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Everything's Relative aired from October until November 1987 on CBS.
Only 6 episodes of this sitcom were broadcast. It told the story of 2 brothers sharing a loft apartment in the SoHo section of lower Manhattan. Julian ( Jason Alexander), was older and more sensible, a divorced 33 year old with a small business that tested consumer products for advertising agencies and companies. Scott ( John Bolger), was a carefree hunk, a 25 year old construction worker who was irresistible to women. Stories revolved around their divergent values, lifestyles, and social lives. Julian's partner Emily ( Gina Hecht), wanted their relationship to be more than just business and was vocal about letting him know it; Mickey( Tony Deacon Nittoli), was the young guy who ran errands for both of the brothers and marveled at Scott's womanizing; and Rae ( Anne Jackson), was their mother. Stenciled on the door of their loft apartment was the latin phrase " Tutto E Possible" ( Everything Is Possible).
A Review From The New York Times
By John J. O'Connor
Published: October 3, 1987
On the new-series front, CBS has two entries this evening. ''Everything's Relative'' is a sitcom with a vengeance - silly people in a sillier formula, frantically looking for a laugh every 30 seconds. The viewer is likely to end up as exhausted as the cast.
On the premiere at 8:30 - written by Marshall Karp and directed by Ellen Falcon - we are confronted with the Basic Mix. Two brothers are sharing a Manhattan loft. The older is Julian Beeby (Jason Alexander). He is 33 years old, recently divorced and, a yuppie in a perpetual state of anxiety, doing business as an expert in consumer behavior, otherwise known as product testing. The other is Scott (John Bolger). He is 25, single, a construction worker and a womanizer. Popping in and out of their lives is Mommy, named Rae (Anne Jackson), presumably not related to the Rae mentioned above. This Rae is the very model of a stereotypical Jewish mother, complete with nasty but lovable wisecracks. Voila, a sitcom!
It seems that Julie is still drawn to his former wife (Kim Morgan Greene), even though he found her in bed with a famous talk-show host. It also seems that his dead Aunt Edna has left the unfaithful spouse a brooch, giving Julie an opportunity to visit, much to the disapproval of Rae (''Be careful how you touch it,'' she says, handing him the heirloom. ''I've had the points sharpened.''). The relationship is rekindled and suddenly Julie is singing show tunes again. ''If I Were a Bell'' is a favorite. The scene is set for a family confrontation that can be resolved within the show's allotted 21 minutes.
As Julie, Mr. Alexander looks like a young and pudgy Gene Kelly, constantly wearing an expression that can be interpreted as either bemused or incurably dense. Brother Scott is simply required to remain cool and hunky, the envy of Julie and the neighborhood delivery boys. And Rae is consummately pushy, arranging everyone's life with enervating zest. She is horrified, of course, that one son has wound up a mere laborer. ''My son the construction worker,'' she sneers sweetly, ''who dropped out of college to follow his dream.'' Beneath the almost unpleasant surface of ''Everything's Relative'' there is something truly unpleasant.
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