Ned and Stacey

"Ned and Stacey" the show that had Debra Messing as a uppity business woman who to help a business man (Thomas Haden Church) get a promotion while she (Messing) needed a life, so up and both got married. The life of both Ned and Stacey was turned crazy this show had some of the funniest moments not only from Debra Messing and Thomas Haden Church but the other characters and guest gave great performances. This is the show that showed just how much talent that Debra Messing had she was very sexy in this series. "Ned and Stacey" used to air on mornings on the USA network because I watched many episodes of it all last year. This series is worth a watch it should have lasted longer.

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.

Thomas Haden Church, sorta playing the smart evil twin of his character on "Wings" and Debra Messing, basically preparing for her role as Grace, was a good pair on this comedy. It only lasted for about two years, but it was a superior product, and had that fun edge that many shows these days only strive for.

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.

Stacey Colbert (Debra Messing) is a neurotic Jewish freelance writer in New York. She is desperate to get away from her nagging mother after getting dumped by her fiancée. Her sister Amanda (Nadia Dajani) is happily married to sweet, clueless accountant Eric Moyer (Greg Germann). They set Stacey up with his selfish, unscrupulous, superficial, and materialistic co-worker Ned Dorsey (Thomas Haden Church). It is fire and ice. When his boss plans to give away his expected promotion of Creative Director to a family man, he quickly invents a fiancée to marry. Stacey needs his apartment and he needs a wife. What could go wrong? In the second season, they plan to divorce while he partners with Amanda in her muffin shop.

This is Debra Messing's big break on network TV. She has great charms that is equal to the scoundrel Thomas Haden Church. The obvious move is for Ned and Stacey to get together. The pilot should have planted better seeds for that relationship to grow. There is a lot of combative chemistry but they slow-roll the coupling. They may as well be Will & Grace. They need more heat at the start which would translate into better friction throughout the show. Otherwise, the four leads are solid sitcom players.