Hollywood Residential – Only Small Actors (01×06)
With the never-ending stream of home fix it shows the networks are slapping onto the airwaves, it’s nice to see that someone is finally taking that motif and slamming it left and right. Of course a network would not and could not air something like Hollywood Residential, because reality is their bread and butter. Instead, (and we’re probably better off) Starz is the channel lampooning home fix it shows, as Hollywood Residential goes each week into the home of a celebrity, and spruces up various rooms in their houses.
The show centers around Tony King (played hilariously by actor, and show creator, Adam Paul) who is an out of work actor that sees this fix-it show as his jumping off point to fame and stardom. Sadly for King, he couldn’t fix a one manned boxing match, let alone a house, so he is stuck trying to take every chance he can get to use his show to move up and out.
The supporting cast of characters is talented and hilarious, comprised mostly of newcomers. Lyndsey Stoddart plays Lila Mann, the co-host tasked with fixing up all the screw ups King finds himself getting into. David Ramsey is Don Merritt, the producer, who at least seems in these first episodes to be little more than straight man. Then you have the celebrities, celebrities, celebrities. In the first few episodes of the show (a new actor’s house being made over each week", you have Chris Kattan (asking if King OD’d on stupid pills at an audition he sent him to), Jamie Kennedy, Tom Arnold, and a surprisingly hilarious appearance by Paula Abdul (where she continually asks when she can have her dramatic moment of, say, throwing a coffee mug…or a potted plant).
Cheryl Hines (of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame) is the executive producer, and guest on at least one episode, of Residential, and she seems to be very hands on, and extremely capable of taking a cast of unknowns, some good A and B list (ok mostly B list) celebrities, and coming up with hilarious, loosely scripted episodes that make you glad you’re not watching another sappy hug fest, or sexual/gender identity questionable designer. This is good, clean, wholesome, American television, where the celebs are whores and jerks, and the hosts are complete idiots (albeit lovable idiots).
