"Dirty Sexy" Ratings: "Money" Hits Series Low

Not exactly the news I was hoping for after the full season pick-up, but it is obvious we can put the blame on Thanksgiving for this one.

"The Country House" (#1.08) episode of ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" scored 6.52 million viewers and a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49, well below its season average of 9.60 million or last week's 8.10 million.

The show ended up last in the timeslot, behind CBS' procedural CSI: NY (14.36 million) and the second half of a special 2-hour telecast of NBC's "Deal or No Deal" (10.15 million).

Given ABC's equally disappointing results on Thanksgiving Thursday, it is obvious the decision to air a first run original the night before Thanksgiving when younger audiences were not watching was not the best one.

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"Dirty Sexy" Spoilers #1.10 "The Nutcracker"

Christmas is coming to the Imperial. The Darlings will of course celebrate the holidays in a grand style. Check out the stills and spoilers from the December 5 episode of "Dirty Sexy Money" titled "The Nutcracker."

Nick learns Simon and Karen are secretly seeing each other, but he refuses to admit why it truly bothers him.

Karen bails on the family tradition of watching "The Nutcracker" in order to accept Simon's invitation to meet a mysterious person.

Brian's suspension from the ministry thrusts him into an existential career crisis, and Letitia suggests he go to Tripp for guidance.

Lisa guides Jeremy in his quest to impress Sofia by pretending to be a painter.

Meanwhile, Juliet has a visitor from the Seychelles, and Carmelita tells Patrick she thinks she's being watched.

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Original "Dirty Sexy" Pilot

ABC has scheduled rerun of the "Dirty Sexy Money" pilot for December 12. Have you ever wondered what the original pilot of the show looked like? Although I have never seen it, I was able to collect some information about it, so here's what I know.

As I have mentioned in an earlier the pilot was shot in the second half of March at the Institute of Fine Arts in New York, the former James B. Duke House in Manhattan. "Dirty Sexy Money" is now filmed on sets built for the series in Los Angeles, so some of the scenes in the pilot had to be reshot.

The pilots are usually shot on location because the networks decide whether to pick up the pilot to series and invest into building of sets only after they see the finished pilot. Once the production begins, it is of course cheaper to build sets and film there, than to rent an expensive location.



Some of the scenes shot in or around this building remained in the aired pilot: the one where little Brian tells little Nick he hates him; the one where Nick attacks Brian and pulls his ear; or perhaps the one where the Darlings are gathered around an unconscious Juliet who tried to commit suicide.




The Darling lobby and Juliet's bedroom, where these scenes take place, look much different in later episodes.




The family feud scene at the beginning of the episode in which Tish breaks a vase, the scene where Letitia comforts a sobbing Juliet and Tripp and Tish's anniversary party were reshot because the new and colorful sets oozing classic elegance combined with modern comfort looked radically different from the traditional sets of the original pilot.




The characters were also portrayed somewhat differently. In the original pilot, after she had broken a vase, Letitia walks out with vodka in her hand and says: "Sometimes you children...make...me...sick." In the new pilot she tells the children a decision (about hiring Nick) has been made and that's that.





I would assume the writers decided to portray Letitia as a more caring and in control mother than the boozy and distant socialite that she was originally. You can however still see a glimpse of that personality in the scene from the original pilot where everyone rushes to save a suicidal Juliet and Tish stays behind with vodka in her hand and says "Here we go."

I also mentioned in an earlier post there were two characters in the original pilot who ended up being entirely scrapped.

Nick had a partner in his law firm (The Unit's Las Alonzo) and there was also an editor-in-chief of a Vanity Fair-style magazine (Day Break's Victoria Pratt) who was interviewing Nick about his work with the Darlings throughout the episode and may have had an ulterior motive to write her article.



As you can see from these opening minutes of the original pilot, Nick's mother committed suicide. You also get to see the in his law firm. Speaking of which, his office looked much more spacious and expensive (the scene where Karen tells Freddy Nick deflowered her which takes place in that office however remained in the aired pilot).




I also gather Nick was a somewhat less likable character who didn't smile too much. Instead of laughing about Jeremy's phone call (asking what to do with the yacht he won in a poker game) at 1:00 a.m., in the original pilot Nick is not too happy to be woken up by Jeremy at 4:00 a.m.

The original pilot was much darker and heavier in tone with overwhelming drab colors of the old-fashioned and more traditional-looking sets. The new pilot is taking itself less seriously and it is bursting with fun, colors and energy. Or as TV Guide eloquently put it: it's "Brothers & Sisters" on crack.

Since "Dirty Sexy Money" was given a full-season pick up and will hopefully end up on DVD next year, we may get to see some of the scrapped scenes. In the meantime, if you haven't recorded the pilot episode, you can enjoy it all over again on Wednesday, December 12 in the show's regular timeslot at 10/9c.

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"Dirty Sexy" Spoilers #108 "The Country House"

Thumbs down to ABC's marketing department for not posting a sneak peek from tonight's Thanksgiving-themed episode titled "The Country House." Not exactly the best way to promote a show only days after the full season pick-up. Hop over to Televisionista for 25 stills and spoilers from tonight's episode which was filmed last month in Pasadena during Samaire Armstrong's rehab stint.

"The Country House" @
TELEVISIONISTA



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Lolita Davidovich Joins "Dirty Sexy Money" (Spoilers)

Canadian actress of Serbian heritage Lolita Davidovich ("The L Word") has joined the cast of ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" in a recurring role as Flavia Carozzi, a potential romantic interest for Donald Sutherland's character. Major spoilers ahead, after the jump.

The character will first appear in episode #112 titled "The Silent Auction" which goes into production this week. Hollywood Reporter now confirms ABC Studio will film all scripts written prior to the writters' strike.

In casting notices, Flavia is described as an elegant, sexy Director of Fund Raising at a New York children's hospital who crosses paths with Nick and Tripp. Her husband Umberto was a renowned scientist who passed away four years ago.

Flavia and Tripp know each other from 1982 when they both worked on the board of United Way.

Nick persuades Tripp to use his influence to help the hospital by organizing a silent auction and offer up for bid high-profile items such as a lavish ski trip to Gstaad or lunch with Buffet and Soros.

Realizing Flavia's growing interest in him, the Darling family patriarch remembers the day he met his wife Letitia at the races in Saratoga (the twins gave the parents a horse in celebration of their anniversary in the pilot).

He compares Letitia to a "lovely bolt of lightning" and says she really is the love of his life. Tripp bids Flavia farewell leaving her behind desperate, in tears and with creepy determination.

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Meet the Darlings

Every spring TV networks develop about 100 pilots, only about a third of which are ordered to series. Before these shows premiere in the fall, the pilots are tweaked, the storylines are scrapped and the characters are altered. Have the Darlings changed much? Here are the initial character descriptions from casting notices along with the original promo shoot from March 2007.


TRIPP DARLING:

60s. He is the Darling family patriarch, a super-wealthy, powerful, persuasive man of charm and determination who has vineyards and homes around the world, including the upper East Side in NYC.

He has spawned five grown, troubled children with his life Letitia. Tripp and his family embody the charm and all-Americanism of the Kennedys. They also embody the scandal; rumor has it Tripp was close to being implicated in at least three murders.

When Nick's father Devlin dies under mysterious circumstances, Tripp tries to hire Bill Clinton as his new lawyer, and eventually persuades Nick to take the job.


LETITIA DARLING:

Late 50's-Mid 60's. A glittery, elegant beauty. She is the Darling family matriarch who is friends with the Vanderbilts and knows everyone in Manhattan.

She is completely devastated by Devlin's death, more so than perhaps is warranted by an employer/employee relationship.

According to Karen, Letitia and Devlin were having an affair all these years.



NICK GEORGE:

30s. This pensive, preoccupied, well-meaning, civic-minded NYC lawyer with a wife and daughter grew up in a troubled household (his mother committed suicide when Nick was 7), where he always came in second to the obscenely wealthy, influential Darling family, his father's employer.

Though he vowed never to follow in his father's footsteps, upon his father's mysterious, sudden death, Nick finds himself agreeing to represent The Darlings as their chief counsel.

The job requires him to be an all-around problem fixer, hand-holder, therapist, public relations expert and personal assistant.

Making matters tougher, Nick discovers that his father and the Darling matriarch, Letitia, were having a decades-long affair, and that his father's death may have involved foul-play.

Nick also harbors complicated romantic feelings for the stunning Karen Darling, his first love.



KAREN DARLING:

30s, elegant, sexy and stunning. She's the eldest daughter in the Darling family, a thrice-married socialite who runs the family foundation.

She lost her virginity to Nick and isn't shy about announcing that fact to her current fiance, Freddy. In fact, she always thought she'd end up married to Nick and seems a bit confused that things didn't pan out that way.

A self-described loser in love, she looks to Nick for help in her personal life, and it seems their unresolved feelings for one another may cause a wrinkle in Nick's marriage to Lisa.



PATRICK DARLING:

40s, handsome and commanding. He's a rising political star who upstages Nick at Nick's father's funeral by reciting a eulogy that moves the crowd far more than Nick's did.

Patrick, who is married with two kids, intends to run for President in 2008. There's just one problem: he's been having an affair with a transvestite prostitute who won't go away, and he needs Nick to fix the situation.



BRIAN DARLING:

30s. A reverend with the Episcopal church, he is a pale, sour, whiny jerk who loathed Nick as a kid and loathes him today.

Brian spitefully accused Nick's father of trying to infiltrate a family he didn't belong in, and he feels that Nick is attempting the same exact thing.

Like the rest of the Darling children, Brian has some big problems he needs swept under the rug, namely the illegitimate son he's just been saddled with.



JEREMY DARLING:

20s. A cokehead wastrel. He is frequently seen in rumpled clothing, hung over, smoking cigarettes and pleading with Nick to get him out of a jam.

Having won in a poker game a yacht filled with Liberian immigrants, Jeremy is arrested for human trafficking.

He's completely oblivious to the concept of relative suffering and unable to conceive of a life worse than his, despite his obscene wealth. He fears he's the family disappointment and that his father hates him.


JULIET DARLING:

20s. This "plucky debutante with a heart." She seems like a petulant, spoiled girl who longs to be taken seriously as an actress.

She is devastated to learn she only got the Audrey Hepburn role in the play "Wait Until Dark" because her father, Tripp Darling, was bankrolling the production.

Her favorite comeback is, "You're poor!" which she snaps at anyone who upsets her (taxi drivers, etc.)

She attempts to kill herself by overdosing on Ambien, but upon her recovery she reveals a new strength and determination to live her own life separate of her family.



LISA GEORGE:

Nick's sexy, sensible wife, and the mother of 7 year old Kiki. She's a patient partner in parenting and gets a kick out of the Darling's lavish parties but senses that Nick is drifting away from her, specifically in the direction of the alluring Karen Darling.


Two more characters appeared in the original pilot, but were later scrapped:

COLLIN DAVIDSON:

30s. He's a messy and charming lawyer who works with Nick at his law firm. A self-described "legal avenger," he's been trying to help the owners of an orphanage hold onto their land. He encourages Nick to have lunch with Devlin.

NAOMI LEEDS:

Late 40s. The editor-in-chief of Elite Magazine (think Vanity Fair), this attractive woman wants to profile the Darlings for a tell-all article.

She enlists Nick for an in-depth, probing interview, and bluntly reveals that she thinks the Darlings are "evil" and poisonous.

It turns out she's got very personal reasons for wanting to publish a dirt-filled article."


OTHER CHANGES:

Nick's father was called Dutch;
Nick's mother did not commit suicide but left when he was a young boy;
Tripp is not implicated in three murders;
Patrick did not upstage Nick at his dad's funeral;
Jeremy's drug abuse is toned down and no longer referred to.

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Making of "Dirty Sexy Money"

Have you ever wondered how "Dirty Sexy Money" was conceived? Let's take a quick look at the evolution of the "Untitled Craig Wright" project into a hip ABC prime-time soap.

It all began in December 2005 when Suan Juan-born playwright Craig Wright signed a lucrative deal with Touchstone Television studio (today's ABC Studio).

In addition to writing scripts for ABC's "LOST" and later "Brothers & Sisters," the former "Six Feet Under" scribe was also tapped to develop a series of his own.


When former "Everwood" producer Greg Berlanti parted ways with his longtime producing partner Mickey Liddell in the summer of 2006 and renamed his Touchstone TV-based company Berlanti Television, he set up 2 projects at ABC.

One of the two projects was a "legal drama about an idealistic lawyer who takes on the job of tending to the legal and sometimes illegal needs of a wealthy and colorful New York family."

The Craig Wright-penned hour only had a script commitment by that point and Berlanti and Wright were both going to executive produce the pilot which was planned for the 2007-2008 season.

In August 2006, Berlanti was asked to replace "Brothers & Sisters" executive producer Marti Noxon who reportedly exited her role as showrunner of the series due to unspecified creative differences.

Meanwhile, Wright wrote the final version of the pilot and called it "The Ruins." The family name was Rooney, but the tabloids referred to them as "the Ruins." However, at a meeting, it was decided that the title was too dark.

According to Wright, someone at the meeting said: "These people have problems, but there's something nice about them." Wright responded by saying, "They're sort of darling," and it was suggested that they rename the show "The Darlings."

ABC didn't want to sell an ironic title, so someone suggested that they call the series "Filthy Rich" or "Dirty Money." At this point another person responded, "Why don't we call it 'Dirty Sexy Money?' " and the show title was born.



In January 2007, ABC ordered the project now officially dubbed "Dirty Sexy Money" to pilot and the studio tapped Peter Horton ("Grey's Anatomy") to direct the pilot episode.

Shortly after that, the studio began casting the actors. Seth Gabel was the first to get the role on the show in the first week of February, as one of the five troubled Darling children, Jeremy.

Three days later, Craig Wright was happy that actor Peter Krause, whom he befriended while working on HBO's "Six Feet Under" accepted the role of Nick, because he originally wrote it with Krause in mind.

Krause declined the role three times because he didn't want to commit to something that could evolve into a long-term series as, he said, working on one can be grueling. In the end, however, Krause came on board.

By mid February the producers cast Glenn Fitzgerald to play the role of Brian, followed by Jill Clayburgh (Letitia), Natalie Zea (Karen), Samaire Armstrong (Juliet) and William Baldwin (Patrick).

The casting of Donald Sutherland in the final principal role of the family patriarch Tripp Darling was announced on March 1 at which point the preproduction and rehearsals got under way in New York.

The pilot was filmed in the second half on March 2007 in New York with many of the scenes taking place at the former James B Duke House which is now The New York University Institute of Fine Arts which served as the original Darling family townhouse, The Imperial.



Two more actors were added to the cast and appeared in the original pilot: Las Alonzo ("The Unit") who played Nick's partner at the law firm and Victoria Pratt ("Day Break") who played a Vanity fair-style magazine editor-in-chief who was interviewing Nick about the Darlings. Both roles were subsequently scrapped and the scenes in which they appear were either reshot without them or entirely deleted.



Following the postproduction work in early April, the pilot was ready to be screened by the network and focus groups. After the pilot tested well, the network decided to pick the pilot up to series and made the original order for 13 episodes.

In mid-May ABC announced its fall schedule at the Upfronts event in New York and said the show would air as part of an all-new line-up anchored by Kate Walsh's "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, leading out of "Private Practice" on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

By mid July, the studio built the sets for the show in Los Angeles and the writers came up with several scripts. ABC announced in a press release dated July 17, 2007 that production on the show had begun.

On July 25 the network set the premiere date for Wednesday, September 26. Several days later they also announced that Blair Underwood was joining the series as Simon Elder, a nemesis for the Darling family.

A new set of promotional stills including a cast group photo with Blair Underwood was made in the final days of July replacing the original cast photo made on the staircase of the Institute of Fine Arts in late March.



Most of the cast members were given a substantial makeover, as obvious when comparing the two images. Due to the changes in the original pilot and because of the modern look of the new sets which were radically different from the traditional look of the Institute of Fine Arts, many of the scenes in the original pilot were reshot.



Some of the scenes in the new episodes were filmed on location: the cast gathered to film a lavish party scene at the Bvlgari flagship store in Los Angeles on August 1 for "The Italian Banker" episode; Sierra Madre in California was used as an Italian backdrop for "The Chiavennasca" episode on August 15 and the cast filmed scenes for the upcoming "The Country House" episode on October 9 at a mansion in Pasadena.



In late August filming of episode #105 "The Bridge" was interrupted with a week-long production shut down at which point the network and the producers realized their series needed a bit of fine-tuning ahead of the September 26 premiere date.

The filming quickly resumed with some of the previously filmed scenes being somewhat tweaked or entirely tossed. Karen's wedding scenes for episode #7 were filmed two days after the pilot premiered on ABC.

As the writers began putting finishing touches on the last of the 13 scripts, ABC ordered three more scripts on October 25. The network was still not sure whether they wanted to order the back 9 episodes, but they wanted to keep the scripts coming in case a writers' strike began before Christmas.



Unfortunately, the strike began sooner than some had anticipated, in early November, when the cast and crew were completing production of the Christmas episode (#110) titled "The Nutcracker."

At this point, there was a lot of uncertainty whether "Dirty Sexy Money" would survive. The show which premiered to over 10.4 million viewers, lost some steam in the course of October averaging 8.2 to 8.8 million viewers.

Craig Wright was interviewed saying he was afraid the last episode of the show to air would be episode #110, as it appeared that due to the trike the cast and crew would not even be able to complete the initial episode order leaving the final two scripts unfilmed and episode #111 possibly unaired.



But it all changed two days ago when despite all obstacles, ABC decided to keep investing in the show and ordered the back-9, bringing the episode total to a standard 22. The studio was meanwhile doing preproduction of episode #112 titled "The Silent Auction" which should begin lensing on Wednesday.

That means the studio may in the end manage to complete all 13 episodes. Once the strike is resolved, and over the past few days a step in the right direction was made when the feuding sides agreed to resume talks after Thanksgiving, the back 9 episodes could be written and filmed.

The network is hoping the strike will end in time to resume production and film the remaining episode prior to the end of the season. "Dirty Sexy Blog" will keep you up to date on developments behind the scenes.

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DIRTY SEXY BLOG

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Without Getting a Little Dirty

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This Blog Is Dirty, Sexy & Money

Contrary to what some may have expected (possibly including the series creator Craig Wright), ABC announced on Friday, November 16 they were picking their freshman sudser "Dirty Sexy Money" up for a full season of 22 episodes. I say that's a great reason to launch this blog.

Those of you who tend to stop by my other effort titled Televisionista know exactly how much I've been obsessing over this opulent series ever since February 2007 when I originally learned about it.

It may only be the old "Dynasty" fan in me, but unlike the many unwatchable attempts to replicate the over-the-top camp of the 80s classic, "Dirty Sexy Money" has managed to engage me with its crisp writing brought to life by a rock-solid ensemble boasting the talents of Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, Peter Krause and many others.

Dirty Sexy Blog will give me an opportunity to go overboard in dissecting the show without boring those Televisionista readers who take no interest in it.

Meanwhile, the idea that there is going to be a full season of 22 episodes has given me the required drive to invest time and effort into putting this blog together, albeit the ominous cloud of the work stoppage brought about by the writers' strike in Hollywood continues to loom over the production of the back-9.

Still, there have been recent developments that indicate there may be willingness on both sides of this bitter feud to resolve the issues at stake and salvage the 2007/2008 television season, and with that hope in mind, I hereby begin my Dirty Sexy Blog.

Justin Van De Kamp