Les Firestein Movies
- 2003
In order to keep his job at the dot.com, Drew (Drew Carey) signs up for a summer computer-programming course. Being partnered with Mimi (Kathy Kinney) in class is tough enough, but things get worse for Drew when he friends try to lure him away from his studies with all sorts of summer-fun activities. Ultimately, Drew must choose between remaining in class or joining his friends on a trip to Florida--a decision that culminates in guilt, disaster and a nasty case of hives. And what's with the talking kittens in Paris during the final scene? This episode was originally telecast back-to-back with "Trainspotting". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
After striking out with Prospective Bride #1 Bonnie (Amy Farrington), Drew moves on to Prospective Bride #2 Stacey (Ion Overman), talking Kellie (Cynthia Watros) into a double date. Unfortunately, Kellie can't over her own longtime crush on Drew, and her incompatability with her own date Rand (Dublin James) doesn't help matters. Meanwhile, Oswald (Diedrich Bader), tortured with guilt after accidentally knocking out his mother's teeth with a bowling ball, hires an erudite professional thug named Mr. Jericho (Henry Rollins) to beat him up. And Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson) may have found his true calling in life...as a "muffin boy." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Thanks to his disastrous double marriage to Kate (Christa Miller) and Nicki --to say nothing of his sham "gay" marriage to boss Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson)--Drew (Drew Carey) is now known throughout Cleveland as "the impotent sexual bigamist." Though he somehow manages to legally extricate himself from his marital mess, Drew is still in love with Kate and hopes to win her back by mounting a garish public ad campaign, posting declarations of his ardor on the sides of city buses. Unfortunately, thanks to a mixup one of Drew's posters is combined with an anti-child-abuse ad, transforming Kate into a public pariah! Meanwhile, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) try to help Drew by creating a "substitute Kate" (Lesley Fera). The singing group Motorhead and baseball players Bobby Bonds and Jay Johnstone appear as themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A bored Mimi (Kathy Kinney) tries to goad Drew (Drew Carey) into an argument, but he refuses to take the bait lest he adversely affect Mimi's baby--who, of course, is Drew's nephew. Instead, our hero lets off steam by beating up his boss Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson), who is unable to retaliate lest he reveal his "gay marriage" fraud to the INS, but who promises dire consequences at an unspecified future date. Elsewhere, Drew has trouble keeping his temper in check as Kate (Christa Miller) begins to date an arrogant paramedic named Eric (Michael Dietz). It is inevitable as night follows day that these disparate plot strands will converge in an orgy of slapstick mayhem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In the second episode of a three-part story, Drew (Drew Carey) still hovers between life and death following his accident. As his friends and coworkers gather around his bedside, our comatose hero fantasizes about a world in which he is surrounded by unclad models, pizza trees, and his boyhood role models--and in which Mimi (Kathy Kinney) is forced to wait on him hand and foot. As a result, Drew has absolutely no desire to return to consciounsess, even though his brother Steve (John Carroll Lynch) adamantly refuses to remove his life-supprt. Ultimately, Drew opts to take his final stroll with a Heavenly Guide who looks a lot like political pundit-comedian Ben Stein--just as a pregnant Mimi goes into labor! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The Drew Carey Show departs from its usual format in the series' two-part Season Seven opener (originally telecast as a single hour-long special). Fluctuating between their sitcom characters and themselves, Drew Carey and the cast serve up a crazy cornucopia of quickie sketches, unified by the common theme of "back to school". Part Two features Drew, Kate (Christa Miller) and a little girl in a cautionary fable about "the dangers of cooties"; a lecture from Kate about how being a cheerleader can help you meet politicians in later life; a drug-expose spoof wherein undercover cop Oswald (Diedrich Bader) forgets to take off his uniform while orchestrating a "bust"; and a talking zit, who looks and sounds like Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson), dispensing sage advice about dating. Musical guest stars include Uncle Kracker, who sings "Yeah Yeah Yeah" and helps Mimi (Kathy Kinney) with a crossword puzzle; Peter Frampton, performing "You Had to Be There" and revealing a past fling with Mimi (the source of his tattoo); and Sugar Ray, whose lead singer Mark McGrath squeezes in a math lesson while joining a rendition of "Answer the Phone". This episode was originally slated to air on September 19, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The Drew Carey Show departs from its usual format in the series' two-part Season Seven opener (originally telecast as a single hour-long special). Fluctuating between their sitcom characters and themselves, Drew Carey and the cast serve up a crazy cornucopia of quickie sketches, unified by the common theme of "back to school". Part One finds Drew as the star of a teen-hygine film spoof about puberty, while Ryan Stiles portrays a clumsy--and headless--industrial arts teacher and Christa Miller, Jenny McCarthy and Amanda Bynes stage a slumber-party sketch while the male cast and crew members lecherously look on from the sidelines. Also: Lewis (Styles) and Oswald (Ryan Stiles) become backup singers for SHeDAISY (performing "I Will . . .But"; Kate (Miller) unearths Oswald's past as a wimpy cheerleader; Mimi (Kathy Kinney) jealousy guards her heavy-metal version of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" from Smash Mouth (who sing "Pacific Coast Party"); and a pair of horny teenagers pay the ultimate price for their fantasies when their pants explode. This episode was originally slated to air on September 19, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Although DrugCo employee Lewis (Ryan Stiles) tries to safely dispose of an experimental "sex drug", by a circuitous route the mixture is accidentally dumped into the green dye being prepared for Buzz Beer's St. Patrick's Day promotion. At the same time, Drew (Drew Carey) is summoned to testify on Mr. Wick's behalf in the sexual-harrassment trial spearheaded by Mimi (Kathy Kinney). Unfortunately, just prior to his appearance before the judge, Drew partakes heavily of the potent green-tinted beer, leading to a wild coutroom climax--and that last word is used advisedly! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Winfred-Louder holds a contest for the best desk decorations, with a grand prize of two tickets to Bahamas. The winners turn out to be Drew's "edible desk" and Kate's curious combination of decoration and performance art. This of course means that Drew (Drew Carey) and Kate (Christa Miller) will be sharing the same hotel room, which not only upsets Kate's current beau Oswald (Diedrich Bader), but also doesn't sit well with Drew--who is worried that being in such close proximity with Kate will force him to, uh, "forget" himself. Thus it is that Drew tries to gull Kate into relinquishing her ticket to Nicki (Kate Walsh)--while at the same time, Oswald stows away on a Bahama-bound flight! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Season Three of The Drew Carey Show begins as the titular hero (played, curiously enough, by Drew Carey) desperately tries to get into top physical condition in order to impress his boss Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson). To this end, Drew agrees to sample a free weight-loss product called Vitabeer (yes, vitamins mixed with beer!), with the proviso that he pose as the "Before" in the company's before-and-after billboard ads. Unfortunately, the sight of a shirtless Drew looming over downtown Cleveland proves too humiliating to bear, leading to an elaborate slapstick climax involving Drew's buddies Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles)--the latter having problems of his own with a (literally) swelled head. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Drew (Drew Carey) finally manages to halt Mr. Wick's ruthless firing spree by proposing a more humane downsizing plan. Unfortunately, Drew's strategy results in the dismissal of a guy named Trent (Mark Benninghoffen), who happens to be the fiancee of Drew's former girlfriend Lisa (Katey Selverstone, in her final series appearance)--who in turns jumps to the conclusion that Drew is merely trying to get even with her. Elsewhere, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) pad their incomes by taking temp jobs as elves for a drunken and abusive department-store Santa (Ben Slack), who saves his most obstreperous behavior until the very end (HIS very end, that is). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Season One of The Drew Carey show concludes with the launching of a brand-new plot tangent that will permeate most subsequent seasons. Upon discovering that Winfred-Louder has been purchased by a Dutch business group, Drew and his fellow workers worry that they'll all soon be unemployed. Hoping to create a market for their talents, the gang pools their savings and opens up their own microbrewery. Believe it or not, it is Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader), far from the brightest bulbs in the batch, who come up with the idea of a coffee-flavored beverage called "Buzz Beer." As it turns out, everyone's job at Winfred-Louder is safe--well, almost everyone's. This episode marks the only on-screen appearance of Drew's billious boss Mr. Bell (Kevin Pollack). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The second season of The Drew Carey Show begins with yet another romantic tribulation for the title character (played by himself). Lisa (Katy Selverstone) has lately grown jealous of Drew's lifelong friendship with Kate (Christa Miller) and his dedication to his job. In the latter category, Drew finds himself "top man" at Winfred-Louder because he is handling the annual job evaluations. Unfortunately, his relationship with Lisa is dealt another blow when she finds out that Drew's evaluation of her work performance is decidedly less than flattering. Weaving throughout this amorous intrigue is a battle of practical jokes between Drew and his perennial enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). This is the first episode to feature the series' familiar "Five O'Clock World" production number--and the ONLY episode to feature exploding troll dolls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
When Lisa (Katy Selverstone) announces her intention to see other men, Drew (Drew Carey) reciprocrates by dating his hardbitten, hard-living hairstylist Soux (played with unbridled ferocity by Jamie Lee Curtis). This proves to be a big-time blunder, not only because Soux somehow manages to imperil Drew's life and limb at every turn, but also because she becomes close friends with Drew's eternal enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). Reuniting with Lisa, Drew tries to figure out a way that he and Lisa can get around the "no dating" rule at their workplace--while Soux's demands on Drew's time become more and more threatening...and potentially lethal! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Robert Torti makes his first appearance as Jay Clemens, an old junior-high-school buddy of Drew (Drew Carey), Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles). Having been preoccupied with her love life for several weeks, Katy (Christa Miller) shows up at Drew's house only to find that her place in "the gang" has apparently been usurped by Jay in her absence. The ensuing friction threatens to wreak havoc at Drew's upcoming birthday party--and if that weren't enough plot development, we're also confronted with a surprise guest appearance by pro basketball star Dave Winfield (he just came for the food, folks!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
So what's "gnu" this week? Well, there's the first series appearance of Drew's dad George Carey (Stanley Anderson), who has returned to Cleveland to accept the Wildebeest Lodge's lifetime achievement award. Encouraged by George to join the Wildebeests himself, Drew (Drew Carey) suddenly finds that his job prospects have improved tenfold. Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of this good fortune, Drew must now curry favor with a bunch of nasty old racial bigots. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
With store employee Nora threatening to sue Drew (Drew Carey) for creating a "hostile workplace" by posting a harmlessly ribald newspaper cartoon, Winfred-Louder's attorneys Fenn and Geller (played, appropriately, by magicians Penn & Teller) pressure Drew to settle the suit out of court. When our hero refuses, Kate (Christa Miller) recommends that he hire her slimy ex-boyfriend Brad (Christopher Darga) as his lawyer. Ultimately, however, Drew chooses to represent himself in court--and we're going to refrain from making that "fool for a client" crack, even though it's true. Meanwhile, Oswald (Diedrich Bader) finds himself attracted to the promiscuous Peaches (Julie McCullough), who's already gone on record with her case of the hots for Drew! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
When Lisa (Katy Selverstone) announces her intention to see other men, Drew (Drew Carey) reciprocrates by dating his hardbitten, hard-living hairstylist Soux (played with unbridled ferocity by Jamie Lee Curtis). This proves to be a big-time blunder, not only because Soux somehow manages to imperil Drew's life and limb at every turn, but also because she becomes close friends with Drew's eternal enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). Reuniting with Lisa, Drew tries to figure out a way that he and Lisa can get around the "no dating" rule at their workplace--while Soux's demands on Drew's time become more and more threatening...and potentially lethal! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
