Lizzy Caplan

Producer J.J. Abrams teams with writer Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves for this frenetic tale of a powerful destructive force that descends upon New York City, and the four desperate people who put their lives on the line to embark on a perilous rescue mission. Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is a young American professional who has recently been offered a coveted new job in Japan. Eager to send his older sibling off in style, Rob's younger brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), and his girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas), organize a surprise going-away party to take place the night before Rob boards his Eastern-bound flight. As the party gets underway, Rob's longtime friend and current love interest, Beth (Odette Yustman), shows up with another man as the dejected guest of honor's best-pal Hud (T.J. Miller) encourages partygoer Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) to wish him an on-camera farewell despite the fact that they barely know one another. Moments after Beth storms out following a bitter skirmish with Rob, the entire New York City skyline goes dark. Power is quickly restored, prompting partygoers to turn their attention toward the news, where they learn that a freight tanker has been overturned in New York Harbor. Racing to the rooftop in hopes of getting a better look at the situation, the group is terrified to witness a massive explosion that rains debris across midtown Manhattan, causing mass chaos and unparalleled destruction. But the worst is yet to come, because it soon becomes apparent that this is not the work of a terrorist or an act of war, but a massive creature beyond human comprehension. Now, as the military moves in and the streets of New York City become a virtual war zone, Rob, Lily, Marlena, and Hud race to rescue Beth and get out of the city before the powers that be unleash the ultimate weapon of mass destruction on one of the most populated cities on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

It was reported that CBS okayed the weekly sitcom The Class sight unseen when its producer, Friends' David Crane, assured the network that everyone in the cast was 28 or younger. The eight main characters were all graduates of the same third grade class (Mrs. Klingers', at Woodman Elementary School), reunited some twenty years later at a surprise anniversary party thrown by straight-arrow Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter) for his live-in fiancée Joan (Kasey Wilson). Some things hadn't changed at all in the intervening two decades; others had changed dramatically, especially in terms of relationships. The ensemble included Heather Goldenhersh as incurable romantic Lina Warbler; Lizzy Caplan) as Lina's sarcastic but goodhearted twin sister Kat; Jon Bernthal as former class clown Duncan Carmello, now a professional musician but still living in the basement of his mother Tina's (Julie Halston) house; Jesse Tyler Ferguson as self-effacing ex-"geek" Richie Velch; Sean Maguire as every girl's "dream date" Kyle Lendo, who in adulthood had come out of the closet and was living with another man; Lucy Punch) as class "brain"-turned-news anchor Holly Ellenbogan, who had never gotten over being jilted by Kyle at the high school prom and was now wed to the gormless Perry Pearl (Sam Harris); and Andrea Anders) as Tina Carmello, the most popular girl in the third grade, who had once been in love with Duncan but had since become trapped in a dull marriage with ex-NFL star turned commercial spokesman Yonk Allen (David Keith). Opening to some mighty impressive ratings, The Class debuted September 18, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in New York, the weekly, hour-long dramedy Related was another of the WB network's bids to replicate the popularity of their earlier Gilmore Girls. Upon the announcement by their widowed father (Tom Irwin) that he was about to marry his longtime fiancée (Christine Ebersole), the four "couldn't be more different" Sorelli sisters reunited under the same roof. Oldest sister Ginnie (Jennifer Esposito) was a lawyer who'd just become pregnant; Ann (Kiele Sanchez), a therapist, had recently ended a lengthy relationship with her boyfriend (Dan Futterman); Marjee (Lizzy Caplan), a professional party planner, desperately needed a new place to live after being booted out of an illegal sublet; and Rose (Laura Breckenridge) was a will-o'-the-wisp who hadn't yet decided between becoming a doctor or an avant-garde actress. Despite the friction brought about by their highly individualistic personalities, the Sorelli girls could be counted upon to stick together when it really mattered. Co-created by Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Liz Tuccillo (Sex and the City), Related underwent several major revisions between the pilot episode and the series proper, not least of which was the removal of Laura San Giacomo (Just Shoot Me) in the role of Ann Sorelli. As originally conceived, Ann was to have been the oldest of the Sorelli sisters, but as the project developed, it was clear that Ginnie Sorelli was emerging as the "leader" and surrogate mother of the bunch; hence, Ginnie was made the oldest, and San Giacomo bowed out of the cast in favor of the younger Kiele Sanchez. Related debuted October 5, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live wrote and appears in this comedy about the alternately funny and terrifying pecking order among teenage girls. Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is a 15-year-old girl who has spent most of her life in Africa, where she was home-schooled by her zoologist parents. When her family relocates to the United States, Cady finds herself attending a high school in suburban Illinois, where she gets a crash course in the various sub-strata of the student body: the jocks, the cheerleaders, the stoners, the "cool" kids, and so on. Much to her surprise, Cady finds herself embraced by a clique of rich and popular girls known to outsiders as "the Plastics," led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen Weiners (Lacey Chabert), and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried). While Cady is grateful for her new friends, it doesn't take long for her to realize how manipulative they can be, and she soon discovers she's violated an unwritten law when she goes out on a date with Aaron (Jonathan Bennett), who is charming, good looking...and Regina's former boyfriend. It isn't long before Regina and her pals are on the warpath, and Cady must face a level of vengeful behavior for which years in the jungle never prepared her. Joining Tina Fey in the supporting cast are fellow SNL players Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, and Tim Meadows. The screenplay for Mean Girls was based in part on Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence, a book by professional youth counselor Rosalind Wiseman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

High school girl Angela (Lizzy Caplan) returns from summer vacation with a dilemma: Should she or should she not surrender her virginity to her boyfriend, Travis (Bret Harrison)? Upon her return, Angela discovers that her high school has just instituted a trendy new sexual-education program -- consisting solely of "Just Say No." Despite increasing pressure from friends and faculty alike, Angela refuses to sign a circulating abstinence pledge, citing the undeniable fact that most of supporters of "Just Say No" have no idea what they're talking about. Her stance is contrasted with that of her hypocritical, apple-polishing classmate, Caroline (Brooke D'Orsay), who zealously goes along with the new program (and strong-arms others into doing so) only to curry favor with her teachers. As the story rolls on, it is clear that the "Just Say No" credo is a farce -- to everyone except, perhaps, the one person who openly treated it as a farce in the first place. Made for the VH1 cable service, Everybody's Doing It premiered December 22, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide