Show Guide: Some Of My Best Friends

Synopsis: The concept of "culture clash" is ratcheted up to a new level and gets a fresh treatment when funneled through the vantage point of two roommates - one erudite, gay Village resident and one straight ex-Bronx Italian - in the rollicking new half-hour comedy SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS. In the context of the guys' offbeat living arrangement, the series employs their humorous set-up to explore the relationship, tensions and inherent predicaments of two polar-opposite men - and the people who love them - while also tackling themes of friendship and acceptance. Starring TV favorite Jason Bateman ("The Hogan Family") and Danny Nucci ("Titantic," "Snoops") in the lead roles, the series premiered Wednesday, February 28 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS-TV.

The series also stars Alec Mapa (Broadway's "M. Butterfly"), Michael DeLuise ("N.Y.P.D. BLue") and Jessica Lundy ("Party of Five"), all of whom dispense inimitable takes on the men's novel arrangement.

SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS actually takes its cue from the hit Paramount Pictures comedy, "Kiss Me, Guido," upon which the series is based. That 1997 feature, which was a favorite at that year's Sundance Film Festival, was written and produced by Tony Vitale and starred Nick Scotti and Anthony Barrile as the sparring roommates.

In the series pilot, down-on-his-luck Warren Fairbanks (Bateman) has been laid off from his job as a magazine writer, is two months behind on his rent and has just been dumped by his boyfriend of two years. Desperate for a new roommate, Warren places an ad describing himself in a classified ad-shorthand as a GWM (gay white male) seeking a new boarder. With his flashy friend Vern (Mapa), Warren meets a string of bad candidates…until he winds up with sexy -- but straight -- Frankie Zito (Nucci). Frankie, arriving with his friend Pino (DeLuise), has interpreted the ad to read "guy with money." While Frankie's parents expect him to take over the family restaurant, he wants to be in Manhattan to pursue his secret dream of becoming an actor. Thrilled by the prospect of Warren's place, he plunks down his savings… completely unaware that Warren is gay.

When each guy's sexual orientation becomes abundantly clear, it's too late. Warren's already handed over Frankie's first and last month's rent to his building manager -- sister Meryl (Lundy). So, the men agree to an arm wrestling match to decide the situation. Scaring Frankie with a fake flirting maneuver during the match, Warren wins, and Frankie has to move out. But fate intervenes when Warren's ex, Terry, shows up to retrieve some belongings. Eager to make Terry jealous, Warren convinces Frankie to test out his acting abilities by pretending to be his new boyfriend. However, Frankie's parents unexpectedly arrive during the "act," and conclude that he's gay. With an adept assist from Warren after Terry leaves, Frankie reveals to his parents that he has a secret: he's not gay, but he does want to act instead of take over the family business. Once the confusion is settled, Warren and Frankie agree to continue as roommates. Having already helped each other out a little bit, the two realize that they actually may have more in common than they ever thought possible. (Courtesy Paramount Television, 2001)

Production Credits:
A production of Axelrod/Widdoes Entertainment in association with Paramount Network Television for CBS-TV.

Episodes:

Season One, 2001
1- 1 Pilot--02/28/2001
Warren Fairbanks (Jason Bateman), a writer just dumped by his boyfriend, decides, with the help of his flamboyant best friend, Vern ( Alec Mapa), to put an ad in the paper: "GWM seeks roommate." Frankie Zito (Danny Nucci), a macho guy from the Bronx who, against the wishes of his parents, Joe and Connie, wants to move out of their house, responds to Warren's ad. Along with his dimwitted best friend, Pino (Michael DeLuise), Frankie assumes GWM means "Guy with Money." Frankie moves in, and worlds collide. But with a few ground rules and some help from Warren's sister, Meryl (Jessica Lundy), the building manager, it seems the two have the potential to become friends.
Written by: Mark Cherry And Tony Vitale
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 2 Fight Night--03/07/2001
Frankie asks Warren to act "straight" when his buddies come over to watch a fight on television. Worried that his friends will give him a hard time for having a gay roommate, Frankie attempts to hide the fact by making the apartment look more masculine -- to the point of asking Warren to act heterosexual. Warren doesn't like it but, after meeting Frankie's scary friends, grudgingly agrees. However, the plan is in jeopardy when Vern arrives -- and he never agreed to anything of the sort.
Written by: John Pardee and Joey Murphy
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 3 Blah, Blah, Blah--03/12/2001
Frankie dates a woman to whom he's very attracted, but he isn't interested in what she has to say. Warren, on the other hand, enjoys long talks with her. Realizing they make a perfect team, they decide to split boyfriend duties, with Warren having the deep conversations and Frankie enjoying the "pillow talk."
Written by: Judd Pillott and John Peaslee
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 4 A Brief Encounter--03/28/2001
Vern suspects that Frankie may be gay, and Pino thinks Warren has a crush on Frankie. When Pino and Vern insist to Frankie and Warren that all signs point to Frankie being gay and to Warren having a crush on him, the roommates begin to read new meaning into every conversation they have as they dance around the issue. But when Frankie finds some of his expensive underwear missing, he decides it's time to confront Warren.
Written by: John Pardee and Joey Murphy
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 5 The Marriage Counselor--04/04/2001
When Connie confides to Warren and Pino that she fears her husband is bored with her in the boudoir, Warren convinces her that she has nothing to worry about if she uses a sexy technique called "the boomerang." But when Connie's new bedroom move makes her husband suspicious that she's been seeing someone on the side, Frankie is beside himself with fear that his parents are going to break up.
Written by: Marc Cherry
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 6 Shaggy Dog Story--04/11/2001
Frankie begs Warren to let them keep a stray dog until he finds out that strangers who see the three of them together assume things about their relationship.
Written by: Judd Pillott and John Peaslee
Directed by: James Widdoes

1- 7 Scenes From An Italian Party--04/18/2001
When Frankie is looking for the perfect gift for his parents' 25 th anniversary, Warren suggests that a big elaborate party would be perfect. Frankie thinks pizza and beer would suit his folks better, but finally Warren wins out and arranges an over-the-top anniversary bash. Unfortunately, everything that can go wrong does, but each of the mishaps that occurs can be swept under the rug -- except for the fight that breaks out between the happy couple when Warren insists that the guests of honor toast each other.
Written by: Terry Maloney Haley and Mindy Morgenstern
Directed by: James Widdoes

Visit Our Partners:
AllYourSoaps.com
A complete guide to both daytime and primetime soaps.

The AllYourTV Weblog
Beyond the news and reviews, this weblog is a concise, sometimes snide look at the world of TV, the media & technology.

Related Links

Show Guides: Q-S