the short-lived television outing of Kiss Me, Guido
Whilst being the first programme on the CBS network to feature a leading gay character, this, the short-lived television outing of the Tony Vitale film
Kiss Me, Guido was cancelled the same year a mere seven filmed, as against aired, episodes in, having failed to deliver the success the network demanded, in spite of Jason Bateman as Warren, Danny Nucci as Frankie and Michael DeLuise as Pino giving it their best shot.
Only like the film upon which it is based, it is Warren's over-the-top gay best friend Vern, formerly Terry, who steals the show, with Alec Mapa in the role clearly relishing every comical line of the script. Unfortunately such lines were few and far between, given the series for many and certainly the network failed to match the sheer wit of Will & Grace at its height, or even when it dipped.
Sure it's amusing in parts, thanks largely to a talented cast, but in the highly competitive US ratings war, the story of two men of differing social and sexual orientations living together, simply failed to generate the requisite viewing figures. Then again, it never really stood much of a chance, given scheduled episodes were pulled with re-runs of other shows substituted instead. Interestingly, two nearly verbatim recordings of the pilot were made, with Josette DiCarlo in the role of Frankie's mother Connie in the original, against Camille Saviola in the aired version.
Some of My Best Friends - Summary
#1
Pilot
aired 28.Feb.2001
#2
Fight Night
aired 07.Mar.2001
#3
Blah, Blah, Blah
aired 21.Mar.2001
#4
A Brief Encounter
aired 28.Mar.2001
#5
Shaggy Dog Story
aired 11.Apr.2001
#6
The Marriage Counselor
scheduled for 04.Apr.2001 / never aired
#7
Scenes from an Italian Party
scheduled for 18.Apr.2001 / never aired
starring: Jason Bateman, Danny Nucci, Alec Mapa, Michael DeLuise, Joe Grifasi, Camille Saviola, Jessica Lundy
Whilst being the first programme on the CBS network to feature a leading gay character, this, the short-lived television outing of the Tony Vitale film
