TV: GCB (episode 1)

So, Pan Am has been pulled from ABC's Sunday at 10pm time slot. No surprise since ratings had been on a steady dive since the start.

In its place, the network has decided to go a little more funny and a little more racy with GCB. It is about the lives and loves of women in Dallas. The series is based on the book Good Christian Bitches by Kim Gatlin and produced by Darren Starr of Sex and the City.

It stars Kristin Chenoweth (broadway actress and occasional Glee guest star), Leslie Bibb (who started out on Popular), Jennifer Aspen, Miriam Shor, Marisol Nichols, and the always amazing Annie Potts (from Designing Women and numerous films like Corvette Summer, Pretty In Pink and more).

Let's look at the pilot episode...


A single mother of two Amanda Vaughn (Bibb) returns home after her marriage has ended in scandal. It turns out her husband Bill was running a Ponzi scheme and died in a horrible car crash with his mistress. Amanda leaves California to protect her two kids, returning home to Dallas to live with her socialite mother GiGi(Potts) to start over. However, Amanda soon realizes her past reputation as the "Queen Bitch" is catching up with her.

Former ugly duckling Carlene "Kitten" Cockburn (Chenoweth) is now living the high life with a handsome husband. She's very devout but also very controlling.

Amanda once stole Bill from Cricket Caruth-Reilly (Shor). Amanda learns though that Cricket's husband Blake (Mark Deklin) is a closeted gay man, involved with one of his ranch hands.

Former beauty queen Sharon Peacham (Aspen) continues to resent Amanda after she sabotaged Sharon's chances at winning the Miss Teen Dallas competition. She buries her anxieties with food. Her husband Zak owns the local car dealership and always had the major hots for Amanda.

Heather Cruz (Nichols) is now the head gossip of the social circle, and one of the biggest realtors in town. She seems the one most likely to give Amanda a chance as the pilot shows she is hardly as mean spirited as Cricket, Sharon and Carlene.

What I really liked about the show is the comedy elements. There were some laugh-out-loud lines and sight-gags. Bibb, Potts and Chenoweth all deliver the humor I know they are capable of. The writing is sarcastic and biting.

Of course, the pilot had a lot going on with setting up the premise and introducing the characters. It will be interesting to see how it settles in with a weekly flow. It certainly has earned a slot on my DVR recording schedule for the foreseeable future.