TV GUIDE THE ROUSH REVIEW By Matt Roush "SIGNIFICANT OTHERS" Fox, Wednesdays, 9 P.M./ET March 7 - 13, 1998 On TV this midseason, you're never too young to have a midlife crisis. First came the oversexed angstridden teens of Dawson's Creek, afflicted with such premature self-awareness they worry that social evolution will render them museum pieces to be studied "behind glass cases." If they're not careful, they could find themselves 10 years form now evolving -- as opposed to maturing -- into the maddening dopes of Significant Others, who at 25 are so paralyzed by the choices life offers that they can't commit to love, career or even (once suggests) to a channel on TV. The horror.

We're meant, I think to empathize most with poor, sensitive Campbell (Eion Bailey), who as the series begins, discovers his two best friends, pouty Nell (Jennifer Garner) and loutish Henry (Scott Bairstow), having a secret sexual tryst on his futon. Yikes. What's more, his ex-girlfriend is about to marry his older brother. Ouch.

All of which propels Cam into an existential funk: "When did stuff start to count? ... We may not notice it, but one day, wham! We are who we're going to be." Oh, grow up. Or better yet, shut up.

Ultimately, this hapless whiner comes to the realization that he's "an intensely bitter romantic" who still believes "there is someone out there for me." Tough luck he lives in Los Angeles, so far from Boston. He'd be perfect for Ally McBeal.

With this show's six-week spring try-out, the talented creators of that supreme tearjerker Party of Five try to lighten up a bit. (Truth be told, Charlie's cancer storyline on Party didn't have the dramatic oomph of Bailey's alcoholic crisis last season. Some weeks, it all seemed a contrived wallow in sheer misery.) And there are refreshing moments when Significant Others winks at its own woe-are-we absurdities. For instance, Yale-educated Henry makes ends meet writing cyberporn and is dubbed the "Sidney Sheldon of the Internet" by his come-hither lady boss.

Arriving the same week as two depressingly generic sitcoms that also focus on a triangle of twentysomethings -- NBC's House Rulesand ABC's Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place -- this quirky comdey-drama stands the best chance of catching on.

But will we care about these aimless souls the way so many do about Party's put-upon Salingers? It's highly doubtful; more likely you will find yourself actively annoyed. -- especially by the judgmental and flaky Nell, played by Garner as if cloned from the least appealing mannerisms of Party poopers Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

In a strained attempt at irony next week, Nell accepts the limits of her boring new job and tells the mopey Campbell there's no shame in saying "Yech!" to life. "From now on, 'yeck' is precisely the feeling we should strive for."

In that regard, Significant Others is all too successful.

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From the creators of "PARTY OF FIVE

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

Do best friends make the best lovers? Or just the biggest mistakes?

A new look at love and life.

S E R I E S   P R E M I E R E -- 9 PM -- FOX 6 Listing: March 7 - 13, 1998 Significant Others (CC) -- Drama 1:00 Debut: An ensemble drama about L.A. twentysomethings. The series focuses on long-time friends who find out that their choices in life are "starting to count." This realization is especially daunting for Campbell (Eion Bailey), who, in the opener, learns the woman he dumped is marrying his brother. The discovery that his best friends -- Nell (Jennifer Garner) and Henry (Scott Bairstow) -- are hiding their romance from him adds to his despair. Meanwhile, Nell, who hates that Henry's an Internet porn writer, vows to support him if he quits his job -- but then resigns from her company. (1:00)

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FOX WEDNESDAY Meet three best friends. All they want out of life ... is everything. From the creators of "PARTY OF FIVE" SIGNIFICANT OTHERS Listing: March 14 - 20, 1998 Significant Others (CC) -- Drama 1:00 Cam's parents agree to invest in his and Henry's kiddie-video venture -- but there's a catch; Nell tries to convince an interviewer (Lawrence Pressman) to pardon her unsteady employment history in order to land the "perfect job"; and Henry tries to cheer Charlotte (Gigi Rice), who's celebrating a birthday while her husband's out of town.

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FOX WEDNESDAY He's head-over-heals for a woman who's married ... older ... and his boss. From the creators of "PARTY OF FIVE" SIGNIFICANT OTHERS Listing: March 21 - 27, 1998 Significant Others (CC) -- Drama 1:00 Henry and Charlotte agree to take their relationship to the next level -- but neither is sure how it should be done; and when Nell's father fails to show up for a visit, she turns to his friend (Robert Desiderio) for comfort and his support. Meanwhile, Campbell tries to get his two partners focused on the video business.

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This wonderful music is "Layla" by Eric Clapton. I happen to love it. I found this at Teresita's Midi Page.