Kevin Murphy Movies
- 2005
Lesley Ann Warren makes her first appearance as Sophie Bremmer, who descends upon her daughter, Susan (Teri Hatcher), after calling it quits with her current boyfriend, Morty (Bob Newhart). Elsewhere, Bree (Marcia Cross) enrages Lynette (Felicity Huffman) when she disciplines Lynette's incorrigible son Porter. Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) has another shocking surprise for his parents. And Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) fiddles with his prenuptial contract while wife Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) burns. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2005
Using her unwanted pregnancy as a bargaining chip, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) sets up several conditions before agreeing to help Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) reduce his prison time -- but it looks like all bets are off when Carlos finally learns about Gabby's affair with John (Jesse Metcalfe). Armed with all the facts pertaining to his mother's suicide -- not to mention a deadly weapon -- a vengeful Zach (Cody Kasch) takes Susan (Teri Hatcher) hostage. Lynette's (Felicity Huffman) hubby, Tom (Doug Savant), intends to extract full retribution for her getting him fired. Bree (Marcia Cross) still hasn't figured out why Rex's (Steven Culp) health has taken a turn for the worse (the "reason" does not appear in this episode). And in anticipation of things to come, new neighbor Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) already shows signs of having dark secrets of her own when she shuns a friendly welcoming visit from Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan). This ironically titled cliffhanger was the final episode of Desperate Housewives' first season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2004
One of ABC's most popular series of the 2004-2005 season, the weekly, hour-long Desperate Housewives took place on Wisteria Lane in an upscale suburban neighborhood. That Wisteria Lane was not as quiet and respectable as it appeared at first glance was brought home forcibly in the opening episode, when housewife Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong) committed suicide right in the middle of her comfortable living room. From her vantage point in the great beyond, Mary Alice served as the series' wry, all-knowing narrator, filling the viewer on the various sordid details in the lives of her four best friends. There was divorcée Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), ever-looking for love in all the wrong places and agonizing over the behavior of her daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen). There was Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), who every day of her life kicked herself over her decision to give up her business career to care for her highly competitive husband, Tom (Doug Savant), and her irritating children. There was Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), the all-too-perfect, control-freak homemaker who eventually drove her husband, Rex (Steven Culp), to divorce court and her son, Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom), into malevolent misanthropy. And there was ex-model Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), who despite having married into money and luxury couldn't stop herself from fooling around with teenaged gardener John (Jesse Metcalfe). Though her controlling husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira), was not privy to her infidelity, he had his suspicions that she was less than faithful. Prone to extreme displays of machismo, he took many measures to maintain the marriage. Weaving in and out of the proceedings was the oft-divorced Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), with whom Susan competed over the affections of supposedly widowed plumber Mike Delfino (James Denton). The sexual intrigues of Wisteria Lane were augmented (during the first season at least) by the mysterious activities of Mary Alice's husband, Paul (Mark Moses) -- including digging up the backyard swimming pool in the dead of night -- and the strange emotional outbursts of their tormented, unstable son, Zach (Cody Kasch). Created by Marc Cherry, Desperate Housewives debuted October 3, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The made-for-cable musical satire Reefer Madness is based on the award-winning play of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the notorious -- and deliciously awful -- 1936 anti-marijuana film originally titled Tell Your Children. A smarmy lecturer (Alan Cumming in the first of his three roles in the film) arrives in a typical small town of the late '30s to warn the populace of the dangers of the "evil weed," bringing along a lurid propaganda film to dramatize his message. In broad, unsubtle, and hilarious strokes, the movie-within-a-movie shows how even a squeaky-clean pair of highschoolers named Mary Lane (Kristen Bell) and Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell) can become hopeless dope addicts by succumbing to the lure of marijuana. Reefer Madness is not only a savage skewering of the original black-and-white movie (some of the musical's campiest lines are taken directly from the earlier script!), but also a devastating attack on what playwrights Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney consider to be the real reason that the 1936 movie was made: to frighten the public out of their wits in order to keep them under the thumb of an oppressive government. Thus, the musical manages to take a number of not-so-veiled swipes at xenophobia, racism, McCarthyism, the Bush Administration's Homeland Security policy, and even the recent FCC clampdown on "offensive" TV fare (one of the film's highlights is a garish nightclub number featuring Jesus Christ). The ebulliently staged songs include "The Stuff," "Down at the Ol' Five and Dime," "Lonely Pew," "Listen to Jesus Jimmy," "Mary Jane/Mary Lane," "The Brownie Song," "Tell 'Em the Truth," and the title number. Officially titled Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, this film first aired April 16, 2005, on the Showtime cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, (more)
- 2004
Susan (Teri Hatcher) begins to fear that Mike (James Denton) may have had darker motives for moving to Wisteria Lane when she snoops around his house. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tries to break her dependence upon her twins' medication. Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) has what she thinks is a real estate meeting with the enigmatic Mr. Shaw (Richard Roundtree) -- who in turn may know something about Paul Young's strange behavior. The accident that put Gabrielle's mother-in-law, Juanita (Lupe Ontiveros), in the hospital is taking its toll on Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) as well -- as witness her confession of her past peccadilloes. And the snoopy Mrs. Huber (Christine Estabrook) leaves the scene in a decisive -- and violent -- fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
Originally titled Brave New World, the weekly, half-hour seriocomedy The O'Keefes was based in part on the real-life experiences of Mark O'Keefe, who also co-produced the series. Judge Reinhold and Kirsten Nelson starred as Harry and Ellen O'Keefe, a brilliant and eccentric couple who elected to home-school their three children, sheltering the kids from such insignificant distractions as TV, contemporary music, and other forms of popular culture. Though the O'Keefes were affectionate and well-intentioned, the kids -- Lauren (Tania Raymonde), Danny (Joseph Cross), and Mark (Matt Weinberg) -- eventually yearned to lead normal lives. Under protest, Harry enrolled his youngsters in public school, whereupon the erudite but unworldly O'Keefe progeny found that they may have been conversant in several languages, but "teentalk" wasn't one of them. The O'Keefes debuted May 22, 2003, on the WB network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Kirsten Nelson, (more)
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