Grapevine

I loved this series and frequently show my copies to new friends and co-workers. It always shocks them and makes them laugh.

Long before Sex in the City, Grapevine was exploring the lighter side of relationships. This show was imaginative, funny and way to sharp for 1992 network TV. Like the Twilight Zone series, the producers always used up-and-coming actors, many of whom went on to huge success. What I liked most were the rapid fire editing and the amusing sexual references. Frequently, they would suggest something, cut to commercial, and come back discussing it - without ever naming it. It was so risqué yet clean enough for the censors. Wow was it sharp! In one episode the main character reaches into the night table, for what isn't shown, but when they come back from commercial he's talking about his adventures with his friends. We have to imagine for ourselves what can't be shown.

The 2000 version was very watered down and boring. The actors weren't as funny and the topics weren't engrossing enough.

I stumbled onto this show one Monday, and I was fascinated. The style was that of a mini-documentary. It gave credence to the little things in relationships which are the things that make or break them.

I liked the style, which was more of an anthology, not centering around a particular cast, but using a larger cast in a more general way. Instead of watching particular characters, we get others describing what transcribed with those characters, giving various point of view. The humor came when the comments broke along gender lines.

The cast was almost generic, but that is not a complaint. It was more like the types of friends and acquaintances that everyone has.

I do hope that this show reaches DVD sometime. I would like to have a set with both this and the 2000 return.

And that is not a joke. I watched this ill-conceived monstrosity twice. The first episode was about a married woman who slept with her married boss who beat her and fired her. Not surprisingly her husband found out about her affair and left her. The second episode was about a woman who was coming off an incestuous affair with her late brother by sleeping with her best friend's fiancee. And get this, it was supposed to be a comedy!!! Fortunately it only lasted a half a dozen episodes. I suppose if it had been on the air any longer we would have been treated to the lighter side of beastiality and pedophilia. Believe it or not CBS brought this show back in the spring of 2000 where it bombed just as quickly. Thank goodness.

This was an interesting way of doing things though - the constant cuts from one narrator to the other and the obvious difference in views that they had were quite funny. The stories were of 30 somethings with too much money and time on their hands, Thumper especially was allergic to commitment so the stories tended to reflect a rather self satisfied hedonism that I could only have wished for! The only problem I really had was that everyone used in the programme, either mainstay character or pass-through itinerant looked as though they were straight from the Elite Model Agency's books. - I've been looking for this to buy on either VHS or DVD but it seems that the powers that be don't have any faith in sales either.

I loved this show even though it was booted after only six episodes. It was far too edgy for TV and years ahead of Sex and the City. It was funny, witty, and about real relationship issues. Like the Twilight Zone of years ago, they cast unknown actors: many of whom went on to fame like Dean Cain, Paula Marshall and Brenda Strong. Topics included infidelity, professors having affairs with grad students, interfering mothers, pet conflicts, bedroom toys, and weight issues but always presented with a very funny angle. The show continually broke the forth wall with rapid fire comments to the camera from the cast, their family and supporting characters. It was great! It's the only show I know that was brought back for a second chance ten years later, but the writing wasn't too good and it died even more quickly the second time.