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Stacy Galina Movies

2002  
 
Dismissed by one critic as "John Updike for dummies," the NBC dramedy Hidden Hills was set in the real-life gated suburban Los Angeles community of the same name. Essentially, the series wondered aloud if it was possible for married couples and/or parents to maintain the "traditional" family unit while being bombarded from all sides by the laissez-faire sensitivities of the 21st century. Among the recurring characters was Doug Barber (Justin Louis), whose efforts to be a worthwhile husband to spouse Janine (Paula Marshall) were compromised by the arrival of Hidden Hills' sexy new softball coach Belinda Slypich (Kristin Bauer), who ran her own X-rated website. On several occasions, Doug's sexual fantasies "came to life" for the benefit of the viewer, giving the hero ample opportunity to lust in his heart. Other stories concerned the trials and tribulations of the Barbers' "Buppie" neighbors, Zack and Sarah Timmerman (Dondre T. Whitfield, Tamara Taylor). Hidden Hills premiered September 24, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Kristin BauerJustin Louis, (more)
 
2000  
 
Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Ross (David Schwimmer) find themselves too close for comfort when both awaken from a nap. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) vies with Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and vice versa, when the time comes for Monica (Courteney Cox) to choose a maid of honor. And as for Monica's future husband, Chandler (Matthew Perry), he gets himself in trouble when he confesses the reason that he broke up with a former girlfriend. ~ Rovi

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Starring:
Stacy Galina
 
1992  
 
The 14th and final season of Knots Landing is distinguished by the conspicuous absence of longtime regular Joan Van Ark, whose character, Val Ewing, mysteriously disappeared while researching a book on mob-connected politician and businessman Greg Sumner (William Devane). In his frantic efforts to find out if his wife is still alive, Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) somehow finds time for a brief fling with Kate Whittaker (Stacy Galina), Sumner's niece. Meanwhile, Greg, having astonished everyone by giving up his business interests in Knots Landing and retiring to a cabin in Montana, leaves his affairs in the hands of three people: His scheming sister Claudia (Kathleen Noone); Meg (Rhianna Janette), Greg's daughter, adopted by Sumner's longtime nemesis Mack (Kevin Dobson) and his wife Karen (Michele Lee); and Paige (Nicollette Sheridan), illegitimate daughter of Mack and Anne Matheson (Michelle Phillips). Eventually, Greg changes his mind about retiring and returns to regain control of the Sumner Group; at the same time, Mary Robeson (Maree Cheatham), self-proclaimed biological mother of Greg's late wife Laura ries to wrest Meg away from Karen and Mack, whereupon Mack goes temporarily insane--which leads to his being named primary suspect when Mary turns up dead (He is released shortly after the revelation that Mary was really Laura's aunt, not her mother). Just before the series finale, Gary discovers that Val is still alive, the prisoner of crooked businessman Nigel Treadwell, who hopes to get his mitts on the Sumner Group with the help of none other than Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills)--who has been absent from Knots Landing since the end of Season Eleven. Treadwell is foiled in this scheme, and in his subsequent effort to blow up Greg, by another of his hostages, Vanessa Hunt (Felicity Waterman). The upshot of all this activity is a classic moment in the series' second-to-last episode, in which the three principal Knots Landing villainesses--Claudia, Abby and Anne--show up on screen at the same time. And as the very last episode demonstrates, the residents of Knots Landing haven't seen the last of Abby Cunningham yet! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Ted ShackelfordMichele Lee, (more)
 
1991  
 
Season Thirteen of Knots Landing gets under way with only one of the four original "couplings" of the series' first season intact: After many romantic side trips and emotional detours, Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) and his ex-wife Val (Joan Van Ark) have decided to let bygones be bygones and tie the matrimonial knot for the third (and last!) time. Once this matter is settled, Gary again demonstrates his basic lack of common sense by teaming with one Joseph Barringer (Mark Soper]) in a wild scheme to harness the power of ocean tides to provide low-cost energy for the citizens of California. Not surprisingly, Gary loses his shirt (and everything else) in this dead-on-arrival venture, and ends up working as a day laborer on his own ranch before returning to his old cul-de-sac neighborhood. Meanwhile, Val revitalizes her literary career by starting research on a novel intended to expose the crooked machinations of Greg Sumner (William Devane). In other developments, Linda Fairgate (Lar-Park Lincoln), ex-daughter in law of Gary's business partner Karen (Michele Lee), is murdered by Brian Johnston (Philip Brown), who holds several of the principal characters hostage before Karen is able to save the day--thereby confirming her "local heroine" status established at the end of the previous season, when she single-handedly took on the members of a street gang. Also, Greg Sumner's predatory sister Claudia (Kathleen Noone) meets her Waterloo in the form of Alex Barth (Boyd Kestner), who knows where all of her bodies are buried. As for Greg, he begins an affair with Anne Matheson (Michelle Phillips), former lover of Greg's longtime nemesis Mack (Kevin Dobson); reduced to penury after failing to cheat her daughter Paige (Nicollette Sheridan) out of an inheritance, Anne has staged a comeback as a nude model and radio star! Among the newcomers to the series are Bruce Greenwood as Paige's new boyfriend Pierce Lawton, who later tries to kill Paige and several others when he loses all his money in Gary's "Tidal Energy" scheme; Maree Cheatham as Mary Robeson, who claims to be the biological mother of Greg's late wife Laura (Constance McCashin), and who had been sent to prison on a trumped-up charge engineered by Greg; and Felicity Waterman as Vanessa Hunt, an old friend of Claudia Whittaker's daughter Kate (Stacy Galina). Making their final appearances in Season Twelves are Larry Riley and [$Kent Masters-King as Frank and Julia Williams--and, surprisingly, Joan Van Ark as Val Ewing, who mysteriously vanishes in the midst of preparing her tell-all novel. With ratings steadily decreasing during its most recent seasons, Knots Landing wnet on a brief production hiatus in the middle of Season Thirteen so that the new writing team could get a grip on the concept and come up with more compelling storylines. Although things did improve a bit, the series was destined to survive for just one more year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Ted ShackelfordJoan Van Ark, (more)
 
1990  
 
Rendered mortally ill by anti-chemical activists during Season Eleven of Knot's Landing, scheming politician-businessman Greg Sumner (William Devane) is snatched from the jaws of death by a liver transplant--which, characteristically, he has secured by dishonest means. This leaves Sumner alive and well, and free to begin life anew with the new love of his life, the bed-hopping Paige Matheson (Nicollette Sheridan), who happens to be the illegitimate daughter of Sumner's perennial crimebusting nemesis, Mack MacKenzie (Kevin Dobson). At the same time, Paige's biological mother Anne (Michelle Phillips), still determined to get her mitts on her daughter's inheritance, dreams up a phony blackmail scheme which brings arouses the attention of her former lover Mario Conti, who dispatches his trusted hatchet man Nick Schillance (Lorenzo Caccialanza) to Knots Landing to help the "victimized" Anne. Ultimately, Anne and Nick will get married and team up to rob Paige of her rightful inheritance. Meanwhile, long-suffering Val (Joan Van Ark) tries to secure a divorce from her imprisoned serial-rapist husband Danny (Sam Behrens), who claims to have been "Born Again" behind bars and refuses to release her from her wedding vows. When Danny is ultimately found dead, Val's ex Gary (Ted Shackelford) is suspected of murder (for about the three-hundredth time!), but is exonerated by Danny's last intended victim, Julie Williams (Kent-Masters King). Elsewhere, novice TV personality Karen (Michele Lee) learns to her horror that her alleged stalker from the previous season, Jeff Cameron (Chris Lemmon), is still alive, still bent on "getting" her despite being exposed as part of a campaign of psychological terror concocted by Karen's conniving former producer Dianne Kirkwood. And in another development, Mack puts his life on the line when he assumes the responsibility of protecting young Jason Lochner (Thomas Wilson Brown) from an abusive parent. Perhaps sensing that the series needed a new "Abby Cunningham"-style villainess, the producer introduce the character of Greg Sumner's scheming sister Claudia Whittaker (Kathleen Noone), who at the outset of Season Eleven swoops into Knots Landing with her daughter Kate (Stacy Galina) and her ex-convict "son" Steve Brewer (Lance Guest) in tow. Steve will eventually be revealed to be the son of the late tycoon Paul Galveston--and thus the brother of Greg Sumner, rather than his nephew. By the time the season finale rolls around, Claudia's machinations have brought about the death of Steven; Karen faces a jail term after forcing a gang of street punks--including one of her own neighbors--to have a car accident; the troublesome Anne is at last kicked out of Knots Landing; and, evidently hastening the process before any more disasters can occur, Gary and Val decide to get married--for the third time. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Ted ShackelfordJoan Van Ark, (more)
 
1990  
 
The made-for-TV Exile can be summed up as a kindler, gentler Lord of the Flies. Twenty somewhat sheltered American students are marooned on a Malaysian island. The "survival of the fittest" theme is shunted aside in a spirit of camaraderie and cooperation, as the kids pull together to survive. Corey Feldman heads the cast of young Hollywood "hunks" and "babes," each given ample opportunity to show off their physical attributes (within TV-censor limits). Exile premiered January 14, 1990, on -- of all places -- The Magical World of Disney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1989  
 
This light comedy is a contemporary--and wacky--version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In this version, a malformed young man hangs out in the bell tower of a California college campus and has to face a number of prejudices when he is brought out into the light. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

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Starring:
Allan KatzCorey Parker, (more)
 
1989  
 
When private detective Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach) is blamed for a Las Vegas murder, he sets out to prove his innocence and meets a lovely woman along the way. ~ Rovi

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