The Girl's Guide to Depravity

Cinemax's attempts to take its late night programming in a more sophisticated, less explicit direction have been a hit-or-miss mixed bag to this point, but "The Girl's Guide To Depravity" -- inspired by a blog of the same name -- gets the formula right. With its emphasis on well dressed women dispensing dirty nuggets of wit and wisdom, the series evokes obvious comparisons to "Sex & The City". However, the rules (an irreverent set of dating tips followed by the main characters) pave a path to pretty generous helpings of sex and nudity, so there's plenty here for guys to enjoy. We are talking depravity, after all, not touchy feely fare you'd find on Oprah's network.

"Girl's Guide" is written with genuinely edgy humor ("Oh, will you look at the time, I am late for my abortion!") and shot with creative visual flair by feature film director Alex Merkin. Perhaps most importantly, it boasts a very attractive, likable cast. Sally Golan dishes out Lizzie's blunt, sarcastic one-liners with aplomb and has great chemistry with Rebecca Blumhagen, a seriously adorable comedic/dramatic find who brings warmth and vulnerability to the role of unlucky-in-love Sam. Of course, it doesn't hurt that both actresses look spectacular in various states of undress.

Will "The Girl's Guide To Depravity" satisfy the segment of Cinemax's audience that demands a gynecologist's eye view of hardcore porn stars? Maybe not...but its pitch perfect blend of laughs and eroticism is a not-so-guilty pleasure for the rest of us.

I have to say I'm a little perturbed by the other reviews comparing The Girls Guide to Depravity to Life on Top. Life on Top? Are you kidding me? That's just a bunch of terrible actresses and an even worse writing crew. Unwatchable. If The Girls Guide is like Life on Top, then Law and Order must be the real people version of Family Guy.

With The Girls Guide, we have the emergence of two fantastic actresses -- Rebecca Blumhagen and Sally Golan. In just the first few episodes, they showed their range, willingness to take risks, and strong comedic timing. They leave you wondering what kind of a person they are in real life...which, in my opinion, is one mark of a great actor. You have to think this is just the beginning for the two of them.

And don't underestimate the writing. It's terrific. The one-liners are laugh-out-loud hilarious. Bottom line -- it's a comedy. And comedy gold, it is.

Watch it. Love it. You'll thank me.

Ladies & Gentleman the truth's all here, the rule system the girls of "Depravity" use aren't for everybody. And, certainly not the weak! But they're relevant when tackling modern social issues in today's dating game. "Depravity's" Sam & Lizzie represent today's women, there's no denying they are specifically of this era! Wannabe's at home, if you're still going around quoting "Sex and the City"...the gig is up! That old school bulls#$%. ain't gonna cut it no more, you're seriously about a decade behind. Now, PUT DOWN THE COSMOPOLITAN and tune in to MAX!!!

The source material seems extremely relevant too, "The Girl's Guide to Depravity" isn't just this new cutting-edge MAX original series. It's also in official handbook due out in May 2012, that I for one will be reading. Kinda reminds me of a female version of "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" emphasis on FEMALE VERSION. But back to the show, Rebecca Blumhagen (Sam) and Sally Golan (Lizzie) are ridiculously funny and hot, and having adult film star Riley Steele in the supporting cast should only help bring that many more viewers to what is already a great R- rated show.

OK, so I found out about this show after a night of heavy drinking, browsing the early morning premium channels seeing what's what and if anything good was on.

I stumbled upon this show ..... At first glance, this seemed (to me) like soft-core porn wrapped in a lackluster sitcom-type comedy routine. Luckily, I was immediately smitten by the lead character Sam, and continued watching a few more episodes.

After having watched approx 12 more episodes, all I can say now is "What an awesome f*****g show". Sure, there are 2-minute long sex scenes in almost every episode (if not more!).... but remember, people, this is Cinemax. With other Cinemax series like "Banshee" blending an equally twisted story of drama and erotica.... the erotic scenes in this show are simply par for the course for Cinemax series. Further, the great news is that the erotic scenes in this show are not only awesome and really hot, but are tied together with an enjoyable and comedic story line that becomes incredibly visible once you look through the shock and awe of the erotica sex scenes.

This is my new favorite show!

As of this review "The Girl's Guide to Depravity" is two episodes into its premier season. After viewing them both, I can honestly say that the show has a lot of promise. It reminds me of what "Life on Top" was during season one; lighthearted, fun, and sexy. Rebecca Blumhagen and Sally Golan star as Lizzy and Sam, two ladies looking for love (and sex) in Chicago. Ultimately they would like to settle down (Sam more so than Lizzy) but in the interim want to have their fun without involving their feelings. That's where the rules come in.

The ladies are well cast; they are both very pretty, but they are everyday woman beautiful and not Hollywood beautiful. They work and hang out at the bar like everyday people. That adds elements of realism to the show. Couple that with the sex scenes not being overly choreographed. They look like they are just having sex and not trying to put on a production. That can be appreciated in the era of overdone moaning and screaming to simulate sexual satisfaction. Also, the show's setting Chicago is a breath of fresh air in the New York/L.A. dominated TV universe.

Overall, the show is entertaining. I can't wait to see what the rules and their libidos get these ladies into later this season. Kudos to Cinemax for giving its viewers something more than T & A on an After Dark show. I suppose this is their apology for "Chemistry".