Dirt

Watched this again recently and it still holds up very well, especially the first season, not so much the second. I was never a fan of Courteney Cox but she's perfect in this role as a ruthless magazine editor, very charismatic and beautiful too, as is Laura Allen as the conflicted and compromised star.

What saves it from being just a guilty pleasure is the stylish directing, often witty writing, and the production's overall willingness to take risks -- a schizophrenic photographer as a main character is one of many such risks that pays off.

I wasn't planning on watching this show. Don't get me wrong, I like Courteney Cox, but it just didn't feel like my type of show, based on the previews. However, after coming down with the flu, I was left to a few sick days and I happened across the pilot. First the good, it drew me in. I was just flipping through and it caught me and made me want to watch. It was dark, it was edgy, it felt different from most other things on television. However, it also felt like either something was missing from the show or that I was the kid at the far end of the table left out of the joke. I liked the characters, quite a bit more than I probably should have, but something was not right with the story. I'm not sure whether it was the intentional choppiness to try and represent the story of the schizophrenic photographer, or the fact that it bounced back and forth too much between story lines.

I don't think I'm going to give up on this show. But, for it to stick, it needs a little bit of re-working and making the show something more than simply edgy.

'Dirt' is about a woman, Lucy Spiller (Cox), who works at the tabloid magazines, 'Drrt' and 'Now'. It focuses on the life of Lucy and those around her. The characters of the show are different, outrageous, and hilarious-all with their own personality. Lucy the bitchy, rude, and bitter boss of evil is set out on a goal-HER WORK. Cox's character is struggling with trying to develop an actual social life. The only "friend" Lucy basically has is Don, her schizophrenic paparazzi.

The camera shots are amazing on 'Dirt', along with the writing. The music used is perfect for the show and perfect to listen to when you are in the mood for something fun. The acting is all really good from everybody in this wonderful show.

So watch 'Dirt' and let the dark comedy cheer your day up!

that being said, Courteney Cox excels here. After the disappointment of cancellation of "Friends" (she was the talented one on the show) seems she has finally parlayed this into a career.

This is a good story: sleazy tabloids, celebrity back-stabbing; but it is presented with class, and without utter contempt for the audience (This is a MAJOR feat in television today). There are some parallels to true celebrity stories, but they are carefully disguised.

This series proves the difference between a true actor (Cox) and a celebrity, such as Paris Hilton, who could not act her way out of a paper bag. An actor worth their salt has likability and believability to a general audience. We rarely see this in film, and almost NEVER on television.

Courteney Cox, kudos to you for this show. I have not seen a series worth watching on TV since 1990. Highly recommended. 8/10.

Along with Heroes one of the best series to come out of America in a long while. Courteney Cox has proved herself an extremely good actress, leaving Monica from Friends way behind. She plays a total bitch with only one redeeming feature, her loyalty to Don, played by Ian Hart. The chemistry between them works so well ,I was hooked from the first episode. The first series has just ended in UK and I could not miss any of it. The performances were uniformly great and the story lines pulled no punches given the strictures of TV. I for one cannot wait fro the second series. I am not sure how it has gone down with the great British public as I can hardly find anyone else that has watched it!! It has been shown on little-watched channel 5 so it must have been difficult to garner a big audience. It certainly deserves to be seen by a wider viewing public. BTW check out Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip if you get the chance. Matthew Perry shows he too can shake off Friends (also a terrific series)