July 18, 1995

As Dream On dreams on into its new season, you still wonder how Martin gets through the day. Or the night, as in "Try Not to Remember," the first of HBO's 17 new episodes.

The series maintains its lofty level of angst and silliness. That is, Martin (Brian Benben) suddenly is having a frightful time engendering an orgasm, despite being presented with ample opportunities. (The number of such opportunities is not new to these tales -- the symptom is.)

His perky new therapist (Louise Fletcher) convinces him that he has suppressed memories about old Uncle Roy tickling him in the bathtub when Marty was a lad! The only way to exorcise Martin of the hangup, she asserts, is to re-enact the tub scene -- and she plays Uncle Roy. Well, as it all turns out, it wasn't Uncle Roy at all; it was Red Buttons from an old TV scene!

This episode is more pointless than most episodes of Dream On but it reveals Benben still growing in what has become a singular character. Likewise for Wendie Malick as ex-wife Judith. Angst and silliness were made for them.

DREAM ON: TRY NOT TO REMEMBER
HBO
St. Clare Entertainment and MTE
Executive producer: John Landis
Co-executive producers: Ron Wolotzky, Stephen Engel
Supervising producers: Tom Maxwell, Don Woodard
Co-producer: Victor Levin
Producer: Robb Idels
Created by: David Crane, Marta Kauffman
Director: Robby Benson
Writer: Bill Prady
Executive story editors: Lisa Debenedictis, Daryl Rowland
Director of photography: Richard Walden
Production designer: James Terry Welden
Editor: David Helfand
Cast: Brian Benben, Denny Dillon, Wendie Malick, Louise Fletcher, Cliff Bemis, June Gable, Sean Masterson, Colleen McDermott, Igbel Theba, Meadow Williams, Mark Wilson
Airdates: Wednesday, July 19, 10-10:30 p.m.; also July 20, 22 and 24

Copyright July 1995 The Hollywood Reporter.

A Summary of Louise Fletcher's 'Dream On' Episode