''Lipstick Jungle'' is an American

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television series created by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler that aired on NBC from February 7, 2008, to January 9, 2009. The series was produced by NBC Universal Television Studio (now

Universal Media Studios Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...

). The hour-long series was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by

Candace Bushnell Candace Bushnell (born December 1, 1958) is an American author, journalist, and television producer. She wrote a column for '' The New York Observer'' (1994–96) that was adapted into the bestselling '' Sex and the City'' anthology. The book wa ...

, who also served as executive producer alongside

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

head writer A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...

Oliver Goldstick. The pilot was directed by

Gary Winick Gary Scott Winick (March 31, 1961February 27, 2011) was an American filmmaker whose films as a director include ''Tadpole'' (2002) and '' 13 Going on 30'' (2004), and who also produced such films as ''Pieces of April'' (2003) and ''November'' ( ...

Plot

''Lipstick Jungle'' is a dramedy following the professional and personal lives of three best friends, all of whom are top professionals in their respective careers.

Victory Ford Victory Ford is a lead fictional character of the NBC sitcom/drama '' Lipstick Jungle'', played by actress Lindsay Price. The character was created by Candace Bushnell, who published Lipstick Jungle and ''Sex and the City''. Character history V ...

(Lindsay Price) is a fashion designer, Nico Reilly (Kim Raver) is the editor-in-chief of ''Bonfire'' magazine, and Wendy Healy (Brooke Shields) is the former president of Parador Pictures, currently producing independently. These three powerful women are always there to support one another and navigate the crazy, romantic, and sometimes scary world that is New York City.

Production

The cast initially included

Gina Gershon Gina L. Gershon (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress. She has had roles in the films ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat'' (1988), '' Showgirls'' (1995), '' Bound'' (1996), '' Face/Off'' (1997), '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Demonlover'' (2002 ...

as Wendy Healy,

Kim Raver Kimberly Jayne Raver (born March 15, 1969) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for television roles as Dr. Teddy Altman on ABC's medical drama '' Grey's Anatomy'', Kim Zambrano on '' Third Watch'', and Audrey Raines on '' ...

as Nico Reilly, Will Toale as Shane Healy, and Robert Buckley as Kirby Atwood, with Matthew Morrison, Scott Cohen, and

Edward Herrmann Edward Kirk Herrmann (July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014) was an American actor, director, and writer. He was perhaps best known for his portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt in both the miniseries ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (1976) and 1982 film ...

also attached. The show underwent significant changes, though, with all the aforementioned cast being replaced and with executive producers DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, writers

Rand Ravich Rand Ravich is a film and television director, writer, and producer. He wrote and directed the 1999 science fiction thriller ''The Astronaut's Wife'', starring Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron. He was a producer on the film '' Confessions of a Da ...

and Jill Gordon, and director Nigel Cole all fired. George had been personally cast by Bushnell, but left in early 2007 when she was offered the HBO series '' In Treatment''. The show premiered on February 7, 2008. as a midseason replacement taking over '' ER'' spot at 10:00 pm Eastern/9:00 pm Central. The series was slated to have 13 episodes per season, but due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, only seven episodes were originally produced for the first season. The first season also competed indirectly with ABC's ''

Cashmere Mafia ''Cashmere Mafia'' is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008 to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Rake ...

,'' created by Bushnell's former creative partner from ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

'',

Darren Star Darren Star (born July 25, 1961) is an American writer, director and producer of film and television. He is best known for creating the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000), ''Melrose Place'' (1992–1999), '' Sex and the Cit ...

. On February 24, 2008, NBC ordered six additional scripts of ''Lipstick Jungle''. On April 2, 2008, NBC renewed ''Lipstick Jungle'' for a second season when they announced their fall 2008 lineup. The second season premiered on September 24, airing at 10:00 pm Eastern/9:00 pm Central on Wednesdays. One month later, NBC announced that ''Lipstick Jungle'' would move to Fridays at 10:00 pm Eastern/9:00 pm Central effective October 31, 2008. On November 13, 2008, rumors emerged that NBC would cancel the show due to low ratings, but whether the remaining episodes would be aired in the current time slot was unclear. On November 21, 2008, NBC moved ''Lipstick Jungle'' to Fridays at an hour earlier, 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central beginning December 5, for the remainder of the season. On January 9, 2009, the last produced episode of ''Lipstick Jungle'' aired, and it was advertised as the season finale. On January 15, 2009, the show was announced as not yet cancelled, and could be brought back for episodes based on how the new pilots were received. On January 27, 2009, NBC announced that the show would get the "'' Friday Night Lights'' treatment", implying that the show will return on another of

NBC Universal The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...

's networks for a third season and then replay on NBC midseason. On February 25, 2009, the future of ''Lipstick Jungle'' was once again put in limbo when NBC announced that Lindsay Price was cast in the pilot for ABC's new drama ''Eastwick''. Had ''Lipstick Jungle'' received an official third-season pick-up from NBC, though, Price would have pulled out of ''Eastwick'' fulfill her contractual obligation to ''Lipstick Jungle''. On March 28, 2009, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' reported that the show was officially canceled.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film '' Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

as Wendy Healy *

as Nico Reilly * Lindsay Price as Victory Ford *

Paul Blackthorne Paul Blackthorne (born 5 March 1969) is an English actor. Although born in Shropshire, he spent his early childhood on UK military bases in Britain and Germany. Blackthorne broke into acting via television commercials in England. His breakthr ...

as Shane Healy *

Andrew McCarthy Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as ''St. Elmo's Fire'', ''Pretty in Pink'', and '' Less ...

as Joe Bennett * Robert Buckley as Kirby Atwood (Recurring in Season 1; Main in Season 2)

Recurring characters

Lorraine Bracco Lorraine Bracco (born October 2, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinct husky voice and Brooklyn accent, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards ...

as Janice Lasher (season one) *

David Noroña David Noroña, usually simplified as David Norona, (born December 14, 1972) is a Cuban American actor and director who has appeared in films including '' Though None Go with Me'', TV series including ''The Mentalist'' and '' Jack Ryan'', and variou ...

as Salvador *

Rosie Perez Rosa Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, choreographer, dancer, and activist. Her breakthrough came with her portrayal of Tina in the film ''Do the Right Thing'' (1989), followed by '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992). Perez's per ...

as Dahlia Morales (season two) *

David Alan Basche David Alan Basche (born August 25, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Todd Beamer in the film '' United 93'', directed by Paul Greengrass. He has been a series regular on many TV comedies and dramas, and has also appeared in ...

as Mike Harness *

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...

as Joyce Connor (season two) *

Matt Lauria Matthew Lauria (born August 16, 1982) is an American actor and musician. He made his television debut on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'' in 2007. He is best known for his roles as Luke Cafferty on the NBC/DirecTV drama '' Friday Night Lights'', Ryan ...

as Roy Merritt * James Lesure as Griffin Bell (season two) *

Vanessa Marcil Vanessa Marcil ( ;) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Brenda Barrett on ''General Hospital'', Gina Kincaid on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', and Sam Marquez on ''Las Vegas''. Early life Marcil, the youngest of fo ...

as Josie Scotto (season two) *

Sarah Hyland Sarah Jane Hyland (born November 24, 1990) is an American actress and singer. Born in Manhattan, she attended the Professional Performing Arts School before having small roles in the films '' Private Parts'' (1997), '' Annie'' (1999) and '' Bl ...

as Maddie Healy * Carlos Ponce as Rodrigo Vega (season two) *

Julian Sands Julian Richard Morley Sands''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, ...

as Hector Matrick (season one)

Episodes

Season one: 2008

Season two: 2008-2009

UK ratings

Below is a table of ratings for UK digital channel

Living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * H ...

, the network showing ''Lipstick Jungle''.

Season one

Season one of ''Lipstick Jungle'' began airing on September 22, 2008, on Mondays at 10 pm, following one of Living's most popular US acquisitions ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

''. The network soon brought in a name for their Monday night schedule, 'I Heart NY Mondays', as both shows are set in New York.

Season two

The second season of the show began airing immediately after the first run's seven episodes had finished.

Home media

International distribution

The series was broadcast on Living in the UK, TG4 in the Republic of Ireland,

Domashniy Domashny ( rus, Домашний, p=dɐˈmaʂnʲɪj, t=Home Channel) is a Russian TV network which targets female viewers aged 25–60. It was launched in March 2005. Domashny was aimed to deliver programming to capture an attractive audience in ...

in Russia, and 7 Network in Australia.

CTV Television Network The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned List of Canadian ...

aired the show in Canada, and broadcast by

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television * Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by E ...

in New Zealand.TV3's 2008 Season Launch , TV3, News
. Throng (October 16, 2007). Retrieved on 2012-05-26.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lipstick Jungle (Tv Series) 2008 American television series debuts 2009 American television series endings 2000s American comedy-drama television series 2000s American romantic comedy television series English-language television shows Fashion-themed television series NBC original programming Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in New York City