DAG: Another failed attempt for 'U' grad David Allen Grier

By Matt Manser

Daily Arts Writer

What happens when the president's top Secret Service agent dives away from the president when an assassin fires a gun? He gets demoted to guarding the first lady, and wackiness ensues. At least that's the intention of "DAG," which airs Tuesdays at 9:30 on NBC.

David Alan Grier ("In Living Color") plays Secret Service agent Jerome Daggett, the guy who dove the wrong way. (You see, Jerome's last name begins with "Dag," which is also the initials of David Alan Grier. "DAG" also rhymes with "JAG," which airs Tuesdays on CBS. The diving incident was captured on film and aired across the globe. It also made great monologue material, as shown by cameos by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and even Andy Richter. In Daggett's defense, he thought the president was standing to his right, not to his left. Still, Dag is reassigned to the team guarding the first lady, also known as the B-team.

First Lady Judith Whitman is played by Leon Phelps' favorite lady, Delta Burke ("Designing Women"). Whitman quickly assigns Dag menial tasks like grocery shopping, walking Betsy Ross, Whitman's dog. Dag feels he is overqualified for such tasks, but Whitman only does it to point out how bad it feels to be taken for granted. Whitman has been taken for granted for years. When her husband ran for senator, she wrote one of his most memorable speeches, known as the "I have a dream too" speech. But somewhere along the line she stopped being important and was just known as a wife.

Overall the cast is strong, but the best actor in the first episode isn't even in the cast. David Rasche is a hoot as President Whitman. You probably remember Rasche from that cult classic show from the 80's, "Sledgehammer." Actually, you probably don't remember Rasche at all, but I do. Rasche's President Whitman may or may not be based on G Dubya. After meeting with a diplomat from some foreign country (Bartonstan, I think), he reveals to his daughter Camilla (Lea Moreno Young) that he's never heard the country. Camilla's responds, "Don't they make you take a test to become president?" President Whitman later ponders, "I don't know why we have to deal with these damn foreigners anyway." Another droll performance in the premiere episode is turned in by comedian Larry Miller, who plays guy in charge of the Secret Service. But like Rasche, Miller is not a regular cast member.

Aside from Dag, the rest of the B-team consists of clueless Edward Pillows (Stephen Dunham, "Oh Grow Up") and overzealous Susan Cole (Emmy Laybourne, "Superstar"). They have some humorous moments, like when they get distracted from their duties of protecting the first lady by arguing about why pesto sauce is green. Other than that, there's not a whole lot for them to do. Also in the cast is Lauren Tom ("Grace Under Fire") as Ginger Chin, the first lady's secretary. Chin is hustler who conned her way into the job of secretary. However, instead of having good jokes about a con artist in the White House, they have "laugh at the woman with the funny accent" jokes. Rounding out the cast is Mel Jackson as Agent Morton, who replaces Dag as head of the A-team who protects the president. Once again, there's not a whole lot for this character to do.

David Alan Grier and Delta Burke may be the big names on "DAG," but David Rasche as the president stole the show. Rasche is not a regular cast member, but hopefully the producers will reconsider. If Rasche does not become a regular, then "DAG" will be a real drag.