As you know, gentle readers, I have been spending far too much time with my TiVo as of late. I have noticed a lot of different things about television, ranging from how often you see the same actors in different shows:
Thomas Gibson (Greg on "Dharma and Greg") had a cameo on "Caroline in the City" (which stars one of my future ex-husbands, Andy Lauer. Mmm.)
Jane Kaczmarek (the mom on "Malcolm in the Middle") was Ira's crazy fiancee on "Cybill"
Peter Krause has had three roles on wonderful TV shows: he was Kevin (Cybill's son-in-law) on "Cybill," Casey McCall on "SportsNight," and of course is now Nate Fisher on "Six Feet Under." He too is on my list of future ex-husbands, although that doesn't have all that much to do with my TiVo.
Then of course, there are the fabulous Broadway types who have sold out to TV, such as:
Malcolm Gets on "Caroline in the City," (another future ex?)
Blythe Danner as Will's mom on "Will & Grace,"
Jane Krakowski on "Ally McBeal"
And that's before we start on stupid shit like "Mister Sterling" with the fabulous Audra McDonald.
But my truest revelation learned from TiVo is a very deep, revolutionary new theory I am developing about "Will & Grace." I am actually contemplating a doctoral thesis on this idea.
Are you ready?
"Will & Grace" is a gay adaptation of "Seinfeld." Each of the principal characters from "W&G" has a Seinfeldian equivalent.
Will = Jerry Seinfeld
Grace = a non-bald version of George Costanza (with smaller tits)
Jack = Elaine
Karen = Kramer (with bigger tits)
and Rosario? Rosario = Newman, of course.
"W&G" handles Stan in a similar way to how "Seinfeld" deals with Steinbrenner: Never seen, always discussed.
Even Will and Grace's realationships with their parents are similar to George and Jerry's. Watch a couple of episodes of both, and tell me I'm wrong. You can't, can you? You just can't. And everyone (except Karen) has an apartment that, à la "Friends," is a primo example of living beyond their means.
In other news, I need to get out more.
Posted by Jon at May 28, 2003 06:29 PM | TrackBackActually, not much of that tracks. If Will were Jerry, he'd really be the center of the show, which he isn't. If Jack were Elaine, he'd be relatively neutral, which he isn't. If Rosario were Newman she wouldn't be right so often. A lawyer in private practice (or, later, the partnership track at a big firm) can afford to share a two-bedroom in Manhattan with an interior designer with her own local company. Even the parents don't match, being semi-regulars whose names no one ever remembers on the one show and occasional, very special guest stars on the other.
Back to the drawing board.
Posted by: Mike Benedetto at May 28, 2003 07:41 PM