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Premierewatch: 'Lipstick Jungle'
Following on the heels of Cashmere Mafia, Darren Star's post-Sex and the City series about four career women supporting each other through thick and thin, we have Lipstick Jungle, Candace Bushnell's post-Sex and the City series about three career women supporting each other through thick and thin. I'm actually glad things are trending this way, because I've got a great series idea about two career women supporting each other through thick and thin, called Stiletto Hailstorm. One of them will be a high-powered but sexually frustrated sports agent, and the other will be a free-spirited gallery owner who's thinking of leaving her husband...for another woman! I'm guessing CBS and Fox will get into a bidding war. Moving on, let's meet the Lipstick ladies:
Victory (Lindsay Price): The faltering (and ironically-named) fashion designer who's suddenly dating a reclusive gazillionaire. Can she possibly have it all? (Probably not.)
Nico (Kim Raver, who was awesome on The Nine): The fashion magazine editor with a sexist boss and back-stabbing co-worker. Oh, and she's in a failing marriage with a boring professor, but having an affair with a hot young stud. Can she possibly have it all??? (Not so much.)
Wendy (Brooke Shields, wasted in this lame part): The high-powered but frazzled film executive. She's a mom, she's a wife, she's a career woman. Can she possibly have it all?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (No.)
In the first installment, Wendy has a crisis at work when she can't get Leonardo DiCaprio to sign on for a project. Luckily, she brilliantly fixes everything, though she's still got a problem with the director she "fired," since he's refusing to shut down his shoot. Which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that she hugged him while firing him. Sigh. Meanwhile, her husband is sick of being a houseboy, and of playing second banana to his well-known wife. Looks like someone's going to need the support of her two best friends to get her through this!
Nico is being held down at work by a sexist boss who thinks he can't promote someone who might start popping out babies and lose focus. The joke's on him, though, because she hasn't had sex with her husband for ages! Luckily for Nico, a steamy younger man seduces her at a party with his sexy, sexy ways. She's completely powerless once he starts calling her hot, overlooking her elderly age.
Victory's fall line has failed miserably, and her commercial partners aren't pleased. Things are looking up, though, now that she's being courted by an adorable billionaire who just happened to notice Victory at her fashion show. Victory, it should be noted, is partial to cupcakes when she's feeling down about her career. Because god knows women love their baked goods.
It should also be noted that all these women seem to inexplicably have time in the middle of their day to have champagne lunches and go street-shopping together. Um, what? I'm not a high-powered anything, but my job is demanding enough that I eat lunch at my desk almost every day. How are these women tearing themselves away for at least an hour in the middle of the workday? Maybe it really is possible to have it all...
As far as the obvious comparison goes, I haven't actually seen Cashmere Mafia, so I can't speak to the differences beyond the obvious. I'm mostly just hoping that now that all the exposition is out of the way, the show will take a much-needed turn for the interesting. Because otherwise, some mighty good actors are being wasted on some mighty weak material.
How does Lipstick Jungle hold up to Cashmere Mafia? Can it hold a candle to Sex and the City?
For more TV recaps and commentary, visit Liz at Glowy Box.
I was actually bored last night. My wife loves Sex and the City and this show so far just seems like a bad rip off. We were immediately able to identify which woman corresponded to the one they were based off of in Sex... I almost want to say that Candace Bushnell didn't want to stray too far from the formula that worked. She basically cleaned up the show from its HBO roots. We'll most likely give it a few more episodes, but I am worried.
Victory's Fall Line | Feb 8, 2008 4:05:30 AM | #i watched, but i was actually flipping over to House Hunters, which was more interesting most times, if that clears things up for you.
I like Brooke Shields, but I agree that she is wasted in this role.
It just didn't grab me. Too bad. I was hoping with these actresses that the writing would do them justice.
I didn't bother to watch. I am sick of poorly written women characters who prance around in product placement lingerie and fashion talking about things women don't really talk about and always shopping.
Connie | Feb 8, 2008 10:01:09 AM | #As Carrie would say: I cannot help but wonder why these shows being compared to Sex and The City so rarely have the ladies having any fun. It's all about conflict, tangled love lifes and tears. The ladies of Sex and the City had fun, they went out to openings and parties and they laughed a lot. It's as if women are being told if you're successful in one part of your life you have to be miserable in another part - it's not that we can't have it all it's just that we're not allowed to.
SEU | Feb 8, 2008 10:47:32 AM | #The ladies of Sex and the City were single (at least to begin with), which apparently is why they were allowed to have fun (although Miranda's struggles to work her way up to partner always rang true to form). If these women are so successful, why do live in what look like middle-class apartments and have no staff to help them? I'd love to see the production team behind season one of Desperate Housewives tackle Manhattanites. Maybe they could breathe some life into them.
JW | Feb 8, 2008 11:40:47 AM | #I live in St.Louis and due too breaking news in our area Lipstick Jungle was not aired Now I would like to know when the show will be aired in St.Louis
kathy | Feb 8, 2008 12:13:07 PM | #I have seen both Cashmere Mafia and now Lipstick Jungle and I think I like Lipstick better.
When I first watched Cashmere I thought 'If there was something else on I wouldnt watch this' after a couple of episodes it got better but it is far too intense.
Lipstick caught my attention right away, (and yes it was alittle boring in spots ) but certainly a lighter faire than Cashmere.
I will watch this more closely (which means I wont be playing games on the computer while its on) in the future and lets hope that it does pick up alittle.
Connie I dont know what show you were watching but I didnt see any prancing in lingerie and I dont know what your girlfriends talk about but mine do talk about men, sex and work problems.
Liz as a tv reviewer you must admit that a tv show does not reflect real life in anyway. In the real world you would not be able to get away as much as they do on tv but isnt it nice to dream that maybe we could. Remember Samantha from Sex and the City. I'm sure nobody has sex in the office like she did.
darrpub | Feb 8, 2008 1:27:02 PM | #darrpub: your paragraph is spot on--well said. People are way too snobby these days about TV.
Connie: I'm not sure how it makes sense in your mind to criticize a show which you admit that you haven't actually watched. You just sound like a know-it-all teenager (maybe you are).
Having actually watched the show myself, I will say that I think it needs work but I wouldn't write it off just yet--there were some good moments and I think it has potential.
Max | Feb 8, 2008 2:22:50 PM | #"your *last* paragraph" is what I meant to write.
Max | Feb 8, 2008 2:45:58 PM | #Was anyone else tired of this show before it even aired? I mean I watched The Apprentice and all of the commercials/red carpet junk just turned me right off of watching it. I found myself flipping over to the CSI repeat, more than I was watching the show.
Lesley | Feb 8, 2008 3:38:35 PM | #Their Mistresses is better than either of these two.
BBC has better shows | Feb 12, 2008 3:56:43 PM | #As with any new show, one has to stick with it, as in reading a book, to absorb the character development. So far, it's moving along as a well-written 3-plot series. A good sign for me is that I look forward to the next installment. If you read the book by Candace Bushnell, you'll see what I mean.
Bruce Whittles | Feb 22, 2008 9:17:27 AM | #
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