Grosse Pointe - The Complete Series

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The onscreen melodrama is nothing compared to what happens when the cameras stop rolling on the fictitious primetime soap Grosse Pointe. The show follows the lives of 6 young actors trying to adjust to the demands of instant stardom, as their hit show launches them into the world of premieres, paparazzi and power. There's the two-faced diva, her insecure friend, the wide-eyed newcomer who threatens the offscreen balance of power, the surfer stud, the show's heartthrob and his stand-in/gofer. Guiding these "innocents" through the world of network presidents and last-minute rewrites are the producers, who live in constant fear of the one misstep that would send ratings plummeting and their careers into oblivion. .com ---- Like Fox’s Action, Grosse Pointe is a single-camera, behind-the-scenes comedy that didn't get the chance to find the audience it deserved. With the success of HBO's Entourage a few years later, it's possible that the timing was simply off as this devilishly entertaining melodrama should've been a hit with fans of Darren Star's Beverly Hills 90210 and Sex and the City. It's essentially a spot-on satire of the former, as well as the actors who made it into a cultural touchstone in the 1990s. Created by Star, the show-within-a-show played the game while breaking the rules. In other words, the five attractive leads, all actors on high school soap Grosse Pointe, aren't exactly model citizens (and the occasional in-jokes at the WB’s expense can't have won Star many points with the network brass). There's dumb stud Johnny (ex-model Al Santos), terminally insecure Marcy (Lindsay Sloane, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch), fresh-faced Courtney (Bonnie Somerville, NYPD Blue), scheming Hunter (Irene Molloy, Andy Richter Controls the Universe), and 30-year-old teen Quentin (Kohl Sudduth channeling Luke Perry). Plot developments include a shoplifting arrest for Hunter ("Thieves Like Us"), rtunistic boyfriend for Marcy ("Halloween"), gay fan for Johnny ("Boys on the Side"), and Japanese commercial for Courtney ("Star Wars" with George Takei). Short run aside, Grosse Pointe attracted name directors, like Jake Kasdan, Peyton Reed, Allison Anders, and 90210 alum Jason Priestley, who plays himself. In addition, Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh composed the jazzy score. Recurring characters include writer/producers Rob (William Ragsdale) and Hope (Joely Fisher) and perennial second bananas, Dave the Stand-In (Kyle Howard) and Kevin the PA (Nat Faxon). This two-disc set includes an interview with Star, plus commentary on four episodes. --Kathleen C. Fennessy