Maniac Mansion

Maniac Mansion, a peculiar sitcom starring SCTV's Joe Flaherty gets even weirder this week, as another SCTV alum, Martin Short, guest-stars as Eddie O'Donnell, a drunken failed actor and boyhood friend of Flaherty's Fred Edison. The role is basically an excuse to do yet another variation on the nutty-pathetic, out-of-control-guy character with which Short has been stealing scenes for years. But it's such a great performance, who cares if Short is stealing from himself? When egomaniacal Eddie falls through the Edisons' front door and proceeds to monopolize the family's life, you'll probably be as flabbergasted as they are by the sheer, inventive wackiness of this fellow. B+