Deja Viewed (Television Review: Partners, Mondays on F/X)

"Partners," the new television sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence, is probably one of those shows where the show came after its casting.  I could just imagine the executive meeting - "Hey we got both Grammer and Lawrence to commit to shows, why don't we put both of them together?" And a production team is born. "Partners" is at times so unfunny I wonder how it passed through quality control at the network - I mean, did they see the show before final cut?  The show is a variation on the time old Odd Couple theme - this time it's two lawyers who are partners in a firm. One is straight-laced, the other is a shark. I mean, nice enough premise, but nothing we haven't seen before. So it all boils down to their chemistry. The two ain't Randall and Klugman, but that awkwardness sort of works for them in the beginning. As time goes on, they should get more comfortable with each other and should be more at ease. But the first four episodes I saw were so unmemorable that I have a hard time motivating myself to watch future airings. The supporting characters are very interesting, though: Rory O Malley as the gay assistant is predictable camp, and Thelma Hopkins as Lawrence's mom provide matching sass. But we've all really seen all this before, so why should we bother again?