David Steven Simon Movies

Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) is once again in the doghouse -- this time on two fronts. First off, Paul manages to alienate his father, Burt (Louis Zorich), by agreeing to umpire a senior-citizen baseball game. And secondly, Jamie (Helen Hunt) discovers that she is "the second Mrs. Buchman" -- and that Paul's first missus was an elderly Russian woman. To explain how this all came about (or to reveal the outcome) would spoil the fun. ~ All Movie Guide

Mare Winningham guest stars as Sarah, a divorced mother of three who teaches Jamie (Helen Hunt) the "casual" parenting method. Jamie and Paul (Paul Reiser) are convinced that Sarah would make an ideal blind date for Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow). Unfortunately, Ira ends up falling for WNBA star Rebecca Lobo (as herself). Oh, and along the way, Paul is declared a genius -- for financial purposes. ~ All Movie Guide

Season three of Hearts Afire finds conservative political functionary John Hartman (John Ritter) still living in his hometown with his worldly, liberal journalist wife Georgie Anne (Markie Post), where they continue to churn out the local newspaper, "The Daily Beacon," with the help of John's lifelong pal Billy Bob Davis (Billy Bob Thornton) and Georgie Anne's acerbic gal-pal Madeline Stoessinger (Conchata Ferrell). Although the setting and most of the previous season's cast is intact, there are a couple of significant changes during season three. For one, J. Skylar Testa has replaced Justin Burnette in the role of the Hartmans' oldest son Ben. And for another, Georgie Anne has given birth to a daughter. Although the series' locale switch from Washington D.C. to the Deep South during season two had given Hearts Afire a small boost in the ratings, the third season episodes suffered from the stiff competition of Fox's America's Most Wanted -- and then, after switching from Saturday to Wednesday night, the series was at the mercy of another opposing Fox show, Beverly Hills 90210. Hearts Afire was canceled in February of 1995, with only 13 of the series' final 14 episodes seeing the light of day on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having given in to network pressure by having the two hot-to-trot leading characters of the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire consummate their romance with marriage rather than merely a roll in the hay during the series' first season, producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason also gritted her teeth and went along with the network's insistence that the series drop its political overtones and morph into something closer to Thomason's earlier hit show Evening Shade. Thus at the beginning of season two, John Hartman (John Ritter) forsakes his job as aide to Washington-based conservative senator Strobe Smithers, and moves his new bride Georgie Anne (Markie Post) and his sons Ben (Justin Burdette) and Elliott (Clark Duke) back to his home town, somewhere in the Deep South. Also going along for the ride is John's recently divorced best friend Billy Bob Davis (Billy Bob Thornton) and Davis' daughter Carson Lee (Doren Fein). Upon their arrival, the right-leaning John and the left-leaning Georgie Anne (a former journalist) purchase a moribund newspaper, "The Daily Beacon," to air their oil-and-water political views. Seeing as the only employee on the Beacon who hasn't quit his job is timid typesetter Lonnie Garr (Leslie Jordan), it looks as though John, Georgie Ann, and Billy Bob will have to handle all production details of the newspaper themselves. It so happens that the "Daily Beacon" shares the same building as the offices of psychologist Madeline Stoessinger (Conchata Ferrell), a sharp-witted sophisticate who shares many of Georgie Anne's liberal views. Though John isn't crazy about the idea, Madeline is hired as the newspaper's advice columnist, thereby providing a worthy verbal sparring-partner for the Southern-fried Billy Bob. Another newcomer to the cast isn't new at all. Beth Broderick had spent the first season in the role of Dee Dee Starr, the bimbo mistress and sort-of secretary to John's boss, Senator Smithers. Beginning with season two, Broderick was cast in a different role, as Lee Ann Folsom -- Dee Dee's somewhat more reserved sister, and the wife of local blowhard Reed Folsom (Mark Harelik). Among the guest stars appearing as "themselves" this season are musical artist Little Richard, TV commentator Maureen O'Boyle, and, in a rare "acting" appearance, talk radio maven Rush Limbaugh. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Obliged to babysit his infant cousin Nicky, Will (Will Smith) takes the kid along with him to the college campus. Almost immediately he is besieged by beautiful girls, all of whom are under the impression that Will is a "concerned and committed" single father. Basking in the adulation, Will persists in his paternal pose--which backfires when he is elected Father of the Year by the student body. Ironically, it turns out that Will is not the only phony father in the vicinity! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season one of Hearts Afire takes place in Washington D.C., where transplanted Southerner John Hartman (John Ritter) has relocated as chief of staff to ultra-conservative Senator Strobe Smithers. Recently divorced and the father of two sons, Ben (Justin Burnette) and Elliott (Clark Duke), Hartman has developed a mile-long misogynistic streak, fueled by the calculated bitchery of Mavis Davis (Wendie Jo Sperber), the politically ambitious wife of his best friend and fellow senatorial aide Billy Bob Davis (Billy Bob Thornton), and by the vapidity of Senator Smithers' -- ahem -- secretary, the voluptuous Dee Dee Starr (Beth Broderick). But what has really turned John against the opposite sex is the fact that his wife has left him not for another man, but for another woman! Thus, when liberal journalist Georgie Anne Lahti (Markie Post), broke and jobless after years of circling the globe and filing left-of-center news reports, comes to Smithers' office hoping to sign on as his press secretary, John's first instinct is to boot her out. But despite this, and the vituperative political arguments between the two of them, John agrees to let Georgie Anne have the job, and Georgie Anne, against her better judgment accepts. The reason? John has the hots for Georgie Anne -- and the feeling is mutual! Circumstance dictates that Georgie Anne move into the house occupied by John and his sons, which only intensifies the torrid feelings between the two protagonists. Even the put-down pragmatism of Georgie Anne's childhood nanny Miss Lula (Beah Richards) does little to extinguish the flames, as does John's dismay over the fact that Georgie Anne's dad George (Ed Asner) is an ex-convict who shows no signs of wanting to mend his ways.
As originally conceived, John and Georgie Anne were to remain single, in hopes of stirring up the same "will they or won't they" intrigue that had added spice to such mismatched-couple series as Cheers and Moonlighting. But the executives at CBS were antsy over the unhitched status of the Hearts Afire protagonists, especially since the series was being seen in a relatively early Wednesday-night time slot. Under protest, producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason agreed to make things more "family friendly" by having John and Georgie Anne get married before the first season was over -- and that was only the first of several radical changes in the series' concept. Surprisingly, despite Thomasons' well-known Washington connections, only one political figure appeared during the series' first season -- if "political figure" is the correct phrase to describe "Presidential brother" Roger Clinton! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Oprah Winfrey appears as herself in this episode, in which Philip (James Avery) and the Bankses are invited to appear on Oprah's show during a week spotlighting "Political Candidates and Their Families." Conspicuous by his absence is Will (Will Smith), who was not invited on the grounds that he isn't really a Banks. But when Will shows up as a member of the studio audience, an angry Oprah challenges an embarrassed Philip on his "family values"--or lack of same! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Banks family begins to panic when Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) announces that he has written his "tell-all" memoirs. At the same time, Will (Will Smith) is terrified at the prospect of having his tonsils removed. The latter plotline eventually segues into a surrealistic nightmare sequence before settling into a zany hospital-room sequence straight out of the Marx Brothers. Veteran funnyman Milton Berle steals the show as Will's elderly roommate Max--and listen for a fleeting "inside" joke involving former General Hospital leading man John Beradino). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Upon returning from their honeymoon, Jesse (John Stamos) and Becky (Lisa Loughlin) begin moving Jesse's things out of the Tanner house and into Becky's apartment. This confuses and frightens Michelle (played by the Olsen twins), who thinks that everyone is going to be moving out soon. Ultimately Jesse has second thoughts about leaving, and comes up with an alternate plan--one that will please just about everyone except, curiously, DJ (Candace Cameron). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On the eve of his 10-year class reunion, Jesse's high school sweetheart Carrie Fowler (Erika Eleniak) comes back into his life. Because of his commitment to Becky (Lisa Loughlin), Jesse (John Stamos) is reluctant to see Carrie--but the girl is very, very persistent. Elsewhere, a birthday party for Comet the dog (with an all-canine guest list) results in another crisis...and Michelle (played by the Olsen twins) just might be the cause of it all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide