BuzzSugar

Lucy Liu's Safety Net: Dirty Sexy Money

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:30:01 -0700

It's not like anyone's actually coming right out and saying that Cashmere Mafia is canceled, but let's face it: When the star bails for another show, it's probably not a good sign.

Lucy Liu, most recently seen as Mafia leader Mia, is now in negotiations to star on Dirty Sexy Money. She'd join the cast as a regular character, playing an attorney who may or may not have anything to do with Peter Krause's attorney character, Nick George. Technically, the show would be second priority to Cashmere Mafia - but chances are, Liu's not going to have to worry about that.

I like the idea of Liu on Dirty Sexy Money - lawyer characters seem to be her style (see also: Ugly Betty), and she'll still get to wear fabulous clothes. Plus, maybe she'll be written just a bit sharper than Mia, who always seemed a little too wishy-washy for her own good.

Can you see Liu hobnobbing with the Darlings? And where should the other Cashmere Mafia regulars land if they do have to jump ship? I suppose it's a little late to swap Bonnie Somerville for Lipstick Jungle's Lindsay Price, right? But I could see Frances O'Connor fitting right in on Wisteria Lane . . .

Source

HBO Has Female-Driven Programming On Deck

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:31:11 -0700

This year we've seen two network TV shows, Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle, that have tried to recreate the magic of HBO's Sex and the City, with mixed results. By contrast, HBO itself is moving on, leaving SATC for the big screen and once again developing interesting and unexpected female-driven projects.

Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose will star in Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella's adaptation of the popular book series the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The project, about an all-female private detective agency in Botswana, was originally developed as a movie. Variety reports that this story will now be told on the small screen as HBO has ordered 13 episodes of it. If this sounds confusingly similar to another recent female detective project, never fear, I've broken down the differences between the two. As for the other female-led show HBO has on deck, it's a little quirky, so read more.

Actually, "quirky" is probably a generous way to describe this other HBO project, though I think it will end up being quirky-awesome, not quirky-awkward. Apparently, The comedy is titled Driving Around With Joni and follows "a woman who spends her days driving around Los Angeles with her French bulldog, looking for meaning in her life after the sudden death of her husband." No word on who will star as the widow. Got suggestions?

French bulldog image source

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:00:00 -0800

The Buzz Book Club officially wrapped up The Other Boleyn Girl this week. What did you all think? Going to see the movie? Next up: Revolutionary Road!
In case you missed it (and a lot of people did) the Oscars gave us a lot of wonderful moments and a few surprises. You can see a 60-second version of the show here, and I also researched what's next for this year's big winners.
Time to play casting director: Who would you recast as Will Hunting and who would you cast as you in a movie?
This week in music videos we learn that Jack McBrayer is Mariah's love slave, Jay-Z likes his cinematography dark, and Willie Nelson is still tight with Jessica Simpson.
American Idol is picking up speed and already we're down to 16. I think the boys need to step it up this week and it's time for those talented girls to pick some great songs and show us what they've got, don't you?
NBC ordered more episodes of Lipstick Jungle, though we haven't heard a peep about the fate of Cashmere Mafia.
Adorable indie duo alert!: Zooey Deschanel and Paul Dano are pairing up for a movie. Also, this casting news has me laughing/crying a little: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to play the tooth fairy.

Photo courtesy of Sony

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:00:00 -0800

The Oscars are coming! The Oscars are coming! All week I have been previewing foreign films, breaking down the best picture nominees, and sharing pictures from best costume nominees. Oh, and I also made some bold predictions for who would win. Here's hoping you feel fully prepped for Sunday!
I've been sticking with Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia, mentally willing them to be better, but let's face it: Weeks of those shows still couldn't match what seconds of the trailer for the Sex and the City movie did for my happiness levels.
I had a really fun time watching Be Kind Rewind and found an inspiring picture from the movie that I need you to caption!
American Idol is truly back as the first 12 guys and girls hit the stage. I definitely was not shocked with who was sent packing; were you?
Childhood flashbacks! An odd, maybe fake clip from Where the Wild Things Are leaked to the web, and we also got a peek at the Smurfs movie animation.
America's Next Top Model premiered with a bang, and those more legitimately suited to high fashion gathered on the beloved Project Runway reunion show.
It's the last leg of the Buzz Book Club. Read up so you can join the fun!

Photos courtesy of Miramax and Source

Cashmere Mafia Rundown: Episode 7, "Dog Eat Dog"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:29:54 -0800

So, is this the end of the line for our lovely cashmere-clad mafiosas? Wednesday's episode of Cashmere Mafia was the final one completed before the writers' strike began, and there's been nary a word from ABC about bringing the show back into production. I guess that's no surprise considering its ratings have been somewhere around the Cavemen level, but it would be a bit of a bummer to go out with last night's episode, which clearly wasn't meant to be the ending of anything at all. Could they end on a note of affair, scandal, financial ruin? Nah - just a couple of professional crises and a random dog. Be sure to check out Fab's fashion quiz, and to read my take on what could be the final Mafia, just read more.

Mia - It's never a good sign when you feel more attached to the dog you're fostering than to the guy you're dating. Mia getting a dog would be completely ridiculous; I mean, the woman is never home, for one thing. But the adoption interview was actually one of my favorite Mia moments; I loved how the shelter representative picked up on her plastic plants and her large quantity of fur clothing. I can't say I'd miss Jason, even if the show did somehow return. Wiley's a cutie, though.
Juliet - After so much good Juliet/Davis drama, this episode didn't move their story forward at all. I found it really hard to care about what was happening; who cares if her company gets bought if we're not around to see the fallout? I did, however, like seeing her shut her suitor down: "How do you tell the man who has everything that he can't have everything?" "You don't." "I think I just did." It was also vaguely interesting to watch her reluctance at mixing business with friendship morph into Eric getting a hotel contract - and to see her annoyance/flirtation with the French hotel owner.

Caitlin - Hey, a story that's 100 percent not about Caitliln's sexuality! And one that shows what she actually does for a living! Better late than never, I suppose. She's been made out to be the fizzy, ditzy, awkward one of the bunch, so it was good to see her take control of a bad work situation - first by hiring the Parsons kid and then, when that predictably went south, arranging for a show that truly spotlighted Lily Parish (and, um, nude bodysuits). Hooray for competent Caitlin! Not so hooray: My fear that her boob was going to escape from her dress at any moment while she ran around frantically at fashion week.

Zoe - This was Zoe's first attempt at being a stay-at-home mom, and I loved watching her meld her idea of what that kind of woman should do with her corporate mentality - printing out not just one dinner recipe but five; urging her son to do soccer drills rather than just kicking away. Yes, it was all horribly cliched, but Frances O'Connor made it work for the most part (and I hope she really kicked that ball that nailed her ex-boss in the back of the head). As always, things happened a little too fast in this story, but the big reveal of her daughter's alterna-project was sweetly sad. So, what happens to Zoe now?

And that's - literally - all she wrote for Cashmere Mafia. Do you think the show deserves another chance? How would you change it up? Will you miss it if it's gone for good?

Cashmere Mafia Rundown: Episode 6, "Yours, Mine, and Hers"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:33:10 -0800

Leave it to Cashmere Mafia to usher in Valentine's Day with a hearty helping of heartbreak. It's not like every relationship ended in tatters, but the episode wasn't a great advertisement for swooning, head-over-heels love, either. Unless, of course, we're talking about the love you share with your best girlfriends while devouring a box of chocolates. I'll go character-by-character after the jump, so just read more.

Mia - Wow, Mia actually had a lot going on this time, not the least of which was her Jack flashback ("Jackback!"). Now only is he now a rival publisher, but his new anchorwoman girlfriend is blatantly wearing Mia's favorite scarf on the air, which I gather is something akin to war in these circles. I figured the sex tape would turn into some big scandal with the tape ending up in the hands of a particularly intrepid TV reporter, so I was pleasantly surprised Cashmere took a different path, having Mia find not only the sex tape but also a sweet video of some of her happier moments with Jack. I've never believed Jack as ruthless and cold (Tom Everett Scott's just not the type), but Mia certainly seemed surprised to see a sweet side of him. I think she really might be over him now, though; he is a little needy. Also, do scarves actually go through shredders?
Caitlin - Well, she's a mess, as usual. But it's not entirely her fault this time. The pregnant lesbian girlfriend situation wasn't great to begin with, but now the ex is back in the picture as well - and is giving Caitlin guff for her confused sexuality? Come on, now, give the poor girl some time to deal. It's sad that Alicia kept her in the picture long enough for her to get attached to being a mommy (er, at least the part of being a mommy that involves buying cute toys and shmoopy photo albums), but that whole situation was so darn weird, I think she's better off away from it.

Juliet - For all her craftiness and calculations, Juliet just can't win with Davis. First of all: manimony? It doesn't seem like Davis is doing too poorly for himself; if those nice suits and fancy cars are what "holding back your career" looks like, then I'd like some of that, please. Second: He has a heart attack while banging another woman, and his wife rushes to his side - only to be accused of extortion when the heart attack turns out to be just a panic attack? That's cold, especially considering that was maybe the one sweet and honest thing Juliet has ever done for him. Luckily, revenge is Juliet's specialty.
Zoe - This was another story that went in a somewhat unexpected direction. I still love that we actually see Zoe's work life, and frankly, if all the plots were focused the way hers is, I'd probably like the show a lot more. Last week I made a plea for things to stop working out so perfectly for her, and this time, she did have something of a miserable ending - but not because of her kids or her family commitments or her own poor decisions. As soon as she started making friends with her client's wife, I was sure the story would end with her confessing her client's dalliances and then being fired for losing the deal. Nope, Zoe handed over her dignity for the sake of the deal - and then still got passed over for a promotion. Good for her for quitting. Now, how will she adjust to being a mom?

Only one more episode to go, and with the show's mediocre ratings, I'd say there's not a great chance for renewal - though anything can happen. But say next week is the end of Cashmere. How would you want it to wrap up?

Which Do You Prefer: Cashmere Mafia or Lipstick Jungle?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:15:00 -0800

It's been the question of the (admittedly less exciting than normal) TV season: Would Lipstick Jungle or Cashmere Mafia win the battle of the fierce, fabulously dressed females? After a long wait, Lipstick finally premiered last night, so now it's time to decide which show reigns supreme. What's your take?

Photos courtesy of NBC and ABC

Cashmere Mafia Rundown: Episode 5, "Stay With Me"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:32:56 -0800

"Stay With Me" seems like a particularly apt title for this episode of Cashmere Mafia. With only two episodes to go before the end of this little mini-season, I'm willing to ride it out - but I'm also not sure I would be heartbroken if I never saw it again once these episodes are done.

That said, there are a few things that have kept me going week to week: Juliet's frosty kiss-off of Davis, Caitlin's goofy sexual confusion, and Mia's bizarre styling choices among them. Luckily, all three of those things factored heavily into this week's episode. I'll go character-by-character after the jump, so read more.

Zoe - I wish things would stop working out quite so well for Zoe. It's making it hard for me to get invested in her stories, even this week's with her work husband coming to town. Of course, they had to go close a deal on the night of her 10th wedding anniversary; of course, she got a little flustered about being in a hotel with her work hubby instead of her real hubby; and, of course, she and her real husband ended up caught in a crazy multi-city caper trying to be together before finally falling into each other's arms in the end. It's not that I'm wishing tragedy and heartache on poor Zoe, but I need a little something to keep me interested. At least discovering her friend making out with her manny added a little bit of drama. Speaking of which . . .

Mia - Mia's hair in this episode was a little, um, sculptural for my tastes. Regardless, she had her choice of men this time around: the smart, hot, but way intense brain surgeon, and Zoe's young, cute, and carefree manny. As of now, it seems like the manny wins, given that they sucked face so much in Zoe's foyer that her mouth looked like she'd just made out with Bozo the Clown.
Caitlin - Oh, Caitlin. First, she discovers she might be a lesbian. Then, she discovers that her lesbian girlfriend is pregnant. Then, she makes out with a hot, semi-famous playwright where her pregnant lesbian girlfriend might see her. We've gotten hints before that Caitlin is utterly incompetent when it comes to relationships, but this really takes the cake. Granted, I can understand her not knowing how to deal with Alicia's pregnancy; she definitely didn't sign on for that. And I did like the scene of her taking solace in her friends. Caitlin's not as calculating as the others, and she makes her emotions clear.
Juliet - I'll be honest: I don't understand what's going on with Juliet and Davis. Why didn't she hire a divorce attorney long ago? Why did she let him get the upper hand again? That said, I did appreciate some of the revelations about Juliet in this episode: first, even though she's a COO, she doesn't have any control over her personal finances, and second, she was once a rebellious wild child. I'm not sure I buy that her daughter's going to be headed to public school now, but it's better than sending her away to boarding school at a place called Shelter Rock. I actually wouldn't mind seeing more scenes with Juliet and her daughter; she's far from the Saint Mommy they've made Zoe out to be.

Your thoughts? Should Mia make a beeline for the manny? Should Caitlin drop Alicia? And was anyone else put off by the "cunning linguist" joke? I'm no prude, but ew!

Separated at Birth: Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia

BuzzSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:30:00 -0800

A week from tonight, the Cashmere Mafia vs. Lipstick Jungle battle finally kicks into real gear when Lipstick airs its premiere episode. OK, so it's not as much of a throwdown as I once hoped: Cashmere hasn't been looking so hot in the ratings, and thanks to the strike, the shows will only overlap for three weeks.

Still, now that I've seen two episodes of Lipstick and four of Cashmere, I can't let the opportunity pass to compare and contrast the similarly named shows. Still confused about which one came from a book (that would be Lipstick) and which one got costume designer Patricia Field (that's Cashmere)? Here's a breakdown of their differences - some serious, some frivolous, just like the shows themselves.

	Cashmere Mafia	Lipstick Jungle
Network	ABC	NBC
Sex and The City Representative	Darren Star	Candace Bushnell
Number of Friends	4	3
Meaningful Character Name	Zoe Burden, overworked mother	Victory Ford, failing fashion designer
Series Name Said in Series	Yes	Not yet
Most Cringe-Worthy Line	"Kinda like a little bone voyage."	"Do you know how old I am?"
Average Age of Its Stars	38	37
# of Affairs in First Episode	One	One
Blind Date?	Yes (Mia with a neurosurgeon)	Yes (Victory with a billionaire)
Implausibility (from 1-10)	9	8.5

Cashmere Mafia Rundown: Episode 4, "The Deciders"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:36:57 -0800

OK, Cashmere Mafia, you got me. This week's fourth episode was pretty fun to watch - mostly thanks to Caitlin, who gets all the best lines. Mia, not so much; the show is supposedly built around Lucy Liu's character, but I find her stories dull. Juliet and Zoe got some good stuff last night, though, so that helped fill the giant void that Mia has become for me. Read on for my thoughts:

I continue to be amazed/impressed/intrigued by Caitlin's blase attitude about discovering she might be gay. I'm not sure how believable it is, but I did get a kick out of her proclamation that her lesbian relationship has lasted "twice as long as the last five guys and 29 days longer than Tae Bo, cognitive therapy, and carb-busters."
Zoe and Juliet are the only characters who seem to be getting equal screen time on both their home and their work stories. That's a good and a bad thing: I like Zoe's work stories much more than her home stories, and I feel exactly the opposite about Juliet. Her suspicion of Davis is much more interesting to me than her failure to properly send a group e-mail.
Speaking of which, these women don't particularly strike me as tech-savvy. Still, I do like a good automated phone system joke. "I think you said Lake Placid." "Screw you." "I think you said . . . "

Now, for more on what actually happened (spoilers included), just read more.

We learned, I think for the first time, that Zoe's last name is Burden. Man, I hate "clever" character names.
That said, I do like the focus on the conflict between her job and her family, even if the family parts seem tied up a little too neatly. Between getting to play laser tag in this episode and hiring the tour bus for the field trip a few weeks back, she really does seem to be Supermom every time. The office angle has a lot more drama, though. We get to see Zoe be brilliant, and we get to see her screw up (on a speakerphone, no less), and we get to see her deal with feeling pushed out by her coworkers. She's the only character whose story comes close to what I thought the show was going to be.

Juliet's work stories, on the other hand, leave something to be desired - but to my surprise, I actually like what's going on with Davis. He's not just a playboy; he's a playboy with money issues who's been using their fortune to cover his butt. I'm still seeing quite a bit of Bree Hodge in Juliet, especially that "No, please stay! I brought braised short ribs and roasted beets!" line. But the ruthless way she kicked Davis out was the most sizzle we've seen from her yet. "We've been posing for years." Nice.
While it was nice to see Jack back in the picture last night, I didn't love Mia's story with the brain surgeon. I shared Mia's confusion, actually: Did the guy like her? Was he just appeasing his parents? I don't know that there was enough chemistry between them at the brunch to make Jack jealous, though I did like the surgeon's pointed remark that he asked her out when he learned about her promotion. Take that, Jack.
Unrelated: Just looking at Mia's earrings gave me a headache.
Meanwhile, Caitlin at the lesbian shower was the night's comic relief, but she's actually going to have an interesting choice to make. I loved her babbling in the bathroom ("I get a spray-on tan") more than anything else in the episode.

What did you think? Is there any chemistry whatsoever between Caitlin and Alicia? Do any of the characters stand out to you? And if there were more things on TV right now, do you think you'd be watching?