One of the things that television did, during the 1980s and 1990s, was seek out successful stand-up comedians and give them what they called a "development deal," where they would have a chance to create a sitcom, either from bits of their act or from a new premise, hoping their success in the comedy clubs would translate to a hit show.
Richard Jeni was one of those stand-ups that was gaining attention at the time (he had a hit HBO special), and he got to take one of his routines and expand it to a full series.
As Richard himself explained in the show's opening titles:
"Platypus: A small, egg laying mammal that attempts to mate frequently, but spends most of its time, alone.
Man: An adult male human.
Platypus Man: An adult male human that attempts to mate frequently, but spends most of its time, alone."
The concept is that Jeni, who plays a charming, sophisticated but somewhat awkward character named Richard Jeni and who hosts a nationally telecast food based show called "Cooking With the Platypus Man," has continual issues in looking for love in and around New York City.
A typical episode features Jeni hosting his show, cooking something an untrained bachelor might be able to prepare at home, as he explains some wise piece of advice he has learned during a recent dating experience. That becomes a flashback to the events that inspired the topic.
Denise Miller played his across the hall neighbor who commiserates with Richard, as she has problems finding someone to love, too. Ron Orbach was Richard's schleppy friend who happens to produce the cooking show, and has ideas aplenty, none of them good. And David Dundara ran the bar Jeni liked to hang out in and was the himbo who got every lady he wanted, usually without even trying.
If you think this sorta sounds like another sitcom, where the star is named after himself, and is surrounded by wacky characters as he attempts to occasionally go on dates and make a living entertaining audiences, well, you're not wrong. "Seinfeld" was at the top of its form at the same time this show debuted, and that was NOT a healthy comparison for the Platypus.
New York played a part because the dating scene is always a little strange, amusing and heartbreaking and there are an endless number of women to potentially meet, each of whom had an interesting job and their own set of foibles and regulations when going out with some random guy who has a low rated TV series on some unheardof channel.
Speaking of that, I should mention that UPN, the United Paramount Network, the place where "Platypus Man" aired, literally started with the first episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" and then, this show, as the second series ever on their airwaves.
The program's biggest problem was the writing. There was no Larry David to have created funnier scenarios and bigger and better jokes for this show. And Jeni's observations about dating just weren't very inspired or really, all that amusing. All that meant: the platypus found neither a mate, nor an audience.
