Oz TV Reviews
Australian television programme reviews
Hot in Cleveland
Hot’s not just for 20 somethings
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This new show premiered on Channel 9 on Monday (26/07/10). The story is three middle aged California gals, on their way to Paris, get diverted to Cleveland. They stop off at a bar where they discover the local men all think they are hot, (Hey there’s the title) unlike Los Angeles where the men are only interested in younger women.
The show features some veteran actresses, very well known for other successful comedy shows. Jane Leeves had an 11 year run as Daphne Moon in Frasier. It takes a while to get used her new accent in this, as she used the Manchester accent for all those years in Frasier. That accent was fake, although Jane is English, she was born and grew up in London’s home counties, but I think she will always be associated with it by most viewers. Talking of accents and Frasier, one that always bugged me was Australia’s own Anthony LaPaglia who appeared in several episodes as Daphne’s brother Simon Moon. Although he was meant to be her brother, the accent LaPaglia came up with was a really bad cockney accent (from London) that I think he learned from Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. LaPaglia was jeered by a live Australian audience before the 2006 World Cup, when he spoke in his American accent while supporting the Socceroos. I think the man is very confused.
Janes Leeves of Frasier and Hot in Cleveland
Anthony LaPaglia as Simon Moon in Frasier
Anyhow, back to Hot in Cleveland. Wendie Malick is also well known to Australian viewers for her 6 year stint as Nina Van Horn in Just Shoot Me as well as numerous other successful shows like Baywatch and Dream On. She even tried out for the Diane role in Cheers and then showed up in the last few episodes of Frasier and married Frasier’s Dad. You will be amazed to learn, as I was, that Wendie turns 60 at the end of this year. Looking at this show she is wearing it well. I’ve always enjoyed her performances and she plays a very similar character in Hot in Cleveland to Nina Van Horn in Just Shoot Me.
Wendie Malick sixty???
Now I heard that some people are calling this show a new take on the Golden Girls and of course the one remaining Golden Girl is featured here. Betty White shows up as the caretaker of the house where the Hot in Cleveland girls decide to stay. However unlike the sweet naive Rose who she played so well in the Golden Girls, here Betty plays the mean, sassy old girl like she did in Boston Legal and it works so well, as the words and the look are such a contrast.
Jane Leeves, Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli and Wendie Malick the girls who are Hot in Cleveland
It will be interesting to see how the story runs if this show takes off and I think it will. As Victoria Chase, Wendie Malicks character is some sort of TV star, so I guess she would have to get fired to stay in Cleveland. Stay tuned to find out I guess.
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Popularity: 15% [?]
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One Response to “Hot in Cleveland”
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I watched the second episode last night, not quite as good as the first. But I must say Jane Leeves is looking good. She somehow looks taller and slimmer than she used to, must be the new hairstyle. Betty White still had a few good lines. But I hope the jokes don’t dry up.