The Series
Based on the 2005 novel by Candace Bushnell, Lipstick Jungle draws immediate comparison to the author's legacy--Sex and the City, another show about powerful, successful New York businesswomen. As if that wasn't a big enough challenge for this mid-season replacement, it had two more things working against it from the start: the writer's strike dealt it an even shorter season; and the debut of ABC's Cashmere Mafia, a show from Sex and the City creator Darren Star about--that's right!--successful New York businesswomen, premiered a month earlier.

Both new shows aired just seven first-season episodes, and after the dust settled, NBC announced the series will return--while Cashmere will be out of style for fall. Lipstick revolves around three friends: Wendy Healy (Brooke Shields) is the president of Parador Pictures, a top movie studio owned by the same corporation that publishes Bonfire magazine, led by editor-in-chief Nico Reilly (Kim Raver, best known for her work on 24 and Third Watch). Both are friends with fashion designer Victory Ford (Lindsay Price, who has appeared in may shows over the years, her longest stint coming on Beverly Hills, 90210).

All three have made the recent list of New York's 50 Most Powerful Women from Wall Street magazine. But while Wendy and Nico are on the rise, Victory has tumbled to the bottom, the result of a disaster showing at New York's Fashion Week. She soon meets wealthy businessman Joe Bennett (Andrew McCarthy), striking up a relationship as she tries to reignite her creativity. Meanwhile, Wendy balances work with her busy home life, raising two kids with husband Shane (Paul Blackthorne). Nico is married to professor husband Charles (Christopher Cousins), a relationship we immediately realize has lost its passion.

The show wastes no time in setting up the drama: Nico strikes up an affair in the first episode with young photo assistant Kirby Atwood (played by Robert Buckley, and if you'll forgive my lack of professionalism for one moment: homina homina homina! Warning: more immature crush comments to follow!). We also discover that Shane--who spends more time raising the kids--has issues being in Wendy's bread-winning shadow. Wendy soon has to fend off a tell-all book about her--a project being pushed by a bitter publisher (Lorraine Bracco, eating up the scenery a little too much), while Victory has to fire her staff and move her office into her home. She also has a crisis to deal with: a design-stealing protégé (a far better sub-plot than the ridiculous missing hat hoohah).

The show attempts to balance the women's struggles with love, friendship and work through a sometimes dramatic, sometimes comedic lens. The result is somewhat entertaining in spots, but there's a lot of work to be done if this show hopes to survive Season 2. The show is at its best with Raver, who outshines them all. Her Nico is strong yet flawed, and Raver sells it with the most passion and believability.

Price doesn't have the same acting chops, but she's an engaging personality and makes you root for Victory. Shields is the show's weakest link. She comes across a little too wooden, and plays all the material safely in the middle. She can't quite sell the jokes or the tears, and does her best when she follows the lead of her co-stars or gets to bounce off them. When forced to lead a scene, she frequently falters. She gets better toward the end, with a strong performance in Episode 6, but for most of the season she seems uncomfortable and unsure (the tell-all book describes Wendy as "shallow as a bedpan and twice as cold," which cuts a little too close to the truth).

Chemistry is another problem: Shields and Blackthorne are D.O.A., while McCarthy is an absolute dud. It's a mystery why Victory (and the producers) keeps him around so long--unless the reason is money, which would explain the total lack of connection between the two. "Why am I not married? I'm a businessman," he says. "I don't believe in entering merger negotiations unless I'm absolutely certain it is a lifetime investment." Are you swooning yet? Me neither. His character is a one-episode guest role that overstays its welcome (I actually thought he was going to be a guest star; I must have blinked and not noticed his name as a regular in the opening credits).

Far more interesting are the supporting men who get little screen time: Nico's rival co-worker Mike (David Alan Basche), Wendy's right-hand man Sal (David Norona) and especially Victory's assistant Roy (Matt Lauria, who has far better rapport with Price than McCarthy) are all underused. The show wisely takes ample advantage of the charismatic Buckley, and I'm not just saying that because I want to have his children (oops, did I say that out loud?!). His scenes with Raver steal the show--their chemistry is magnetic, and Buckley's character is written so-darn nice that you want to see a lot more of him (and not just his body--which you get to see most of--but in the script, too...he can actually act!).

Back off! I saw him first!

The show has a few other issues to content with. Cousins' character is so underdeveloped, and the writers cheat their way out of a potentially strong storyline by resorting to an easy fix. (But he does have my favorite line of the season when he gets frustrated with a busted remote control: "This thing is stuck on a channel that keeps showing a program called Hey Paula. You should just let me die.") The plot twists are loudly telegraphed, so you get few surprises. When Victory says "Take whatever you want!" to a departing employee or an infatuated student comes up to Charles, you see what's coming long before the characters do.

A lot of the script's stabs at humor fall flat. The show gets you all excited but then fumbles an attempt at a Dynasty-like cat fight (highly disappointing). It also tries to be fancy with a lot of celebrity name-drops (none of the stars show up). Many of the "funny" lines don't work--sometimes because of Shields' delivery. The show tries to create cute references and situations out of Wendy's movie projects, like Bombay Highway: "I've got to find Porta-Pottys in the shape of the Taj Mahal." And a typical dialogue exchange can unfortunately follow this pattern:

Wendy: "(My housekeeper was) a gentle, sweet soul. She wouldn't kill a cockroach."
Sal: "Why'd you fire her?"
Wendy: "She wouldn't kill a cockroach."

With only seven episodes, there wasn't much room for the show to grow, and the success of Season 2 will tell the true story of this season's value. There's still enough here to be entertained, but it's an uneven package--not outlandish enough to be a guilty pleasure, not grounded enough to be relatable. With some tinkering, it can be a lot more--for now, focus on Raver and Buckley, and enjoy the sparks.

Episode Guide

1. Pilot (aired 2/7/08) Three New Yorkers find respite in their friendship as they struggle to balance the demands of their high-powered careers and their personal lives. Wendy tries to land a big deal while also working to get her son into an exclusive school. Nico contemplates an affair, and Victory struggles to save her business after her fashion show flops.
2. Nothing Sacred (aired 2/14/08) Wendy learns that an inflammatory novel about her is being promoted by her nemesis. Meanwhile, Nico's affair inspires her to make some changes at work, and Victory's business woes are offset by her new romance with Joe.
3. Pink Poison (aired 2/21/08) Wendy brings her daughter to an event in an attempt to diffuse the scrutiny of her home life raised by an inflammatory book. Elsewhere, Nico puts distance between Kirby and herself, and Victory introduces Joe to the gals..
4. Bombay Highway (aired 2/28/08) Wendy arranges a posh movie-premiere party and enlists Victory to create a dress for the lead actress. Elsewhere, Nico comes clean with the gals about her affair as the lawsuit heats up.

Don't worry, she doesn't need help...

5. Dressed to Kill (aired 3/6/08) Victory discovers that her work has been stolen, but isn't sure she believes that her former assistant was involved. Elsewhere, Nico helps Kirby get a job, and Wendy tries to further Shane's music career.
6. Take the High Road (aired 3/13/08) Wendy and Nico work on a project that sends them both to Scotland---a trip that becomes complicated when Nico invites Kirby as well. Elsewhere, Victory investigates the identity of her mysterious investor.
7. Carpe Threesome (aired 3/20/2008) Nico discovers how much she misses her marriage; Victory has a new set of admirers in a hockey star and his wife; and Wendy green-lights a movie's production despite an unfinished script and a difficult writer.

The DVD

Video:
The seven episodes arrive on two discs in a 1.78:1 transfer enhanced for wide screens. I thought the show would have a more sharp, vibrant look to it--something that it shows off in the beautiful shots of the New York skyline--but it intentionally opts for a softer presentation. Colors are frequently more subdued, and some scenes have a little grain. Black levels can be a little off in darker scenes. But overall, it's still a fine presentation.

Audio:
The 5.1 surround track isn't dynamic, but it isn't really supposed to be. While the transfer might be able to take better advantage of the rear channels in some scenes, the dialogue is never a problem. The track does a solid job throughout.

Extras:
Outside of some trailers, the only extra here is a group of deleted scenes (12:32). There are 14 clips from six of the episodes, with the bulk coming from the pilot. None of them are too scintillating, although two were enjoyable: Victory's bed hop, and Wendy's teacher/parent conference. I'm surprised there isn't a little but more here to try and get people excited for more episodes (perhaps NBC wasn't sure if the show was coming back when it planned this).

Final Thoughts:
If I judged this series based solely on the fact that I frequently get to see Robert Buckley with his shirt off, I would grant it Collector's Series status. But I'm a professional, people, so I'm not going to mislead you. With just seven episodes in this season, Lipstick Jungle didn't have much room to stretch and grow--and it has a lot of tinkering to do if it wants to survive. It's uneven, but entertaining enough at times to enjoy. Raver shines: Her story arc--and her scenes with Buckley--are the biggest reason to watch, with Price also providing a spark. Season 2 will be the ultimate decider on how valuable this release is, so until we know for sure, this lipstick is a shade off. Rent It.