Matrimonio de conveniencia

I loved Thomas Hayden Church here as Ned and I prefer Debra Messing here as Stacey than Grace. I think this show could have been a bigger hit if the network allowed it to grow. The premise was silly but somehow Church and Messing made it work even if only for two seasons. Church left his beloved role on Wings to pursue his own sitcom. The comparison between the two roles is noteworthy for any aspiring actor. Here, Ned is intelligent and lot less naive. He marries Stacey to get a promotion and she marries him to live in a grand New York City apartment. What won't people do to live in Manhattan? At first, there is this friction and uncomfortableness but slowly they turn out to be in love and if only love was really like that. The show was heading in the direction that Ned and Stacey were going from being a fax pas couple to an actual duo. Too bad, the network canceled it. Of course, Church has moved on to other things and Messing will always be known as Grace but I much prefer her here as Stacey.

This was only on my radar because I wanted to see the few episodes in season two written by Charlie Kaufman. Big fan of his films, and after realizing his TV credits included work on two of my all-time favorite comedies (Get A Life & The Dana Carvey Show) wanted more examples of how he wrote half-hour comedy. They were some of the funniest for sure. However, the show as a whole was very enjoyable. It really is basically a two season pilot for Will & Grace, but I think I like it better. I'm young enough I only knew Thomas Hayden Church as the heel Lyle in the George of the Jungle movie we watched on VHS a lot as kids. From my child's eye (haven't seen that movie in years) he was very funny in that, and stole most of his scenes. Church is hilarious and over the top of in this role, and I think his energy provides a better foil than Will would later. Eric (Gregg German) and Amanda (Nadia Dajani) deserve mention as well, both actors do a great job and bring a lot to the show. Debra Messing sings right on key, no issues here, basically playing a softer Grace Adler. Tough to find this show (I lucked out with cheap DVD at flea market), but if you can find it I recommend watching.

I miss this show! Thomas Haden Church was always funny as Lowell on "Wings", and proved his talent even further on "Ned and Stacey". It was also no surprise to see Debra Messing go on to such success as Grace, of "Will and Grace". Thomas Haden Church's character, Ned, had the best wardrobe ever on T.V.! The dialogue was intelligent and witty. The premise, though contrived, was more believable than most sit-coms. I would like to see this show released on DVD, and I would really like to see Church in another show.

Ned (Thomas Haden Church) has a terrific job as an ad executive in Manhattan. But, alas, the big boss tells him that he can't promote him further up the ladder until he's a stable family man, with a wife. This is not what Ned wants to hear. Also working at the agency is accountant Eric (Greg Germann) who is married to the lovely but catty Amanda (Nadia Dajani). The two wedded folks decide to fix Ned up with Amanda's sister, Stacey (Debra Messing), a writer for a newspaper called the Soho News. The blind date, dinner for both couples, doesn't go well, as the ad man and the journalist are polar opposites. Not long after, Stacy sees one of Ned's ads and realizes he "stole" an idea she had thrown out in casual conversation. Miffed, Stacey heads to Ned's apartment, to tell him off. But, wait, Ned's digs, which he inherited from an alzheimers stricken aunt, is gorgeous and Stacey longs to get away from bunking with her parents. What if, she proposes, ha ha, to Ned, we get married, in name only? Neddie could get his promotion and Stacey could get her own room in a beautiful, well-situated apartment? It's a go! But, from day one, bickering goes back and forth, making everyone, including Eric and Amanda, wonder if the marriage will last. Then, too, just what are the ground rules about the twosome's romantic life? This series, which I probably missed from working two nights a week for years, is a delight. Church was fresh off his stint on Wings and Messing hadn't found stardom as part of Will and Grace but the duo works beautifully together. Church's dry wit and Messing's zaniness make for a very nice romantic comedy show. German and Dajani are also very funny and deft, as are the other supporting actors. In addition, Ned's apartment is quite glamorous, as are the costumes and alternate sets. Nice, too, is the script and timely direction. All fans of mixed-matched romantic love tales should try to add this one to their collections.

Ned and Stacey was a good show. There was clever and well writing. The cast was great, most notably Thomas Haden Church (Lowell from Wings). There were a lot of great gags that fit in perfect with this show. It's a shame the show was so short lived. Would I recommend this show? Yes. Catch the reruns on the USA Network.