Grosse Pointe: The Complete Series

Sex and the City creator Darren Star hoped he could replicate the success of his smash HBO series with this satirical sitcom, which originally aired on the WB Network during the 2000-01 season. Unfortunately, Star plummeted to Earth rather quickly: Grosse Pointe didn't quite make it through the first year, logging just 17 episodes. The premise seemed tailor-made for the youth-oriented WB as the show revolved around six twentysomething actors adjusting to sudden fame and fortune as a result of their TV series' overnight success. The regular cast featured some fine performers, including Lindsay Sloane, Joely Fisher, Bonnie Somerville, Irene Molloy, and Kohl Sudduth, and executive producer Star, calling in some favors, arranged for other name actors to make cameo appearances, among them Kristen Davis, Jason Priestly, Elizabeth Berkley, and Katie Wagner—all familiar to Grosse Pointe's target demographic. But despite its snarky, behind-the-scenes look at the world of TV production, the series never really found an audience. Maybe there's an incipient cult somewhere out there, waiting to pounce on this DVD release and turn Grosse Pointe into an underground favorite (far worse series' have enjoyed similar fame in their afterlives, so why not this one?). DVD extras include audio commentaries on selected episodes, and an interview with Star. Optional. (E. Hulse)