MY NAME IS EARL -- Viva Le Karma???

It was with considerable anticipation that I tuned into the premiere episode of MY NAME IS EARL -- the much ballyhooed sitcom which declares that "Karma is a funny thing." While Karma may be funny, EARL isn't despite a promising premise and a significant promotional investment by the fabled Peacock Network. With its ratings mired in third place among the original Big Three, NBC sorely needs a hit. Alas, NBC (the initials now stand for "Nothing But Crap") will need a miracle if this show is to last more than one season.

The highlight of the initial episode, believe it or not, was the brief appearance of a decidedly rare 1981 Le Car. I actually met the advertising executive who came up with the name for this sad little import. Fred Thompson was the fellow responsible and at the time I questioned whether naming a French automobile "Le Car" was brilliant in its simplicity or insipid as hell -- the demise of Renault in the US marketplace soon followed and I had my answer.