Christine Taylor gave one of her most enchanting performances in this barely-remembered sitcom. Starring as free-spirited Mary, Taylor embraced the airhead blonde stereotype, but there were glimpses of humanity beneath it all. Unfortunately, with only four episodes, she never got a chance to develop it. Swoosie Kurtz showed her comedic chops (like always) as Mary's haggard aunt, librarian Judy. The interplay between the two actresses was fantastic, but throw in Merrin Dungey as Judy's ass-kissing assistant, Wanda, and it was near gold.
In a supporting role as Mary's gay best friend, Derrick, was John Cameron Mitchell (who went on to write/direct/star in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"). Epitomizing the catty queen stereotype, it was obvious that Mitchell was destined for great projects. The only weak link in the show was Matt Borlenghi as Oneal, a dopey bartender who never really meshed with the rest of the characters. I can't blame Borlenghi, as it seemed that it was the was writing of his character that was the problem.
Now, about the film that this series was based on... I love Parker Posey (whose shoes Taylor filled in this incarnation) but I wasn't a huge fan of the film. Other than having the same characters/situation, the show and film had little in common. The film was extremely dark. When it was transferred to the sitcom format, it fit into a sitcom mold. It's difficult to compare the two, since they weren't very much alike.
I can't really understand why this and its companion show, "Lush Life," were the first casualties of the '96-'97 season. Both boasted big names, sharp (quotable) writing and great chemistry within the cast. It should also be noted that both series were canceled after the stars appeared on the short-lived morning show "FOX After Breakfast" (shows had a habit of being canceled mere days after their stars appeared on that talk show). Ten years later, I still find myself using quotes from this show... it deserved a better than FOX gave it.
