Arli$$

Proof that the profane can be very, very funny, Arli$$ is not only a tour de force for star/writer/coproducer Robert Wuhl, but a reality-bending kindred spirit to HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," whose star, Garry Shandling, lurks in the opening-credits cameo. [9 Aug 1996, p.C1]

Wuhl, who wrote the scripts for the first two episodes, is shrewd and witty in both the creation and delivery of dialogue, and outstanding in physical comedy. If sitcoms were judged like gymnastics, Sanders star Garry Shandling would grab the gold medal with a perfect score of 10 and Wuhl would be a cinch for the silver at 9.9. [7 Aug 1996, p.D01]

Though the show happens to be about sports, it works even better as a shrewd sendup of the culture of money, hype and celebrity.

Mostly succeeds with cynically outlandish gusto, blurring the reality lines while rendering a fresh new antihero for the '90s in superagent Arliss Michaels. [5 Aug 1996, p.34]

Arli$$ is character comedy. The humor comes out of the characters, the relationships and their work. It rings true all the time. [7 Aug 1996, p.B65]

Will delight those who know a bit about the star-making machinery. It will tickle sports fans and entertain anyone in search of a decent adult comedy. [7 Aug 1996, p.G01]

Above all, Arli$$ succeeds because it has a sharp point of view and a subject worth lampooning. It might not be in the same league as The Larry Sanders Show but give it time. It definitely has the look of a winner. [10 Aug 1996, p.E1]

It's hilarious...The series doesn't break new ground artistically, but it's got a main character who's already a classic. He seems as fully formed as Frasier or Seinfeld's Kramer. He could become television's new king of self-delusion. [10 Aug 1996, p.1G]

A pallid imitation of The Larry Sanders Show, the series works best when its real-life guests are funny.

Wuhl's madcap shyster has a sublimely bent supporting crew: Jim Turner as the agent's second-in-command Kirby Carlisle, a former quarterback with a bad habit of betting on games; Sandra Oh as crackerjack office assistant Rita Woo; and Michael Boatman ("China Beach") as Stanley, the agency's dour buppie numbers cruncher. [9 Aug 1996, p.1D]

Tacky, vulgar, politically incorrect and mocks others. And those are its good points.

The biggest yet most easily adjusted problem is that of tone. In many scenes, Arli$$ hits everything just right; a scene in next week's episode, with Arliss conducting a high-pressure negotiation with the owner of a pro basketball team, is Wuhl and Arli$$ at their best...In other scenes, though, the laughs are hit too broadly, and even the soundtrack and editing punch the punch lines much too aggressively. "The Larry Sanders Show" knows to let the laughter find its own level; in time, I hope, Arli$$ will also. [9 Aug 1996, p.115]

The alleged humor is so broad as to make one wince -- if not recoil. [10 Aug 1996, p.C01]