secure with each other. When that happens, maybe NBC will have another smash hit