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Variety's Ray Richmond was overtly critical, stating that Smart "appears to be having plenty of fun in an over-the-top sort of way. The problem is that she’s playing a cartoon character." However, he went on to praise Joseph Maher for his performance as Mr. John, concluding that "in a perfect world, we’d see more of him and less of Chelsea and Jane."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/reviews/style-substance-3-1200452753/ |title=Style & Substance |last=Richmond |first=Ray |date=1998-01-03 |website=Variety |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-30 |quote=}}</ref> The Examiner's Tim Goodman was weary due to similarities with NBC's ''[[Fired Up (TV series)|Fired Up]]'', but remarked "Smart is absolutely brilliant in this role and you can't get enough of her."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Can-Martha-fix-this-3111449.php |title=Can Martha fix this? |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=1998-01-05 |website= |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-29 |quote=}}</ref>
Variety's Ray Richmond was overtly critical, stating that Smart "appears to be having plenty of fun in an over-the-top sort of way. The problem is that she’s playing a cartoon character." However, he went on to praise Joseph Maher for his performance as Mr. John, concluding that "in a perfect world, we’d see more of him and less of Chelsea and Jane."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/reviews/style-substance-3-1200452753/ |title=Style & Substance |last=Richmond |first=Ray |date=1998-01-03 |website=Variety |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-30 |quote=}}</ref> The Examiner's Tim Goodman was weary due to similarities with NBC's ''[[Fired Up (TV series)|Fired Up]]'', but remarked "Smart is absolutely brilliant in this role and you can't get enough of her."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Can-Martha-fix-this-3111449.php |title=Can Martha fix this? |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=1998-01-05 |website= |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-29 |quote=}}</ref>


[[The Los Angeles Times]]' Howard Rosenberg claimed, "The more episodes you see, though, the funnier and more likable Chelsea and ''Style & Substance'' get."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-05-ca-5100-story.html|title=It’s Not His ‘Style’ Yet, but It Could Be|last=Rosenberg|first=Howard|date=1998-01-05|website=|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref> [[The Chicago Tribune]]'s staff seemed particularly taken with the show. Steve Johnson gave a glowing review, stating the show "is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type," and he celebrated Smart for "play[ing] her with infectious gusto."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-01-26-9801260026-story.html|title=Style & Substance: Some Shows Earn A.... |last=Johnson|first=Steve|date=1998-01-25 |website=Variety |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-30 |quote=It is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type, alternately fragile and ferocious, who wields her tastefully bejeweled scepter over a multimedia cooking and decorating empire. Jean Smart plays her with infectious gusto, and Nancy McKeon is also strong as her new-to-New-York-City assistant. }}</ref> The same paper's Allen Johnson called Smart's performance "nearly flawless," and also commended the show's "cleverly written material."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-01-05-9801050016-story.html |title=It's a Good Thing |last=Johnson |first=Allen |date=1998-01-05|website=The Chicago Tribune|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref> [[People Magazine]]'s Terry Kelleher gave the show a B-rating, remarking that it's "often deliciously funny."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-style-substance-vol-49-no-1/ |title=Picks and Pans Review: Style & Substance |last=Kelleher |first=Terry|date=1998-01-12|website=|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref>
[[The Los Angeles Times]]' Howard Rosenberg claimed, "The more episodes you see, the funnier and more likable Chelsea and ''Style & Substance'' get."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-05-ca-5100-story.html|title=It’s Not His ‘Style’ Yet, but It Could Be|last=Rosenberg|first=Howard|date=1998-01-05|website=|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref> [[The Chicago Tribune]]'s staff seemed particularly taken with the show. Steve Johnson gave a glowing review, stating the show "is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type," and he celebrated Smart for "play[ing] her with infectious gusto."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-01-26-9801260026-story.html|title=Style & Substance: Some Shows Earn A.... |last=Johnson|first=Steve|date=1998-01-25 |website=Variety |publisher= |access-date=2020-01-30 |quote=It is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type, alternately fragile and ferocious, who wields her tastefully bejeweled scepter over a multimedia cooking and decorating empire. Jean Smart plays her with infectious gusto, and Nancy McKeon is also strong as her new-to-New-York-City assistant. }}</ref> The same paper's Allen Johnson called Smart's performance "nearly flawless," and also commended the show's "cleverly written material."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-01-05-9801050016-story.html |title=It's a Good Thing |last=Johnson |first=Allen |date=1998-01-05|website=The Chicago Tribune|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref> [[People Magazine]]'s Terry Kelleher gave the show a B-rating, remarking that it's "often deliciously funny."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-style-substance-vol-49-no-1/ |title=Picks and Pans Review: Style & Substance |last=Kelleher |first=Terry|date=1998-01-12|website=|publisher= |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 14:45, 12 February 2020

Style & Substance
GenreSitcom
Created byPeter Tolan
Directed byJay Sandrich
Iris Dugow
Brian K. Roberts
Peter Tolan
StarringJean Smart
Nancy McKeon
Heath Hyche
Linda Kash
Joseph Maher
Alan Autry
ComposerBrad Hatfield
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producerPeter Tolan
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesThe Cloudland Company
Touchstone Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseJanuary 5 (1998-01-05) –
September 2, 1998 (1998-09-02)

Style & Substance is an American sitcom television series created by Peter Tolan, starring Jean Smart and Nancy McKeon that aired on CBS from January 5 to September 2, 1998.

Premise

Jean Smart is Chelsea Stevens, a Martha Stewart-like star of a how-to home show, and Nancy McKeon as her producer, Jane Sokol, a small-town girl new to New York City. Chelsea Stevens was an expert cook, decorator, and party planner who knew much more about thread-count than she did relationships. She was well-meaning at times, but her narcissism usually got in the way of actually understanding anyone else's problems. Stories generally centered on Chelsea's predilection for saying and doing outrageous things, and Jane's efforts to clean up the messes that resulted from Chelsea's antics.

Cast and Characters

  • Jean Smart as Chelsea Stevens:
    An egomaniac who built a media empire devoted to cooking and decorating, Chelsea found an escape from an unhappy childhood through collecting miniatures and modeling herself after television's "Yankee Gourmet," Gloria Utley (Jean Stapleton). She finds the need to control everything and is so self-centered that she's generally oblivious to the needs and feelings of everyone around her. These are precisely the reasons why her marriage to Grant Stevens ended.
  • Nancy McKeon as Jane Sokol:
    A level-headed but somewhat timid Omaha native, Jane was born into a close-knit family. She relocated to New York after taking a job with Feber Communications, which bought out Chelsea's company. Although she's frequently exasperated by Chelsea's audacious antics, she quickly establishes herself as the diva's much-needed best friend and confidant.
  • Joseph Maher as Hadley John:
    Hailing from the United Kingdom, Mr. John is an interior designer and openly gay man who continuously regales his coworkers with intimate personal stories about his longtime life-partner, Guy. He exudes a dignified sophistication, although he's absolutely spineless when confronted, and has never revealed his sexual orientation to his elderly parents.
  • Linda Kash as Trudy Weissman:
    A Jewish New Yorker who's unafraid to say exactly what's on her mind, Trudy is a food stylist who has a knack for making items such as oil, paint, and lard look delicious. She's been unlucky in love and tends to prattle on about it endlessly.
  • Heath Hyche as Terry:
    Raised on a farm, Terry is dimwitted and childlike. Chelsea gave him a job as her personal assistant as a favor to his aunt. Although he's utterly inept and frequently has Chelsea at her wit's end, he has such a puppy-dog-like adoration for her that she doesn't have the heart to let him go.
  • Alan Autry as Earl:
    Self-described as Chelsea's gardener/handyman/spiritual advisor, Earl has the outward appearance of a lumberjack and the vocal inflection of Elvis Presley. He tends to breeze into a room, state his piece, and then dart out the door to continue his chores. Earl moved North from Memphis with wife Carol Ann, who broke his heart when she left him for a drywaller.
  • Vyto Ruginis as Bobby:
    Chelsea's lawyer is a shameless womanizer and unabashed sleazeball who's petty and vindictive, which makes him extremely proficient in his profession.

Production

In the early 1990s, following the publication of the magazine Martha Stewart Living and its spin-off TV show, the businesswomen rose to prominence, gradually becoming a household name. Television writer Peter Tolan was asked to model a character after her,[1] although he was adamant that the result wasn't a parody or personal attack; Stewart had merely served as the initial inspiration.[2] Jean Smart first received a script in the mid-1990s, but she opted to star in the short-lived CBS sitcom High Society instead.[3]

Eventually, Kathleen Turner took the role of Chelsea Stevens, and a pilot was shot for ABC in 1996. Robby Benson directed the episode,[4] which costarred Anthony Mangano, Melinda McGraw, and Andrew Bilgore.[5] Michael Eisner, then the head of The Walt Disney Company, personally phoned Turner to tell her that he loved the show,[6] and it was promised a slot on the fall schedule,[7] but the network reneged. Heartbroken, Turner speculated that this was because Disney planned to go into business with Martha Stewart,[8] but Tolan later remarked that it was dropped due to a poor reaction with test audiences.[7] Although Disney rejected it for the recently-acquired ABC network, they continued to produce under the Touchstone Television banner. Turner bowed out as the show was redeveloped for CBS, leaving producers desperate to fill the role, so they approached various other stars such as Julie Andrews.[9]

After the cancellation of High Society, Smart shifted her focus to live theatre[10] and was disinterested in returning to episodic television.[11] She turned down two more requests to play Chelsea, so the producers decided to get creative. After receiving a bouquet of flowers every day for over a week,[12] a box containing thousands of dollars worth of Disney merchandise arrived on her doorstep, along with a letter addressed to her 8-year-old son. The boy was urged to persuade his mother to read the revised script, and he was bribed with the promise of endless toys and the ability to skip the lines at Disneyland if she agreed to star in the show.[13] Tenacious persistence paid off, and Smart finally accepted the part. "I never turned it down because I didn't like it," she remarked.[14]

CBS president Les Moonves suggested Nancy McKeon for the role of Jane,[15] and she was overly enthusiastic about the material.[16] McKeon had recently starred in Can't Hurry Love, which aired on CBS's Monday night schedule along with High Society, and she and Smart appeared together for the network's promotional publicity stunt with Elizabeth Taylor.[17][18] Once the two ladies had been cast in this series, a genuine friendship blossomed.[19] The supporting cast members were added, and they soldiered into production.

Stewart's show was also produced by CBS,[20] and she became furious with Moonves[21][22] not only over this sitcom but also The Simple Life, which starred Judith Light as a similar character.[23] The writers attempted to alleviate the situation by devising an ongoing on-screen rivalry between Chelsea and Martha,[24][25][26] with the hopes that Stewart would be amused and eventually agree to guest-star.[27] Although there was a vague awareness of Stewart's disdain, it was mostly shielded from the cast and crew.[28]

There was a joyous atmosphere on the set, and McKeon later remarked that she had some of the best times of her life working on the show.[29] However, as production was underway, Joseph Maher was diagnosed with a brain tumor and began losing his peripheral vision, which forced him to use a cane.[30] Then at the Christmas party, one of the writers prophetically joked that since the production had been going so smoothly, "We're screwed!"[31]

Placed in the same timeslot where High Society had aired in 1995,[32][33] the show premiered in January 1998, temporarily bumping the soon-to-be-canceled Cybill off the air.[34] Suddenly, the atmosphere turned dour as the press fixated on Stewart[35] and harassed the cast regarding her dissatisfaction.[36] Stewart never publicly addressed the series, but in reaction to overwhelming media interest, she issued a snide statement which read: "CBS is free to broadcast any program it chooses to. I would hope that it would be of the highest quality and educational value."[37] Following the broadcast of the fifth show less than a month later, CBS suddenly dropped the series from their schedule. As a studio audience piled in for the taping of an episode, the crew received the devastating news.[38] The lead actresses each went on to publicly speculate that the abrupt cancellation was a direct result of Stewart's malcontentment.[39][40]

Although it wasn't considered a hit during its brief time on the air, the show garnered consistent ratings and returned to the schedule over the summer, just as news spread about the death of Maher.[41] The show's final episode, "Do Not Go Squealing Into That Good Night," was never broadcast, instead, CBS aired a rerun of JAG.[42] The plot concerned Chelsea's quarrel with her neighbor, Mrs. Oliver (Mary Gillis). There was discussion of property lines and fences, and Chelsea was accused of backing over Mrs. Oliver's pig with her car. Probably uncoincidentally, this is the only episode that directly skewered Stewart, who had a longtime feud with neighbor Harry B. Macklowe, and was accused of backing her vehicle into his landscaper, pinning the man to a fence.[43]

Smart reprised her role without fanfare in the 2019 revival of Mad About You, which was produced by Tolan.[44] In an episode entitled "Real Estate for Beginners," she appeared as Chelsea Stevens-Kobolakis.[45] Seemingly happily remarried to unseen Greek shipping heir Stavros Kobolakis, Chelsea hosts "Better Together," a weekend team-building workshop for realtors that Paul and Jamie attend, mistakenly thinking it's a marriage seminar which is being held in a nearby room. The couple is continuously berated by Chelsea and can't figure out why. The cast was concerned that the story was too far-fetched, so Tolan asked Smart to play the part of the lecturer, knowing that she could make it believable. Once she agreed, the role was tailored to Chelsea Stevens as an inside-joke between the pair.[46] No overt references to this show were made, although Chelsea had an inept assistant named Steve (Michael J. Henderson), who is uncannily reminiscent of Terry.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Pilot: Style & Substance"Jay SandrichPeter TolanJanuary 5, 1998 (1998-01-05)E701
Jane Sokol is sent to New York to manage Chelsea Stevens' magazine and TV show after it is bought by the Ferber Corporation, but she's totally thrown by her dealings with Chelsea, who goes through her purse and meddles in her relationship with her ex-fiance (Peter Krause).
2"A Trip to Chelseatown"Jay SandrichRuss WoodyJanuary 12, 1998 (1998-01-12)E702
When Chelsea decides to redecorate Jane's apartment for a magazine makeover, she convinces a reluctant Jane to stay with her during the renovation; Jane discovers how eccentric Chelsea really is when she reveals her biggest secret – Chelseatown, a miniature town she designed in her attic.
3"The Boss and Other Disasters"Jay SandrichPeter TolanJanuary 19, 1998 (1998-01-19)E706
Jane wants to make a good impression on her visiting boss, but she is horrified by the personality clash between Chelsea and the condescending Mr. Ferber (John O'Hurley) who has become hung up on Chelsea after a one-night stand.
4"A Recipe for Disaster"Jay SandrichMike Chessler & Chris AlberghiniJanuary 26, 1998 (1998-01-26)E708
Jane surprises Chelsea by inviting her childhood idol, world famous gourmet Gloria Utley (Jean Stapleton), to appear alongside her on Live with Regis & Kathie Lee – unaware that Gloria is now a burned-out boozer.
5"Chelsea Gets an Opinion"Iris DugowDonald BeckFebruary 2, 1998 (1998-02-02)E707
After being labeled frivolous and empty-headed in a magazine article, Chelsea jumps at the chance to boost her public image by participating in a Politically Incorrect-style talk show to discuss current events in the Middle East.
6"Terry, We Hardly Knew Ye"Jay SandrichGary JanettiJuly 22, 1998 (1998-07-22)E703
No longer able to deal with the incompetence of her assistant Terry, Chelsea asks Jane to fire him – which winds up being easier said than done; meanwhile Trudy and Mr. John fawn over Terry's replacement, Matthew (Robert Gant).
7"Office Management for Beginners"Jay SandrichGary JanettiJuly 29, 1998 (1998-07-29)E704
Chelsea incites an office rivalry between Jane and her arrogant lawyer Bobby (Vyto Ruginis) in an effort to cut costs so she can buy an expensive super-equipped van; When Jane cuts Bobby's salary to provide the money for the vehicle, Bobby retaliates by playing a series of practical jokes on her.
8"The Plate"Brian K. RobertsSusan BeaversAugust 5, 1998 (1998-08-05)E710
Chelsea becomes consumed with getting her hands on Jane's valuable Chinese dinner plate, but when Jane refuses to part with it for sentimental reasons, Chelsea uses an office mix-up to get her hands on it; meanwhile, Trudy dates a guy who seems too good to be true.
9"Chelsea's First Date"Jay SandrichDonald BeckAugust 12, 1998 (1998-08-12)E711
Jane convinces Chelsea to accept a dinner invitation from an old friend, Jeff (Michael Nouri) – her first date since her divorce – but is shocked when Chelsea announces her sudden engagement to the man.
10"No Soap, Romeo"Jay SandrichDaphne PollonAugust 19, 1998 (1998-08-19)E709
Jane begins dating charming soap opera star Dax Chandler (Larry Poindexter), ignoring Chelsea's warnings that he's too vain and self-absorbed; meanwhile, Terry is bullied by a creepy delivery man and Chelsea finds herself addicted to soap operas.
11"Chelsea's Ex"Jay SandrichIan PraiserAugust 26, 1998 (1998-08-26)E705
Chelsea thinks her ex-husband Grant (Doug Sheehan) wants her back when she and Jane run into him at a charity dinner with his latest girlfriend – who is Chelsea's spitting image; meanwhile, Mr. John is forced by his lover to tell his aged parents that he's gay.
12"I Went to a Garden Party"Jay SandrichChris Alberghini & Mike ChesslerSeptember 2, 1998 (1998-09-02)E712
In an effort to win recognition as a humanitarian, Chelsea agrees to host a garden party for a charitable foundation in the fight against substance abuse; unfortunately, she buys fresh produce from a roadside vendor and mistakenly serves psychedelic mushrooms to her guests. Meanwhile, Terry finds a wingnut in his candy bar, so Trudy writes a letter of complaint that lands them both in hot water.
13"Do Not Go Squealing Into That Good Night"Peter TolanDaphne PollonUNAIREDE713
Chelsea is blamed for killing the pet pig of her obnoxious neighbor Mrs. Oliver, which in fact was accidentally run over by the last person anyone would suspect: Jane.

Reception

Reviews were mixed, although Smart was routinely praised for her performance, and the show vanished so quickly that assessments were predominantly based on the pilot. The show's title prompted numerous critics to unimaginitively pen variations of the same joke: Style & Substance has neither.[47][48][49][50]

Variety's Ray Richmond was overtly critical, stating that Smart "appears to be having plenty of fun in an over-the-top sort of way. The problem is that she’s playing a cartoon character." However, he went on to praise Joseph Maher for his performance as Mr. John, concluding that "in a perfect world, we’d see more of him and less of Chelsea and Jane."[51] The Examiner's Tim Goodman was weary due to similarities with NBC's Fired Up, but remarked "Smart is absolutely brilliant in this role and you can't get enough of her."[52]

The Los Angeles Times' Howard Rosenberg claimed, "The more episodes you see, the funnier and more likable Chelsea and Style & Substance get."[53] The Chicago Tribune's staff seemed particularly taken with the show. Steve Johnson gave a glowing review, stating the show "is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type," and he celebrated Smart for "play[ing] her with infectious gusto."[54] The same paper's Allen Johnson called Smart's performance "nearly flawless," and also commended the show's "cleverly written material."[55] People Magazine's Terry Kelleher gave the show a B-rating, remarking that it's "often deliciously funny."[56]

References

  1. ^ Pierce, Scott (1998-01-22). "Stewart gives thumbs down to TV's `Style & Substance'". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Tolan said he wasn't initially particularly interested in the project. "I thought the ship had sort of sailed on the Martha Stewart thing," Tolan said. "It wasn't until I started to write the characters that I thought, `Oh, this could be funny.'
  2. ^ Pierce, Scott (1998-01-22). "Stewart gives thumbs down to TV's `Style & Substance'". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-01-29. I'm not out to get this woman. I'm not out to lampoon her. I'm just using a very interesting character as a jumping off point.
  3. ^ Jackson, Terry (1998-01-04). "New 'Style' is a Martha Stewart Look-Alike". newspapers.com. The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2020-01-28. She says that a script was sent to her several years ago, but she chose instead the disastrous High Society.
  4. ^ "ANDREW BILGORE Resume". Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  5. ^ "Andrew Bilgore Biography". Retrieved 2020-01-28. Kathleen Turner proclaimed that Bilgore's portrayal of "Walt" was her favorite in her ABC pilot, Style & Substance.
  6. ^ "Daily News from New York, New York - 126". newspapers.com. 1996-05-22. Retrieved 2020-01-28. "Last week, network uber-boss Michael Eisner called to say he loved the pilot episode," Turner said Monday night. "Then a couple of days later we heard ABC didn't want to pick it up.
  7. ^ a b Baldwin, Kristen (1996-06-28). "Mid-season TV Roundup". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2020-01-28. "Style was on the schedule, but it tested poorly" with focus groups, says creator Peter Tolan.
  8. ^ "Daily News from New York, New York - 126". newspapers.com. 1996-05-22. Retrieved 2020-01-28. She believes ABC was "afraid" of the show either because her character was "too hard" or, maybe, just maybe, because the network's parent, Disney, is eying a multi-media deal with Martha.
  9. ^ Bo, Rick (1996-09-09). "Go Ahead, Deepak, And Make Me Dazed". Retrieved 2020-01-28. The producers of "Style and Substance," an in-the-works TV series centered around a Martha Stewart-like "queen of entertaining," are having trouble finding a lead actress. A pilot with Kathleen Turner bombed, says TV Guide, and Julie Andrews has been "approached."
  10. ^ Knutzen, Eirik (1998-01-11). "Jean Smart Says She's Hardly a Kitchen Goddess". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2020-01-29. When "High Society" (a show with all the elements of the late Britcom "Absolutely Fabulous," except the bite) deflated a few years ago, Smart took out her frustration by signing up for a series of stage projects.
  11. ^ Weeks, Janet (1998-01-05). "Smart Choice: Giving sitcoms another try". Smart Stuff. USA Today. Retrieved 2020-01-29. In 1995, she was lured back to series television with High Society. It was canceled after one season, and Smart said she was done with sitcoms.
  12. ^ Weeks, Janet (1998-01-05). "Smart Choice: Giving sitcoms another try". Smart Stuff. USA Today. Retrieved 2020-01-29. She eventually accepted the role after Disney's Touchstone Television, which produces the series, sent her flowers everyday for more than a week.
  13. ^ Knutzen, Eirik (1998-01-11). "Jean Smart Says She's Hardly a Kitchen Goddess". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2020-01-29. She had twice turned down offers to star in the new comedy series when a package arrived at her door. The box containing a dozen or so Disney products ranging from toys to cakes (probably worth $12,000 on a working person's scale) also contained a lengthy letter addressed to Smart's son. Essentially, it begged Connor to persuade his mother to read the "Style & Substance" pilot script one more time and if she agreed to star in the show, there would be an endless number of Disney toys in store for him. And he would never have to stand in line at Disneyland again.
  14. ^ Jackson, Terry (1998-01-04). "New 'Style" is Martha Look-Alike". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  15. ^ ""Style & Substance" Production Notes". Internet Archive. Touchstone Television. December 1997. Retrieved 2020-01-29. A favorite of CBS Entertainment President Leslie Mooves, McKeon possessed the likable qualities Tolan knew were necessary in order for Jane to be the eyes and ears of the audience.
  16. ^ "Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart discuss "Style & Substance"". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-01-29. I so desperately wanted this job. I really, really, really wanted this job! It was a really great role, really fun.
  17. ^ "Taylor Made Monday advertisement". Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  18. ^ "Taylor Made Monday photo". Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  19. ^ "TWO DIVERSE PERSONALITIES INHABIT THE WORLD OF "STYLE & SUBSTANCE."". Internet Archive. Touchstone Television. December 1997. Retrieved 2020-01-29. "The chemistry between us just happened," said Smart. "The fact that Nancy and I have now become friends just increases it, and you can see it every week on the show."
  20. ^ Pierce, Scott (1997-12-13). "`Cybill,' `Dr. Quinn' taking a break". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-01-29. What's sort of ironic about this is that Martha Stewart's television ventures are produced by Eyemark Entertainment - the syndication arm of CBS.
  21. ^ Jicha, Tom (1998-01-17). "Martha in a snit with CBS". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-01-29. No, she is not happy with me," Moonves responded. "That's all I want to say.
  22. ^ Weeks, Janet (1998-01-05). "Smart Choice: Giving sitcoms another try". Smart Stuff. USA Today. Retrieved 2020-01-29. While Disney was persuading Smart, CBS was busy assuring Stewart, who was concerned about the show after seeing the [Kathleen Turner] pilot.
  23. ^ Romero, Ariana (2018-07-31). "CBS Has A Brogramming Problem — & You Can Blame Les Moonves". Retrieved 2020-01-29. There were two Martha Stewart-ish parodies that crashed and burned during different months in 1998: Style & Substance and The Simple Life (no, not that Simple Life. This one had Judith Light)
  24. ^ Jicha, Tom (1998-01-17). "Martha in a snit with CBS". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Tolan hopes he mollified Stewart with a fleeting reference in last Monday's episode. Jean Smart, who stars as the Stewart-like Chelsea Stevens, was showing off a miniature city, Chelseatown, she built in her garage. Her co-star, Nancy McKeon, noticed that in the mock graveyard there was a headstone with the inscription "Martha Stewart.".
  25. ^ "Tom Snyder Interviews Nancy McKeon (1998)". Internet Archive. 1998-01-31. Retrieved 2020-01-29. We just had a show on the air with Jean Stapleton, and she gets drunk on the air while they're doing this cooking segment, and she says, "Oh Martha, you've gotta learn how to relax!" And [Chelsea] tightens up, she goes, "What did you call me?" [Chelsea] wants to be Martha Stewart, but she knows that she's not.
  26. ^ Schulberg, Pete (1998-01-01). "Getting Smart-alecky about Martha Stewart". The Oregonian. In fact, Stewart's name will be brought up in some of the 12 future episodes. "We talk about Martha all the time on the show as if she's my nemesis. She's my rival. The `M' word."
  27. ^ Pierce, Scott (1998-01-22). "Stewart gives thumbs down to TV's `Style & Substance'". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-01-29. We're desperately hoping she'll come on the show," Smart said. "We're hoping that she'll get a hoot out of it and do a guest spot.
  28. ^ Johnson, Allen (1998-01-05). "It's a Good Thing". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-01-31. "As far as I know, she has called CBS and has just sort of said, `What is this about?' " Tolan says.
  29. ^ "Nancy McKeon Lifetime chat transcript". Liz's Officially Unofficial Facts of Life Site. 2001. Retrieved 2020-01-31. We had a wonderful time on that show. And even though it was only one season, I had some of the best times of my life doing "Style & Substance."
  30. ^ "Style & Substance (1998) Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Joseph Maher (Mr. John) was diagnosed with a brain tumor partway into the show's production. His peripheral vision began deteriorating, so in later episodes, he's seen using a cane.
  31. ^ "Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart discuss "Style & Substance"". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Jean Smart: One of the writers said, "This has been so great! Great cast and they all love each other. Great writing. Everybody's having a good time. It's hilarious. We're screwed!"
  32. ^ "Monday, October 30, 1995 TV listings". TV Tango. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  33. ^ "Monday, January 5, 1998 TV listings". TV Tango.
  34. ^ Pierce, Scott (1998-12-13). "`Cybill,' `Dr. Quinn' taking a break". Deseret News. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Now, CBS programmers think so little of "Cybill" that they're yanking it off the air for two months. As of Jan. 5, "George & Leo" moves up a half-hour to 8 p.m. "Style & Substance" will air at 8:30 p.m.
  35. ^ Goodman, Tim (1998-01-05). "Can Martha fix this?". Retrieved 2020-01-29. No matter how CBS tries to play it off, this is a show about Martha Stewart. And, frankly, the world has run out of good jokes about Stewart. It's no longer original or amusing.
  36. ^ "Tom Snyder Interviews Nancy McKeon (1998)". Internet Archive. 1998-01-31. Retrieved 2020-01-29. We were doing an interview, and [a journalist] said, "I hear she's not too happy about it." And I said, "no, we haven't heard that..." And he said, "Well, I don't know where you're going with that, but that's what I heard!" He didn't want to listen to what I had to say!
  37. ^ Weeks, Janet (1998-01-05). "Smart Choice: Giving sitcoms another try". Smart Stuff. USA Today. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  38. ^ "Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart discuss "Style & Substance"". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Nancy and Jean got the news just as they were about to tape an episode in front of a live audience.
  39. ^ "Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart discuss "Style & Substance"". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Jean Smart: I don't really know why it got canceled. I think maybe Martha Stewart thought we were sort of making fun of her, and I heard she wasn't real happy.
  40. ^ "Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart discuss "Style & Substance"". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Nancy McKeon: We were on CBS, and she was on CBS. I think a lot of things collided about that
  41. ^ Oliver, Myrna (1998-07-22). "Joseph Maher, 64; TV, Screen and Stage Actor". L.A. Times. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  42. ^ "Wednesday, September 9, 1998 TV listings". TV Tango. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  43. ^ "Did Martha Stewart `clip' landscaper with her car?". Deseret News. 1997-05-31. Retrieved 2020-01-30. The allegation was the latest incident in a two-year feud between Stewart and real estate millionaire Harry Macklowe, who has an adjoining spread.The landscaper, Matthew J. Munnich, filed a complaint alleging he was pinned by Stewart's car after she discovered workers building a fence between her property and Mack-lowe's at night on May 21. The Stewart-Macklowe feud blossomed in 1995 when the developer planted shrubs along the property line. Stewart called it "inappropriate greenery" and, when a survey showed it was on her land, ripped it out.
  44. ^ Barbuto, Dana (2019-09-29). "Scituate's Peter Tolan goes 'Mad'". MSN. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Tolan is the showrunner, executive producer and writer for the series, premiering Nov. 20 on Spectrum Originals.
  45. ^ Baysinger, Tim (2019-12-04). "'Mad About You': Jason Alexander and Jean Smart to Guest-Star on Spectrum Revival". The Wrap. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Smart will portray Chelsea Stevens-Kobolakis, an eccentric best-selling author, lifestyle guru and podcaster who runs a weekend seminar that Paul and Jamie attend — accidentally.
  46. ^ "Mad About You, Real Estate for Beginners (2019) Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-01-29. There were concerns that the plot with the confusing seminar wouldn't work, and Helen Hunt remarked that they required a high-caliber actress to sell it. Writer/producer Peter Tolan immediately thought of Jean Smart, who had starred in his short-lived series Style & Substance (1998). He'd tried and failed to bring her aboard other projects over the years, so when Smart accepted, Tolan decided to tailor the role to her former Chelsea Stevens character as an inside-joke.
  47. ^ Richmond, Ray (1998-01-03). "Style & Substance". Variety. Retrieved 2020-01-30. It begs to be pointed out that "Style & Substance" lacks both.
  48. ^ Jicha, Tom (1998-01-05). "SPOOF LACKS BOTH 'STYLE & SUBSTANCE'". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-01-30. The basic problem that Style & Substance has too little of the former and none at all of the latter.
  49. ^ Boedecker, Hal (1998-01-04). "2 SITCOMS THAT SCRAPE THE BOTTOM". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-01-30. Style & Substance - which has neither - centers on Chelsea Stevens (Jean Smart), a homemaking expert of audacious abrasiveness.
  50. ^ Holt, Eddie (2000-08-05). "Goldfish bowl". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-01-30. The latest US sitcom, Style and Substance, has neither.
  51. ^ Richmond, Ray (1998-01-03). "Style & Substance". Variety. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  52. ^ Goodman, Tim (1998-01-05). "Can Martha fix this?". Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  53. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (1998-01-05). "It's Not His 'Style' Yet, but It Could Be". Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  54. ^ Johnson, Steve (1998-01-25). "Style & Substance: Some Shows Earn A..." Variety. Retrieved 2020-01-30. It is a delectable and strongly flavored confection about a Martha Stewart type, alternately fragile and ferocious, who wields her tastefully bejeweled scepter over a multimedia cooking and decorating empire. Jean Smart plays her with infectious gusto, and Nancy McKeon is also strong as her new-to-New-York-City assistant.
  55. ^ Johnson, Allen (1998-01-05). "It's a Good Thing". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  56. ^ Kelleher, Terry (1998-01-12). "Picks and Pans Review: Style & Substance". Retrieved 2020-01-31.
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