So this different for us to, might as well, plus it's a short-lived sitcom from the year 2000, which is now older than it was years ago. (What?) The series we're talking about is Grosse Pointe , a series that ran 17 episodes on the WB network. It was created by Darren Star the creator of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Sex and the City, Younger , and more!
This series was a sitcom that first ran after Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Popular , at least at first. I'm going to frame this where it seems the WB was doing an older teen block with the Sabrina episodes being her in college, then this show and rounding out the night with "Popular" I can see what they were going for here.
Let's get on with this show. What's it about? The start of the very first episode starts with a "previously on "Grosse Pointe" like you just walked into something and somehow missed it, then it has two teenagers riding in a car talking about the girl's pregnancy, then a crash, she's in the hospital, then it cuts to two people watching what we were watching. Followed by the theme song which is the Tom Jones song "Sex Bomb" .
This show is parody of those teenage drama shows like the ones that Darren Star created above, and were on TV alot in the 1990's , kind of still around on the CW, but not as prolific as everyone was looking to create their own "90210". this show takes place in the behind the scenes of a teen drama set in Michigan. And the show airs on the WB network, so it's a WB show about a fake WB show.
The WB network presents a WB show about a WB show /Copyright Darren Star
In speaking of "Sabrina" Lindsay Sloane is in this series, she played Valerie on Sabrina in this show she's playing almost the same character, kind of a loser with low self-esteem. So Marcy Sternfeld is just the Sabrina character but in a different person. The first episode introduces a new character , to their world, everyone is new to us named Courtney Scott, who is playing a girl named Laura Johnson who moved to Grosse Pointe , the town, from West Virginia, the state (this joke is rolling) as she (Laura) is trying to get used to being a TV show set and finding her place and getting a handle on acting. She's played by Bonnie Somerville, this means this show has someone playing someone who's playing someone else, my head hurts. Somerville's first series role as in a main was this show she later got to play on "The OC"
What if we made a show about making a show about making a show with a show inside/Copyright Darren Star
The show again, is a parody and satire of those teen shows and the stuff that happens behind the scenes. The part where Courtney questions why she has to wear the outfit they pick for her and since the show takes place in Michigan it doesn't make sense. Anyway, fitting of a teen drama, this comedy series has continuing stories. At the end of episode 1, Johnny Bishop, played by Al Santos, might be falling for the new girl and making Marcy, who likes Johnny, worried. So our series has teen drama behind the teen drama series drama. (there's layers to this)
Why yes Sarah Michelle Gellar did make a guest role here
I also like how there's a someone who's whole role is to be a stand-in , of course he wants to be more than just a stand-in. This show also really works if you liked or (hated?) and know alot about "90210" they make those in-jokes and more character jokes too, about the genre. Like the Dawson casting, you know where like 30-year-old plays teenager, they do here having, the character , Quentin Barbary King, is balding older man. Also funny his actor Kohl Sudduth, was 25 or 26 when the show was on.
mmm product placement...
Also another adding to the story, from episode 2, the reason why Courtney was added was because the network doesn't want Hunter to screw up, if she does they have a character to replace her with. Instead, it turns episode 2 where Hunter now wants to get rid of Courtney as well. The plot works to where Marcy ends up bonding with Courtney finding out that she has a boyfriend. Hunter tries to continue the plan. It really does feel like a teen drama mixed in with being parody. Like backstabbing and staying on top being used as part of the plot.
So, my main point takes a teen drama style with it's characters and decides with the behind the scenes stuff and it having drama. Episode 3, has more of Hunter trying to get things to go her way wit the show by trying to set up stuff to work out for her. It also seemed that Dave, the stand-in, might have a thing for Marcy, setting up that it seems.
Episode hallmarks seem to be ending with scenes of "coming next week on Grosse Pointe". This matches up with the cold-opening doing scenes of either from the series or a previously episode. The one thing to also notice in this series is the words where they outright mention things that people might notice in these teen shows and in showbiz overall, it's sometimes noticeable.
Episode 4 is probably the most 2000 of the episode where Hunter wants to have a part in a new Oliver Stone film about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, which is something very 2000. Somehow the Lifetime movie reference is still timeless, interesting. Hunter has to gain wait for the role of Monica and it makes her become slightly nicer. The network people are worried about her weight gain because of the whole how TV networks want thinner actresses. This is an example of the show pointing out things that happen in show business, especially at the time this show was out. The people who work on the show seem to adjust a way to write this into their script, but then Hunter finds out she's not getting the part and she turns back into her normal self.
The episodes very much follow that same idea of having a center plot of slight drama mixed with comedic moments while it satirizes, teen dramas whilst giving some depth to it's own characters they don't feel like blank slates too much, you do get some investment from watching beyond the layer of it being a parody.
What makes this series work is the idea the series doing a parody doesn't just feel like it's pointing and laughing at what it's parodying. The characters are still interesting, and you get an investment in them. It does help that the people working on the show have experience in the content they are parodying, so they know how to do it. It doesn't feel like it's being spiteful and hateful towards the genre of teen dramas, but kind of pointing out the flaws and making you laugh with them. There's a lot that makes this show work, if you like "90210" this show works for them and if you don't, it works for those viewers as well. Though, I think it work more for those who like those kinds of shows, due to the in-jokes.
Since this is "Short Lived Series" segment, you can guess where this is going. The show premiered as a Friday night on the WB series, between "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" which the WB picked up from ABC. That show was popular, and the WB, had the show be Sabrina be in college and an older teen show, but still kind of family safe. The next show, being this one is slightly less family safe, and much of that lead-in might have not stuck around for this one, the show after this was "Popular" (that's the title). "Popular" which ironically was a teen drama. They moved "Grosse Pointe" to Sundays, but the decision was made to end it after 17 episodes.
The show was pretty well acted as well, the cast playing dual roles was interesting, especially given the roles of having to cover two characters. The show is well casted, even if they were going for a parody of mostly 90210, they also hold some distinctiveness.
Darren Star ended up alright, he was working on Sex and the City at the same time, he later created the TVLand series "Younger" which is like a teen drama but with older people. (or uhh same age actor people?)
I won't say this series was ahead of it's time, it fits in with the time, plus it was in the right hands of someone who knew the genre that was being satired which makes it even better and probably was the best way to do it. It seems the people writing the show weren't too afraid to make a little fun of themselves and the business, which is also a good touch.
That's it for now, tune in next time when we figure out how to get some characters in our teen drama out of this love pentagon, eh, I guess we could just have them stab each other, that's drama!
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