'Million Dollar Listing': A Fixer-Upper

We do gain insights into the SoCal real estate scene, based on some of the would-be buyers who plod through the open houses. In one episode, agent Lydia Simon (nickname: "The Condo Queen") tells a potential buyer that the condo she is considering is right next to "either Charlie or Martin Sheen."

Potential buyer's response: "We'll take any Sheen we can get."

Meanwhile, you looky-loos who attend open houses in your own neighborhood will be happy to learn it happens in Los Angeles, too. A graphic even tells us that it's a "trendy hobby" there.

But on Bravo, the nosy neighbors include a woman with oversized endowments who wears a thread of a dress, and her husband, who creepily says about the bedroom: "This would be a good place to do photography," adding, "I have a Web site."

At times, the show comes off almost as Real Estate 101, as it frequently litters the screen with such pop-up factoids as, "When showing a house, turn on all the lamps to brighten up rooms."

But for the reality-TV watcher expecting Bravo's usually reliable parade of memorable characters, the show desperately needs to come up with flashier, more fascinating real estate agents.

Flashier, more fascinating real estate agents? Come to think of it, that might just to be too tall an order even for Bravo.

Million Dollar Listing (one hour) debuts tonight at 9 on Bravo.