Caffeinated Clint
Courteney Cox’s new series isn’t exactly, er, Dirt but it’s not exactly “Friends” either.
Courteney Cox, Ian Hart, Will McComack, Carly Pope, Jeffrey Nordling, Rick Fox
Courteney Cox’s new series isn’t exactly, er, Dirt but it’s not exactly “Friends” either.
Granted, it’s going to be tough for any of the cast of that hit sitcom to achieve success – via film or TV – like that again. The success of “Friends” was almost unheard of in today’s competitive marketplace. Some involved in it don’t seem to be even want to try and beseech success like it again, because they know it doesn’t exist (David Schwimmer has barely appeared in anything since the show ended); some have already failed miserably (Matt LeBlanc with “Joey”), whilst some (Matthew Perry and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”; Jennifer Aniston with her umpteen movie roles) may have triumph again on a personal level, and in the eyes of some critics, but not in the eyes of the public (for my money, “Studio 60” did wonders for Perry – it proved he’s much more Chandler; just a pity nobody watched it).
Cox’s first major foray since sending Monica Gellar off into re-run hell is as far from “Friends” as she could possibly get – that’s either a very smart thing to do, or a very dumb thing to do. In a way it’s a brave and admirable thing for Cox to do, star in something that’s much racier and edgier than the sitcom she’s known for, because it shows she’s adaptable to other things. But at the same time, those who loved her as Monica on ‘’Friends’’ are likely to tune in to “Dirt” expecting to see the ‘Courteney Cox they know and love’ only to set eyes on a woman that looks like Mrs Arquette but surely can’t be… because she’s too mean, crude and unredeeming as a person.
And there in might like the main problem with “Dirt” – nobody is really likeable, including our lead. In fact, she’s despicable. Sure, the character has to be contemptible to an extent (she’s playing a snooty media whore ), but the audience has to still ‘like her’ to an extent, if they’re to want to continue on this journey with her. Tommy Gavin on “Rescue Me” is an out-and-out asshole, but you can’t help but like him. When Cox plays despicable – also evident in “Scream” – she takes a little longer to warm up to. If at all.
As the series progresses, and we learn that Lucy Spiller (Cox) – a workaholic who spends all her time searching for a scoop; something she can use in her ‘respectable’ tabloid magazine, ‘DirtNow’ – actually does have a heart; seems she cares greatly about two guys in particular, her best friend Don Konkey (Ian Hart, who you may remember as John Lennon from “Backbeat”) and her brother Leo. For Don, she goes to great lengths to keep him healthy – on his medication, and she’ll seemingly do anything for her bro. But by then, is too late? Maybe. For most anyway.
Though there are many aspects of the show that don’t work – or, as I said, take time to warm up to – there is one thing that’s admirable about it : The show’s layered depiction of the relationship between the entertainment industry and the tabloids — it’s spot on, and at times, hilariously accurate.
At the same time, it can go a little overboard and at times you wonder whether Cox has made a show that merely serves as a Sanctimonious lecture on the necessarily evil that is the ‘media’ or is she truly interested in entertaining us? The jury’s still out.
DVD extras include numerous featurettes and deleted scenes.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Clint Morris
