THE BIG LITTLE SHOW THAT JUST MIGHT

This new show has been tucked away in the premiere schedules after much fanfare a few months ago. It's had 2 episodes and was the only show on USTV from all the premieres to hold its audience, so despite some worries - this could be the show that just might..... last the distance.

I hope so. The show does it what it says - deals with dirt, sex and money. Basically a lawyer Nick George is enlisted by the uber rich Darling family to be their lawyer just as his recently deceased father was. Nick doesn't want to as he is all for the underdog but then decides to work for them - in a bid to find out who killed his father as he's convinced one of the Darling's murdered him.

The Darlings are a fun bunch with too much money and time to be anything less than superficial. I love them. In fact I want to be a Darling. The most recent episode had a photoshoot in their New York penthouse surrounded by real live Lions. Why don't I ever have photoshoots - let alone with lions????

So the Darlings are led by Patrick "Tripp" Darling - he makes Donald Trump look poor and runs all sorts of business type things that no-one cares about least of all the viewers - he's played very well by Donald Sutherland.

His wife is the Letitia Darling played by Jill Clayburgh. Letitia and Jill were obviously pulled for this show as her face is rather tight. I thought she was upset in a scene but you couldn't tell until she smashed a ming vase.

They have an endless list of children:-
Patrick Jr - He might be heading for senate but he has a penchant for tranny hookers and is in love with Carmelita played by well known tranny drag artiste Candis Cayne. Patrick is quite hot actually as he's one of those Baldwin brothers - not the one who's separated from Kim Basinger, the other one, Billy Baldwin.

Karen Darling - The drunk. She takes after her mother and is always sloshed and getting married and having sex and can't stop reminding Nick that they used to be lovers. She's possibly my favourite Darling.

Jeremy Darling - The young son who is always wasted and buys yachts and namedrops a lot. He wears hats and velvet and is good friends with his young sister Juliet.

Juliet Darling - played by the fabulously named Samaire Armstrong. Juliet is a woeful actress and actually has the worst line of the pilot by retorting to a reporter who criticises her "Yeah well you're poor!" I kid you not.

Rev Brian Darling - is a vicious man. He threatens people, kicks cars and has affairs. He hates Nick and doesn't mind telling him at his own father's funeral. He has fathered a child from one of his indiscretions and is passing the child off as an asylum seeker from Europe or something equally bizarre.

Simon Elder - A business rival of Tripp's. Tripp suggests that Simon has something to do with Nick's father's death who was called "Dutch" Bizarre I know. Fortunately for us, Simon is played by Blair Underwood. Chocolate Thunder roaring onto my TV screen!!!!! Yummy!

Lisa George - Boring Nick's wife who just supports him and gets pissed when he's not home in time for their daughter. Blah Blah Blah

Nick George - The moral epicentre. He's the Blake Carrington or Miss Ellie and everyone else is really JR and Alexis. A decent man and not too shabby to look at in the shape of Six Feet Under's Peter Krause.

So that's the cast. The first episode had Nick running around for the Darlings who get into all sorts of hassle. Nick also found out his father had a 40 year affair with Letitia. Whether she's upset or not, we can't tell as her plastic surgery won't allow for facial expressions. The casting of the show is sublime. Everyone is just perfect in role although Juliet is supposed to be a bad actress but I think Samaire Armstrong actually is.

In short, watch it watch it watch it. I felt dirty and sexy like old money after the first episode and the 2nd one made me want to put on shoulder pads, swig a scotch and have a picture taken with a leopard in my flat. As addictive, if not more so than Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. Stick with it and it may just be the big little show that might succeed......