Ménage à trois

This was buried for UK viewers in a dead slot on Sunday nights by Channel Four, instead of in the prime 'Friends' section of Friday night TV where it deserved to be. But that's OK, since it only had a single season in America anyway! The premise was simple - the show followed two people, Owen and Alicia, who were getting married, and their relationship. It also followed Owen and his best Bob, working partners. It showed the interactions with them all, of Owen trying to balance his two relationships, and of their relationships with some funny secondary characters, mostly Heather the accident prone secretary. The writing was sharp and very funny. Better yet, completely unpredictable, especially in the starting episodes. A plot, and the obvious jokes that would go with it, would suddenly be turned on their head by the second half.

There was nothing wrong with this show! Great actors, likable characters, and they weren't at a loss for good guests either (Jennifer Aniston even did a turn as Bob's girlfriend). Watch a few, especially the early ones, and I guarantee you will be hooked! Another one to be filed into the archives of 'why didn't this get renewed.' Still, at least it got a full 24 episodes and I managed to watch and tape them all!

I enjoyed this show, it was on in the uk, but not at peak time, and they seemed to move it all over the schedules so I wasn't able to watch them all. I was surprised when it didn't return and had no i idea why, still don't know, but i guess that's not important.

Great performances from the two leads, they were very believable as friends. The two supporting actresses also added well to the mix. I guess it was part of a whole load of shows that were lifestyle centred, Friends being the obvious main one, but sex in the city came along a few years later.

The characters, get take out coffee, they drink at nice bars , that sort of thing, a little woody allenish in a way.

This was a modern TV classic! The story goes like this, Bob has a girlfriend named Alicia. Bob and Alicia are in love and want to get married. Bob has a bud named Owen who he works with. Owen is jealous of Alicia. He likes hanging around with Bob. Now Owen hangs around with Bob AND Alicia. Bob and Owen have a secretary named Heather. Heather is very accident prone. She is also, if you haven't guessed it, is kind of lonely. She too hangs around with Bob and Alicia, and Owen. Sometimes Alicia wishes Bob didn't have any friends.

By the end of the first season, it looked like Owen finally found himself a real longlasting girlfriend. Bob and Alicia went driving on the night before their wedding, making out in a tiny car and then getting stuck. Way out in the middle of nowhere! What happened next? What about poor Heather? Did anyone get married?? Sorry, series ended.

Not even a plea from TV Guide made FOX think twice about putting it back on the air. It was a great show with a great cast. I loved Heather too. She looked cool in those glasses and was hilarious. I miss this show a lot. This is like reading a good book with the ending missing......sad.

Note: Alicia (Maria Pitillo) was engaged to Owen (Tate Donovan); Bob (Jon Cryer) was Owen's best friend and partner in the architectural firm.

It is inconceivable that Fox chose to cancel "Partners" and renew "Ned and Stacey," which made up the other half of the broadcast hour.

Sometimes there is no justice. Fortunately, Jon Cryer has a hit now with "Two and a Half Men," and Tate Donovan just completed a very enjoyable turn in "The O.C." Catherine Lloyd Burns (Heather) was very funny on "Malcolm in the Middle." Maria Pitillo did a slew of "Providence" episodes.

Another thing that made the show so great was the guest stars... Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Aniston, Lawrence Pressman, James Cromwell, Alex Rocco, Mimi Kennedy, Mimi Rogers, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Willie Garson, Corinne Bohrer, Joel Murray, Lisa Edelstein... the list goes on.

The writers were terrific, too, and have gone on to a variety of other projects: "Will and Grace," "Sports Night," "Cosby," "The West Wing," "The Chris Isaak Show," "Suddenly Susan," "Everwood," "Desperate Housewives," "American Dreams," etc.

It was a great show. I wish it would come out on DVD. Maybe with Jon Cryer's current popularity, this is a possibility.

I noticed Mimi Rogers , Courtney Thorne Smith and Katherine Erb all appeared in two and a half men.