Latest ‘Seinfeld’ wannabe stands well on its own

“It’s like, you know” has a familiar feel to it. The new series, debuting at 8:30 tonight on ABC, is about four friends, three men and one woman. They hang out in a Los Angeles guest house, commenting drolly on the minutiae of life. None seems to be very successful at relationships.

That’s right, “It’s like, you know” is about the 47th show attempting to capture the “Seinfeld” magic. Its creator, Peter Mehlman, was a “Seinfeld” executive producer, but that’s no guarantee of success.

“It’s like, you know” tells the story of Arthur (the George character), who moves from New York to L.A. to write a scathing book on the City of Angels. On the flight out, he meets and falls for Lauren (the Elaine character), a transplanted Ohioan who is a masseuse-process server. Arthur is staying with his college pal Robbie (the Jerry character), who’s gotten rich with such schemes as televising the High Holidays, or, as Robbie terms it, “pay-per-Jew.” Robbie himself is living in the guest house of Shrug (the Kramer character), a guilt-ridden, trust-fund baby who has never worked a day in his life. Of course, it turns out that Lauren is Shrug’s masseuse.

A strong cast helps “It’s like, you know” to shine. As whiny hypochondriac Arthur, Chris Eigeman seems to be channeling Woody Allen. Steven Eckholdt’s Robbie is a confident guide to all things Californian (“Freeway chases are the L.A. equivalent of snow days”). A.J. Langer (“My So-Called Life”) is a standout as free spirit Lauren, and Evan Handler is a bundle of neuroses as “trustafarian” Shrug.

The show’s wild card is actress Jennifer Grey, playing herself as Robbie’s next-door neighbor. The series pokes fun at the now little-seen actress a decade after “Dirty Dancing,” as Grey, complete with a new nose, scrambles to create buzz for her fairly dormant career.

“It’s like, you know” replaces “Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place” for six weeks (for that alone, it scores points). The series provides a satiric look at life on the Left Coast, and, once viewers get past the “Seinfeld” similarities, they will see that it stands well on its own. That’s more than many of the “Seinfeld” wannabes can say.

That’s also more than “Norm,” the new vehicle for comedian Norm Macdonald, can manage. Norm Macdonald was forced off “Saturday Night Live” after offending NBC executive Don Ohylmeyer with his savage, frequent O.J. Simpson bits on “Weekend Update.” That’s why the toothless “Norm,” airing at 9:30 on ABC, is such a disappointment.

In “Norm,” Macdonald plays a former pro hockey player who got expelled from hockey for life because of gambling and tax evasion. His punishment is five years of community service as a social worker. One screwup, and he’s off to jail.

That’s only appropriate, since the waste of talent on “Norm” is criminal. Far too much of Macdonald’s edge has been sanded away, leaving yet another offbeat but basically good sitcom protagonist. Also misused is Laurie Metcalf, whose Jackie was the most well-rounded character on “Roseanne.” Her Laurie is an overly earnest but sometimes whacko co-worker in Norm’s office, with none of the depth Metcalf is capable of supplying.

Perhaps having five executive producers for “Norm” should have been a sign that this is a paint-by-numbers production. Take the star, make him a fish out of water, surround him with stereotypes, give him an ugly dog, and you have a winner. But, unfortunately, “Norm” is really a comedic shutout.