5/5 R.I.P. Another show that left us too soon
  by Chris Kennison (Jefferson City, Mo United States)
I LOVE THIS SHOW! This was a great and shortlived sitcom from the WB network. From the creators of SEX AND THE CITY, GROSSE POINTE was about the antics behind-the-scenes of a 20-something sitcom. A sitcom within a sitcom. It poked fun at the business, the in-fighting, romances, ratings gimmicks, vanity, paparazzi, publicity stunts and the competitiveness. Not to mention, even poking fun at their own WB network. Maybe this show went right over audiences heads... not sure... being a screenwriter, it was SPOT ON for me. Snappy dialogue that leaves ALL OF TODAY'S 'SO CALLED' funny shows in the dust.

Examples:

Courtney: "Maybe because I'm a poor girl, I have low self-esteem and I'm trying to compensate for that by dressing in an exhibitionistic fashion."
Pat: "Right. They must have accidentally left that out of the script."


Hunter (to Marcy): "You are so great on the show...even if the fans don't agree."


Dave: "It's my dream to work with Oliver Stone."
Hunter: "Do you really think that you have what it takes to be a stand-in in one of his films?"


Rob: "Let me ask you something. If a vital employee threatened to quit unless you fired an innocent person and hired their relative, you would do it, right? Especially if that innocent person was pretty low on the totem pole?"
Kevin: "Am I fired?"


Hunter: "The only reason we have these table reads is so the writers feel they're somehow involved in the process."


Johnny: "Whose panties have you gotten?"
Brady: "I won't name names. Let's just say I've taken a little dip in Dawson's Creek."
Johnny: "Dude, did he just say he had sex with Dawson?"


Courtney: "What if another opportunity like this never comes along again?"
Hunter: "Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah--my friend Elizabeth Berkley."


Hunter: "Dave, you're really good in bed, but what I need in my life right now is someone to run my errands."


Joan: "We're doing billboards and radio ads, and get this: we're gonna be on every sandwich wrapper at Subway!"
Rob: "Wow, that's great. I didn't think the WB had those kind of promotional dollars."
Joan: "Oh, we don't. It's all trade. So you're going to have to write an episode about a Subway turkey sandwich on wheat, but it doesn't have to be an A story."


Joan: "Did you see the numbers from last night? The 'Kim Dies' episode was the highest-rated show ever. And I mean, ever!"
Rob: "Hot Dog! Did we beat Sabrina?"
Joan: "No."


Courtney: "So basically, you're not a real actress. You're just a model on a TV show."
Hunter: "Excuse me. I was guest-starring on Blossom when you were still putting on puppet shows in your back yard!"


Hunter kills me. Irene Molloy was perfect.

The episode where Courtney, played by a wonderfully charming and innocent Bonnie Sommerville, goes to Japan to do a Japanese beer commercial, unaware that the script refers to her by her Japanese nickname: Miss Big Breasts... a gut buster. The whole show is unforgettable, non-stop fun.

Despite the 23 minute per episode format and the fact that there were only 17 episodes, the show had so much going on and so much more to do when it was cancelled.

5/5 90210 gets the 'Primary Colors' treatment
  by Robin Orlowski (United States)
This series is to 90210's early years what the movie version of 'Primary Colors' was to the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign, a warm-hearted but obvious satire of a real-life event. This series worked specifically because it took affectionate risks with something generations of the WB's most likely viewers had grown up with and could still remember fondly: The 'high school' years of 90210.

Grosse Pointe is a show about 'behind the scenes' of a teen soap opera called 'Grosse Pointe'. The reality of working on such shows was both closer to and farther apart than what our teen magazines had fed us. Despite having no 'Andrea' or 'Steve' characters, this series was easily recognizable as a parody of that Spelling production now synonymous with 90's teen culture.

Allegedly set in Grosse Pointe Michigan, the settings and character wardrobes blatantly scream rich southern Californian. An accomplished actress Courtney Scott (Bonnie Summerfield) playing newly-arrived West Virgina transplant "Laura Johnson" questions the wisdom of having her and the other girls wear miniskirts during a 'Michigan winter' and there also is no snow outside. She is informed that the actual weather is irrelevant to the fantasy which Hollywood sells to viewing audiences; they know that parkas and bundles will not sell.

Because I had a crush on Luke Perry and his character "Dylan McKay", I really enjoyed Kohl Sudduth's portrayal of Quentin King/Stone Anders throughout the whole series. The balding King is a really doting Vietnamese pot-bellied pig father who plays the resident 'bad boy' within the TV show 'Grosse pointe'. Quentin is not mean or stupid (he sincerely wants to use his celebrity to promote causes but is frustrated by the inability to get anything other than the prostate society), but he just does not always say the right thing at the right time.

In a twisted reversal of Michael Jackson's child molestation allegations, a make-a-wish kid blackmails Quentin for a role on Grosse Pointe after accidentally seeing him without the toupee ("Pilot"); Either he gets a part or else Quentin's very closely guarded secret is leaked to the press---and his career as a teen heartthrob is officially over. The kid is psychologically manipulating the star to get what they want instead of the other way around. Contrasting with the 'tough' on-screen image, Quentin quickly grovels to the little brat to save his own hide. AARP jokes also abound, again in reference to Perry's actual age while playing a 'teenager'.

Because Perry basically was the reason why the 1992 movie version of Buffy was in theaters and a retooled version with Sarah Michelle Gellar was then on the WB, there is a Halloween-themed episode ("Halloween") where Grosse Pointe High students essentially become slayers, although Quentin does not become a motorcycle-riding leather jacket-wearing sidekick who faints at several things.

Ms. Gellar herself makes a special guest appearance on "Passion Fish" where she kisses Kim Peterson (the character played by Marcy Sternfeld who is really the talented Lindsey Sloane), to spike Grosse Pointe 'the show' ratings. Marcy Sternfeld is reportedly a parody of Tori Spelling-protests allegedly took out more obvious simmilarities before they had a chance to air.

Another funny character is Johnny Bishop (Al Santos) who plays the 'Brandon Walshesque' Brad Johnson. Bishop has a penchant for getting himself into trouble, but oddly does not realize that his television dad is literally trying to get into his pants. Watching this made me want to go back and then scrutinize the actions of 'Mr. Walsh' with 'Brandon' much more closely than I had originally done.

According to this series, starvation is the reason behind Shannen Doherty's legendary foul mannerisms. When the Dohertyesque Hunter Fallow (Irene Molloy) who plays Becky Johnson gets the role of Monica Lewinsky in a movie ("Devil in a Blue Dress"), she has to gain weight in order to play that part convincingly. Grosse Pointe cast and crew members immediately notice another change in Hunter; she is actually a very nice person when not starving herself to attain Hollywood's version of "beauty" and thus keep her job. This episode is good specifically because it is empathetic to Doherty when instead lobbing personal shots would have been easier-and certainly a more conventional treatment of that actress. It also subtly critiques Hollywood's definition of 'beauty' for women. However, the Lewinsky event in and of itself is extremely dated and does not hold the same media-public clout today.

I'm pleased the studio has released this entire series and at a reasonable price too. Extras include an interview with Darren Star and commentary tracks on the individual episodes. However,I am going to be frank and admit that we just don't need them; being able to watch and re-watch this entire series again and at a reasonable price is great in and of itself.

I had gotten concerned because many of my favorite shows still have yet to have complete DVD series and/or are set at still-ridiculously high prices. Thankfully Grosse Pointe again broke barriers.


5/5 Far from Gross--A Sly, Smart & Sorely Missed Comedic Gem
  by K. Harris (Las Vegas, NV)
Welcome to the delightful world of "Grosse Pointe"--a critically acclaimed comedy gem that was murdered before it's time. Sadly, great shows get axed all the time! It's particularly disheartening, however, when you know that show really didn't have a chance. In a different time, schedule, and/or network--I think this show could have been huge. It ranks with "Action" and "Profit" as one of TV's great short-lived casualties. Both of those shows are also on DVD--do yourself a huge favor, check them out!

"Grosse Pointe" is a wickedly funny and astute satire of tweener shows such as "Beverly Hills 90210" or "Dawson's Creek." Granted it's an easy target--but rarely has Hollywood been so spot-on, so devastatingly on point. It scathingly mocks the product that made Fox and the WB breakthrough networks! But far from being maliciously one-sided, this show has a heart. Like a good roast, this show skillfully pokes fun at its predecessors and, in many ways, honors their appeal.

The fresh faced cast is perfection. While many of them have worked steadily since "Grosse Pointe," still none have truly reached breakout status. This is unfortunate because it's definitely a talented bunch with loads of charm. Irene Molloy chews the scenery as the vixenish bad girl, clearly the showiest role. But I enjoyed everyone, and am particularly surprised we haven't seen more of Al Santos--the show's resident dumb stud.

But the real star of "Grosse Pointe" has to be Darren Star, the show's creator. His love and knowledge of the genre are what make this show so successful. And the talented writers make even the most cliche'd of storylines play out like comedic genius. The stars aligned on this piece of TV nirvana--but we didn't get the joke. Now you have a second chance to catch one of our most underappreciated and hilarious sitcoms. KGHarris, 10/06.


4/5 Wonderful, dry 'reality' comedy...
  by D. James (Melbourne, Australia)
This was a refreshingly new program that set the tone for so many successive ones since it first aired. It's extremely surprising that it didn't get picked up for a second season. The episodes sure to be included on this complete set are:

1. Pilot:
Hunter bristles at the arrival of Courtney Scott, an accomplished actress added to the cast as her character's orphaned cousin. She is especially disgusted to learn that Courtney's character is to steal Becky's boyfriend. Hunter plots to oust her from the show, and convinces the insecure Marcy to help by claiming that Courtney is to replace her. Rob and Hope constantly second-guess their decision to hire Courtney. Courtney is surprised to discover that cast members don't look at the script ahead of time, and have no interest in motivation or character history. She finds herself on the verge of being fired when she has trouble handling last-minute script changes. Johnny saves her by teaching her to hide the script behind her character's textbooks. She draws a standing ovation with her performance, prompting Rob and Hope to hail themselves geniuses. Marcy grows jealous of the amount of attention Johnny devotes to Courtney. A sick child from the "Make a Dream Foundation" catches Quentin without his hairpiece. He blackmails Quentin into getting him a speaking part on the show. Johnny is oblivious to Richard's crush on him.

2. Thieves Like Us
Marcy continues to fret over Johnny's attraction to Courtney, although Courtney mostly finds him disgusting. Hunter suggests that Marcy forget about Johnny, as he was never interested in her. Rob and Hope obtain security camera footage of Hunter shoplifting at a nearby clothing store. They threaten to fire her unless she cleans up her act, and admit that Courtney was hired as her potential replacement. An outraged Hunter urges Marcy to fight for Johnny by helping her force Courtney from the show. They try to get her to screw up by making faces from off-camera during her scenes. Courtney confronts the guilt-ridden Marcy, who is thrilled to learn that Courtney already has a boyfriend back in her hometown. Marcy apologizes and offers to be her friend. Hunter invites herself along on their shopping excursion and shoves merchandise into Courtney's bag. Courtney gets busted, but Marcy takes the rap. Johnny agrees to let the homeless Dave crash in his trailer. Quentin dotes over his pet pig, Brando, which gets loose on the set.

3. Prelude to a Kiss
Hunter becomes furious when the script calls for Stone to kiss Laura. She asks Quentin to join her in complaining to the producers, persuading him that his character's popularity stems from his relationship with Becky and "not because he's been a high school senior for five years and works at a tire factory." Quentin changes his mind after Dave (who is hitting him up for money at the time) insists that kissing another girl will make him even more popular. Hunter overhears Quentin insulting her and hits him in the face with a basketball. She tells Courtney that Quentin has herpes on his lip in the hopes that she will refuse to do the kiss. The network is put off by the scene because of Quentin's excessive use of tongue. Network executives declare that Becky and Stone must stay together, ruining the entire sweeps story arc that Rob and Hope had planned. Marcy hopes to get Johnny to watch the season premiere with her, but ends up having to organize a huge catered affair at a club. After Johnny refuses to give him money for car repairs, Dave steals from Marcy. He feels guilty when she then gives him a generous loan. Dave cheers up Marcy at her party, assuring her that any guy would be lucky to have a wonderful person like her. He joins her for a karaoke duet after Johnny turns her down, and she seems to be having a good time. She freaks out after spotting Johnny and Courtney in an apparent kiss, unaware that he was teaching her the art of the "stage kiss," in which the actors' lips don't actually touch. Hope grows tired of a network executive's insistence on beginning and ending each meeting with kisses.

4. Devil in a Blue Dress
Hunter auditions for the title role in Oliver Stone's new film "Lewinsky." She gets a callback, but is disturbed to learn that she would have to gain weight for the part. Calorie-conscious Marcy enthusiastically sets out to help her bulk up. As she continually gorges herself, Hunter undergoes a personality transformation. She suddenly becomes very sweet and treats everyone with respect. The network complains about Hunter's weight. Rob and Hope write Hunter's weight gain into the script, and include a speech about the dangers of judging people on their physical appearance. Hope is pleased to see the show deliver a positive message to its female viewers. After finding out that Reese Witherspoon has won the role of Monica, Hunter reverts to her old self and becomes obsessed with regaining her figure. Dave and Kevin make copies of the "Lewinsky" script and sell them on the Internet. Quentin becomes the spokesman for a ten-kilometer run to raise money for prostate cancer research.

5. Halloween
The show films a lame Halloween fantasy episode in which the characters become vampire slayers. While strapped into a harness for a flying scene, Marcy crashes into a wall and gets hurt. Although Dave visits her in the hospital, she frets because Johnny didn't even send a card. Hunter and Courtney take Marcy to a club, where she begins a whirlwind romance with a rock star. Courtney worries that Marcy's new man, Christian, is a negative influence. Christian makes a pass at Hunter, who tries to warn Marcy. Marcy believes her friends are jealous, and quarrels with Hunter. She discovers that Christian is only interested in getting his band a guest spot on the show. She patches things up with Hunter and receives comfort from Dave. Dave gets thrown out of the trailer after catching Johnny in a compromising position. Johnny later has a surprising change of heart and allows him to return. Quentin insists on doing his own stunts in the Halloween episode. Rob takes pleasure in watching his star injure himself repeatedly.

6. Mommie Dearest
Hunter gets her mother, Helena, a small role on the show to reward her for staying sober for 90 days. Helena soon manipulates Hunter into helping her land a more substantial part. Quentin finds Helena extremely attractive, and is more than happy to see their characters paired romantically. Rob and the network love Helena's performance and decide to give her a three-episode story arc. Hunter is tired of having her mother ride her coattails. She sincerely expresses her concerns to Rob, but he assumes that she is putting on an act. Hunter tries to trick her mother into leaving; Helena declares that Hunter ruined her career twenty years earlier (presumably by being born), and will not stand in her way again. Marcy hosts the WB Beach Party, where Johnny and Courtney square off against Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope of Popular in a volleyball game. Courtney single-handedly carries the team to victory after Johnny proves to be terrible. Dave makes some money by dancing around in a Michigan J. Frog costume at the event. Rob announces that Hope has left the show.

7. Sleeping with the Enemy
Johnny prepares for the premiere of his new movie, "Underdogs," a buddy comedy about a private eye whose partner is reincarnated as a talking dog. He talks Courtney into being his date, and tries to kiss her during the film. Quentin and Helena begin sleeping together. She convinces him to take her to the premiere to steal media attention from Johnny. Hunter makes a play for Quentin so that he will dump her mother. After Helena shows up at the premiere drunk, Hunter puts aside her bitterness to help her. Marcy searches for a spectacular outfit for the premiere in the hopes of breaking her pattern of poor fashion choices. ("This time when that magazine asks, 'What were they thinking?' I'm going to have an answer," she vows.) She dons a very revealing dress (a la Jennifer Lopez), only to see it rip apart when she makes the mistake of sitting down. Dave saves her from complete embarrassment by loaning her his jacket.

8. Satisfaction
Unable to handle the pressure of running the show alone, Rob turns to food for comfort. A new executive producer, Shawn Shapiro, joins the show to take on some of the load. Hoping to inject a "feminist viewpoint," she writes a scene in which Marcy discusses an orgasm. Marcy feels uncomfortable with the topic because she has never had one. Courtney tries to help her out by picking up an adult novelty, only to run into a young fan outside the store. After Courtney comments that the episode might help Marcy garner an Emmy nomination, Hunter tries to get Marcy to take a stand and back out of the scene so that Shawn will re-write it for Hunter. Hunter and Quentin repeatedly argue over whether Stone keeps Becky satisfied. Shawn also insists on having Johnny (but not Quentin) parade around with his clothes off for the entire episode. Dave impresses Shawn when he fills in for Johnny at a read-through. She promises to write him into the show. Network Standards and Practices demands that Shawn alter her script, but she refuses. Rob goes behind her back and brings a network executive to the set. She deems Shawn to be out of control and fires her. Dave misses out on his big break and must serve as Johnny's lackey again. Rob re-writes the episode to include a Becky/Laura catfight in the school showers, which he watches gleefully while stuffing his face.

9. Boys on the Side
Courtney's boyfriend, Deegan, drives in from Tempe to see her. She tries to convince him to move to Los Angeles permanently. Deegan ignores Courtney and spends most of his visit trying to solicit clients for his family's sports trophy business. Johnny is excited about a "Win a Date With Johnny" essay contest, until the winner turns out to be a young boy named Leslie. Marcy forces him to spend time with the boy. Marcy, Courtney, Deegan and Quentin go to dinner with the duo. Johnny befriends Leslie, and defends him when Deegan makes insensitive remarks. Deegan belittles Courtney's career, insults her friends, and storms away from the table. Courtney realizes that she must break up with Deegan, and tells Johnny that she was impressed by his behavior. Hunter is forced to hire a personal assistant after Rob forbids her from using Kevin to run her errands. Dave eagerly volunteers for the job. He tries to convince Hunter to have some fun instead of spending all her time worrying about her career. After a trip to the movies fails to calm her, Dave teaches Hunter about the joys of miniature golf.

10. Puppet Master
Hunter's ex-boyfriend, Jonah Mumford, arrives on the set to direct that week's episode. Hunter has no interest in him until she learns that he is set to direct the next Matt Damon film. Jonah continually berates Courtney in front of the entire crew. When she confronts him, he tells her that he considers her a great actress and is just trying to challenge her. Jonah and Courtney kiss in full view of Hunter, who was supposed to be his date for the evening. Hunter gets revenge by telling Jonah that Courtney is using him to get closer to Matt Damon. Courtney and Hunter nearly tear each other apart during a catfight scene. Jonah then reveals that he pitted them against one another to ensure that they gave authentic performances. Hunter asks Dave to buy her some new lingerie from Victoria's Secret. Marcy accompanies him on the excursion, and expresses interest in a set of silk pajamas. She doesn't buy it for herself because it seems more like something that would be purchased as a gift for a loved one. Dave sells Hunter's old lingerie and uses the money to buy the pajamas for Marcy. Just as he is about to approach Marcy, Hunter stops him and calls him to task for selling her underwear. He has no choice but to pretend that he bought the gift for Hunter. Quentin tries to help Rob get over a break-up by taking him out to meet women. However, he steals every woman that shows an interest in Rob. Rob retaliates by writing an impotence storyline for Stone.

11. Star Wars
Quentin humiliates Hunter by constantly making jokes after she passes gas during a scene. She gets revenge by filing a restraining order, which forbids him from coming within fifteen feet of her. The writers clumsily work the situation into the show. Hunter finally agrees to tear up the restraining order, but convinces Quentin to be more considerate by mentioning all the dirt she has on him. Dave auditions for a one-episode role as Brad's rival for Kim, but Rob gives the part to someone he believes is "sexier." The guy immediately asks Marcy on a date, and brags to Johnny and Dave about his propensity for using his leading ladies for sex (and keeping their panties as souvenirs). Dave asks Johnny to use his influence with Marcy to get her to cancel the date, but Johnny's warning has the opposite effect. Marcy decides that she cannot go through with it, but asks Brady to make sure that Johnny believes they slept together. Courtney appears in a Japanese beer commercial, unaware that the script refers to her by her Japanese nickname: Miss Big Breasts.

12. Barenaked in America
Deegan sells topless photos of Courtney to Playpen Magazine. Johnny takes offense when crew members drool over the photographs, as he objects to the violation of Courtney's privacy. He explains that someone once took photos of him changing during an underwear-modeling gig and sold them to an Italian magazine. Quentin steals Johnny's story and uses it to get closer to Courtney. The scandal involving Courtney causes the show's ratings to shoot up, prompting the network to make her the center of all promos for the series. She is offered a role as a stripper in a new Adam Sandler movie, but turns it down because she doesn't want to be typecast. Kevin consistently fails in his attempts to get millionaire Quentin to reimburse him for the seven-dollar magazine. A national cheerleading organization gives Marcy an award, but she feels guilty because her stand-in actually performs all of the cheers on the show. She insists on being allowed to take part in one of the cheerleading scenes. Marcy overcomes her lack of coordination and learns the cheer, only to have her work cut in favor of a scene in which Laura works as a stripper. Dave tries to muster the courage to ask Marcy on a date. He writes out what he plans to say, but Hunter discovers it on her computer and concludes that Dave has the hots for her. When a concerned Marcy tries to discourage Dave from pursuing Hunter (without referring to her by name), he mistakenly believes that Marcy is rejecting him. As Hunter and Dave lament their depressing lives in her trailer, she suddenly plants a kiss on him.

13. Secrets and Lies
Dave initially enjoys his fling with Hunter, who is only interested in sex, but soon grows weary of her moodiness and longs for a real relationship. He gets her to dump him by telling her that he wants to become a real couple and go out in public together. As he leaves, he facetiously declares that he hopes she will someday overcome her intimacy issues and open up to someone. While hosting the Shalom House telethon, Marcy meets a sweet and handsome Jewish man named Eli, who works as an agent. He reawakens her interest in her religion, so she tries to wear a star necklace on the show. Rob refuses to allow this because it would contradict information that had been given about Kim's religious background in previous episodes. Marcy discovers that Eli is not Jewish. She breaks up with him after learning that he lies about his religion because he believes that Jewish agents have more credibility. (His name is actually Mario.) Dave again tries to share his feelings with Marcy; but their conversation is interrupted by Hunter, who says that Dave's words after their break-up deeply affected her. She suddenly announces to the stunned cast and crew that she is in love with Dave, and plants a kiss on him. Quentin wrestles with the dilemma of whether to allow the show to throw him a birthday party, and tries to settle on an age. Johnny is subjected to ridicule after he continually botches his lines. He complains about Courtney's insistence on teasing him about every mistake. She replies that she will stop treating him like an idiot when he stops treating her like a sex object.

14. The End of the Affair
Dave tries to break up with Hunter, who makes things extremely difficult by buying him a Porsche and trying to get him a part on the show. Dave discovers that, when it seemed Marcy was rejecting him a few weeks earlier, she was actually warning him about Hunter. He realizes that he may still have a chance with Marcy, and breaks up with Hunter. She goes ballistic and orders Rob to fire Dave. Rob continually fawns over guest star Kristin Davis. She agrees to a date with him, but he begins to lose interest because he believes she clogged his office toilet. (Kevin was the actual culprit.) Kristin freaks out after discovering a photo shrine to her, which Quentin had assembled in Rob's bathroom as a practical joke. On the soap, Laura reveals that she has a six-month-old son, and Kim suffers a severe blow to the head that leaves her comatose. Johnny learns that he must cry during Brad's bedside vigil for Kim. Courtney suggests that he think about a traumatic experience from his own life. He insists that nothing bad has ever happened to him, so he draws on Dave's plight for inspiration. He then convinces Rob to re-hire Dave, mostly to prove that he holds more power on the set than Hunter. Marcy laments the fact that all of the fans on the Grosse Pointe message board want her character to die.

15. Opposite of Sex
After the police catch Quentin in a parked car with a prostitute, Rob orders him to attend group meetings for treatment of sexual addiction. He meets former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason Priestley, who convinces him that he has a serious problem. Jason comes to the set to help Quentin during a moment of weakness, and agrees to a date with Courtney. Quentin fears that Jason will fall off the wagon, but manages to convince him not to sleep with Courtney. The WB sets up a hotline that viewers can call to express their opinion on whether Kim should live or die. Marcy believes that it is just a gimmick, and is shocked to learn that her character's fate will actually be determined by the results. Despite Dave's best efforts (500 calls), viewers resoundingly declare that Kim should die. The death episode earns the show's highest rating ever. The network decides that Marcy should stay on the show because of her renewed popularity; so Rob introduces the character of Lynn, Kim's long-lost sister. Johnny's brother designs a Grosse Pointe pinball machine, which he plans to market. Johnny has a difficult time getting Hunter to agree to the use of her likeness.

16. Passion Fish
Marcy develops a friendship with Buffy, the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar through yoga class, leaving Hunter feeling left out. The network begins pressing Rob to come up with a celebrity guest star to boost ratings, so he persuades a reluctant Marcy to ask Sarah Michelle to appear on the show. She agrees, provided that she can kiss Marcy's character. Hunter convinces Marcy that Sarah Michelle has a crush on her. Marcy tries to kiss her during an evening out, leaving Sarah Michelle extremely bewildered. She explains that she is not gay, and simply saw a lesbian storyline as an opportunity to garner an Emmy nomination. She backs out of the guest appearance because she is now uncomfortable around Marcy. Johnny begins paying an inordinate amount of attention to Marcy after Hunter convinces him that Marcy and Sarah Michelle are involved. Quentin accidentally hits an old woman with his car while racing back to the set with Courtney. Because there were no witnesses, Quentin is hailed as a hero for coming to the woman's aid. He gets caught up in his new hero image and offers a $100,000 reward to anyone who can bring the hit-and-run driver to justice. Although he ignores Courtney's pleas that he confess the truth, he finally decides to come clean because he feels his pig has lost respect for him. When he goes to visit the woman in the hospital, he discovers that she has pinned the crime on her nephew. She does not press charges, but now feels that she is entitled to the reward money. Kevin helps Rob through his writer's block by suggesting that he incorporate storylines from famous movies (which Rob had never seen before). After Rob hogs all the credit, Kevin complains that his boss does not take him seriously. Rob insists that he respects Kevin, but then turns Kevin's impassioned speech into a scene on the show.

17. My Best Friend's Wedding
Hunter shocks everyone by announcing her engagement to Dweezil Zappa, whom she has known for only a day. They plan to marry that Saturday. Hunter's agent arranges for a Spanish magazine to cover the wedding. In order to make the event seem more newsworthy, Hunter pays former Saved by the Bell star Elizabeth Berkley $25,000 to pose as her old friend and serve as a celebrity bridesmaid. Dave auditions for another role on the soap, this time as a young man with a speech impediment who kisses Lynn. Although Rob feels that Dave is the best person for the job, the network forces him to hire a pompous jerk who is sleeping with an executive. Kevin "forgets" to give the actor his wake-up call so that Dave can have the part. The man shows up before the second take, but not before Dave and Marcy share an on-screen kiss that leaves her mesmerized. During Hunter's rehearsal dinner, Marcy experiences an epiphany as Dweezil talks about the moment he realized that he was in love. She calls Dave and asks him to be her date for the wedding. Johnny convinces Elizabeth Berkley to let him drive her to the ceremony, but shows up late. After learning that she is being paid to attend, he refuses to drive unless she splits the money with him. He kicks her out of the car, forcing her to find her way to the wedding on foot. Marcy confesses to Courtney that she is falling in love with Dave. Kevin and Courtney try to convince their friends to act on their feelings. Dave overhears Dweezil telling his best man that he is using Hunter for her money so that he can play golf all the time. He tries to warn Hunter, who responds by having him removed from the premises. Hunter crushes Marcy by claiming that Dave was trying to win her back. She goes through with the wedding. A devastated Marcy and Dave are left to separately contemplate their lonely, miserable lives, as the series joins the ranks of cancelled shows to end on a cliffhanger.

Looking forward to seeing all these again on DVD, the price is certainly reasonable. Interesting to note the episode titles are all the names of well-known films, didn't pick up on that when they were on the box!

5/5 Hilarious Satire
  by Anya (Seattle, WA)
Grosse Pointe was one of the first shows I ever remember loving on the WB- so of course it got canceled. This witty satire of what happens behind the scenes of a teen soap (a la Beverly Hills 90210) stayed with me for a long time after the series was canceled years ago. So much so that I would periodically check for its release on DVD- and I'm so happy it's finally here! The DVD set is pretty basic, a few commentaries and a featurette, nothing special. All the episodes are here, although it does bother me that the theme song is cut down in all but two of the episodes (the first ep on each disc). But all that hardly matters when all you want is to relive this very short-lived comedy. Just don't expect any closure (still bummed about that...)