Straight to the heart of friendships

First, that title. This is about adult women who are straight, and adult men who are gay, and four couples who have attained such close bonds that they're more akin to brother and sister ties than mere friendships. They hang out together, share intimate life details, and - as the female voiceover explains - these are "men we can trust, men we can be ourselves with, men who will listen to us."

So, meet Crystal and Nathan (he wants to adopt some day, he says, and she has kids of her own); Elisa and David, who have known each other since NYU days (they're 40-something); Sarah and Joel (Joel's in a long-term relationship, and Sarah is not, to her great frustration); and Rosebud and Sahil (he's Indian-American and struggles with his image and his homosexuality - to Rosebud's great frustration).

Our four couples float through New York as though it's a large and accommodating pond made especially for them. The world is reduced to their own needs and desires and - yes - this is just another way of saying that their self-absorption can be both towering and at times annoying. But get past the "it's-all-about-MEEE!," and you actually have an interesting show.

As always with reality TV, your interest level will be determined by the characters; these eight, in fact, are all entertaining - emotional, neurotic oversharers who must tell you everything about their fabulous lives, obsessions and partner positions. But the most intriguing pair is perhaps Rosebud and Sahil. He refuses to come out of the closet, and at times veers close to homophobia. What exactly is going on with these two? You are left to wonder whether his feelings for her are strictly platonic.

BOTTOM LINE: Imagine if Ross or Joey or Chandler were gay . . . or "Will and Grace" were a reality show or . . . maybe Cosmo, Jerry and George. . . . You get the idea. A lively reality show played, umm, not entirely straight, but occasionally for laughs. Rarely dull.

GRADE: B