889 replies to this topic

[Ethereal Zoe]

Looks like there will be an original scripted show coming from TV Land in the form of Hot In Cleveland. The show stars Valerie Bertinelli ("One Day At A Time), Jane Leeves (Daphne from "Frasier") and Wendie Malick (Nina from "Just Shoot Me"), as well as a recurring guest star role by none other than *drumrolls* Betty White!

An excerpt from the article:

"Hot in Cleveland" focuses on three eccentric Los Angeles women, best friends "of a certain age," whose lives are forever changed when their plane unexpectedly lands in Cleveland and they rediscover themselves in this new "promised land." Loving their new home, they live under one roof, battling the property's sassy caretaker (White).

It will either be amazing or just horrid. This I believe.

Edited by Ethereal Zoe, Jan 13, 2010 @ 7:18 PM.

[Jeaux35]

Yep. Could be the 21st Century Golden Girls, or a complete train wreck. They have the talent in front of the cameras. Now they just need writers to do justice to that talent.

And it's always good to see a show set in my own town. Cleveland Rocks!

[Ethereal Zoe]

Entertainment Tonight has a pretty good interview with Valerie Bertinelli. There's more detail about the premise of the show, but I'm not sure if those details make feel better or worse about its chances of succeeding.

[Twilight Man]

And it's always good to see a show set in my own town. Cleveland Rocks!

So, you're the person responsible for keeping "The Drew Carey Show" on for so long.
Please give me your address so I can come to your door and punch you in the face.

Once again to summarize, talent means nothing if you do not have good writing.
Since it is going to be on TV Land (I think), it will be competing with all four (five?) of the major networks.
But being on a cable network also means that it does not need stellar ratings to remain on the air.

You go girls!!!

[Jeaux35]

So, you're the person responsible for keeping "The Drew Carey Show" on for so long.
Please give me your address so I can come to your door and punch you in the face.

Actually, that wasn't me. I only watched about 4 episodes of his show. Just didn't do it for me for some reason.

I am looking forward to this show. Anything with Bettey White gets my vote.

I hope they do some locations shooting around Cleveland; we have some great architecture.

[Ethereal Zoe]

Looks like Valerie Bertinelli is set to host The View on March 4. Also, the Hot In Cleveland pilot has been shot, but apparently not picked up yet. Finally, here's a short snippet from the production listing:

Hot in Cleveland (Comedy). An emergency landing on a getaway trip to Paris forces three over-40 women to land in Cleveland, where they soon discover the locals think they are the hottest thing in town. Wendie Malick, Betty White, and Jane Leeves star. Casting: Brett Greenstein and Collin Daniel, Greenstein/Daniel Casting, 6671 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 1527, L.A., CA 90028. Shoots February.

[Ethereal Zoe]

And it looks like Hot In Cleveland has been picked up by TV Land for 10 episodes. Huzzah!

Appears we're looking at June premiere.

Edited by Ethereal Zoe, Mar 9, 2010 @ 1:32 AM.

[Snark Shark]

Looks like there will be an original scripted show coming from TV Land in the form of Hot In Cleveland. The show stars Valerie Bertinelli ("One Day At A Time), Jane Leeves (Daphne from "Frasier") and Wendie Malick (Nina from "Just Shoot Me"), as well as a recurring guest star role by none other than *drumrolls* Betty White!

It might be a dream cast, if they only dropped Bertinelli. Those other ladies all rock.

[Ethereal Zoe]

Good news! There's a photo of the cast and a clip to enjoy! Here we go:

http://www.planetout...nd-preview.html

[Snark Shark]

Good news! There's a photo of the cast and a clip to enjoy! Here we go:

http://www.planetout...nd-preview.html

It was good, but it would be twice as good without the laugh track. And maybe three times as good without Valerie Bertinelli. Then again, it seems she's just along to be the straightwoman, so maybe it won't be so bad.

[muskmelon21]

Women discover that they're considered "hot" in Cleveland? Wasn't that an episode of 30 Rock?

[Malibu65]

June 16 is the start day and I look forward to it.

So, you're the person responsible for keeping "The Drew Carey Show" on for so long.

Actually that's me. I am not in Cleveland but I did enjoy the show.

It will be good (for me at least) to see Valerie on television again.

[dbrits]

I'm definitely going to give this show a chance. Betty White is a national treasure, and I'm glad to see Jane Leeves back on TV, as I loved Frasier. I just hope the writing will do the cast of this show justice.

[Milburn Stone]

Maybe there will be occasional guest appearances by Harvey Pekar as the cranky neighbor.

[bumblehare74]

It was good, but it would be twice as good without the laugh track. And maybe three times as good without Valerie Bertinelli. Then again, it seems she's just along to be the straightwoman, so maybe it won't be so bad.

I was never very impressed with Bertinelli, I hated One Day at a Time, and I despise laugh tracks. There is nothing worse than having laughs over lines that just aren't funny. The clip that I saw I thought was awful. I will give this show a chance, but I won't get my hopes up. I have never been impressed with TVLand's original programming and I don't think that this show is going to change my mind.

[Bruinsfan]

Well, whoever made the decision to feature Betty White prominently in the advertising probably just got a nice bonus.

[Arizonaguy]

I have high hopes for this show; should be a winner. Great concept and then there's Valerie Bertinelli and Betty White and Wendy Malick. I like the idea of Valerie Bertinelli but she can come across as rather plastic and I don't think her recent prominence on talk shows and Jenny Craig advertisements help her.

ETA: Hmmm, after watching the clip, I'm not sure... Seems like they are trying to be an old fashioned and modern sitcom at the same time. As someone else said, this could either be a success or a disaster. Indeed the acting and the writing will be critical. I guess it always is. I hope producers have studied the genius of other successful sitcoms and have learned how to translate that and put their own creative spin on things.

Edited by Arizonaguy, Jun 12, 2010 @ 1:06 PM.

[bigskygirl]

Actually this show looks stupid to me.

To me it looks like the women are just reading the script and not very convincing in their acting.

[Pleasesendpants]

Actually this show looks stupid to me.

I live in Cleveland and there are a lot of promotions for this show around here. Which I find surprising because, to me, this is the premise of the show:

"Cleveland women are so unattractive that when 3 middle-aged gals from LA end up there by mistake, the men of the city suddenly discover that their penises still work. Rich lady/Blue Collar comedy ensues. Featuring Betty White saying something dirty."

Edited by Pleasesendpants, Jun 14, 2010 @ 2:40 PM.

[dogfish]

I hope they do some locations shooting around Cleveland; we have some great architecture.

Isn't Cleveland referred to as "The mistake by the lake"? I was under the impression that it was a dreary, run-down rust belt city. It sounds like this is what the writers want us to think as well.

[braggtastic]

Man, they're working Betty White like a mule. She's the only one in the cast I'm seeing doing any press for this show. Yesterday alone she was on The View, Joy Behar's show on HLN & The Daily Show. I realize the rest of the cast doesn't have the incredible good feelings towards them, but they're all pleasant women. Why haven't any of them shouldered some of the load?

[Morbs]

Isn't Cleveland referred to as "The mistake by the lake"? I was under the impression that it was a dreary, run-down rust belt city. It sounds like this is what the writers want us to think as well.

It is! But I think the jokes on Cleveland are probably going to be interchangeable with mostly any other Midwest city.

[suzysite]

I despise laugh tracks. There is nothing worse than having laughs over lines that just aren't funny.

No argument here. I almost cringed watching the promo clip. If they'd just lose the horrid laugh track the show might be ok. I'll give it a chance - but only once. If it's bad, I'm out.

[j_go00]

I was excited about this show at first too. I love Betty White and Ive liked the other cast members in their previous sitcoms. But the premise is ludicrous and so rude! Only someone totally insulated in Los Angeles would beleive that people would buy in to the idea that a pack of botoxed 40 something women from LA would blow away the men in Cleveland with their beauty. Really? I mean seriously? This is your premise? There are no hot women in Cleveland? Dumbest premise evah! Not to mention the fact that it's not exactly a great time to change jobs and find another (in Ohio or California) so we have gone beyond the point where I feel capable of suspending disbelief - or even wanting to. TV execs - do yourself a favor and occasionally visit the GIGANTIC part of the US that is not LA or NY. Most of your viewers don't live in either of those cities.

[artsygal]

Sorry, but I saw the previews for this months ago and thought it looked awful. I took another look this afternoon thinking maybe I'd been too hard on it. I wasn't. From the preview clip, it looks like bad community theater. Just dreadful. Timing is bad. Line readings are awkward and nothing seems like spontaneous conversation at all. It's forced. Gawd, it's just n-o-t funny. Made me seriously uncomfortable.

But, because I love Betty White, I'm willing to check out tonight's pilot with hopes for better,... but I doubt I'll find it.

Edited by artsygal, Jun 16, 2010 @ 3:18 PM.

[Midge]

So Valerie Bertinelli and Jane Leaves are supposed to be 40? Uh, huh.

Boy was this dumb. And badly acted. 50 YEAR OLD valerie bertinelli saying"OMG you guys!" like a 1983 valley girl was just painful.

There is the possibility that the Jane Leaves character and the Betty White character might be able to build a little chemistry, but that's not enough for a whole show.

Wendy Malick does have nice legs though.

BTW, didn't VB do another show that was about a american girl going to paris for romance? It lasted like 3 eps.

Edited by Midge, Jun 16, 2010 @ 9:30 PM.

[GrapeEarth]

Cheesey, but I liked it. I'm a Betty White fan and will watch anything for her and the rest of the cast turned out to be pretty good. I was never a Fraiser fan, but Jane Leeves was really hilarious in this. I thought Wendie Malick's character was the most fun, I'm a sucker for the vain soap actress character.

Betty was wonderful, I especially loved the track suit joke and when she randomly walked through the house at unexpected times.

Edited by GrapeEarth, Jun 16, 2010 @ 9:40 PM.

[janiceo]

I liked it-laughed out loud several times. It's not the greatest, but I was entertained, which was all I really wanted from the show.

[balevinson]

I'm sure it's already been said, but it did feel like a "Golden Girls" prequel.

But did they have to crank the laugh-track up to "11"?!? Ugh.

Just because it's stuck on TV-Land doesn't mean it has to sound like it was made in 1985.

Edited by balevinson, Jun 16, 2010 @ 11:43 PM.

[shapeshifter]

To me it looks like the women are just reading the script and not very convincing in their acting.

"Acting"??? It seemed they were reading cloyingly cute lines and then smiling at Betty White's responses. Embarrassing.