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Show
Guide: Emeril
Synopsis:
Superchef Emeril Lagasse ("Emeril Live," "Essence of Emeril")
serves up his work and home life as the zesty ingredients for this
half-hour comedy concocted by acclaimed television writer Linda
Bloodworth and directed by her husband Harry Thomason (shared credits
for Designing Women,
Evening Shade).
Emeril
essentially stars as himself in the role of a likable and popular
chef who struggles to meet the shifting demands of his popular cable
TV cooking series and numerous other requirements as America’s top
culinary expert. Lisa Ann Walter (Life’s
Work) and Sherri Shepherd (The
Jamie Foxx Show) star respectively, as his brassy producer and
outspoken stage manager who provide the spice and sass at his cooking
show.
On the kitchen’s set, Emeril is distracted from his culinary focus
by his show’s flighty food stylist, B.D. Benson (Carrie Preston,
"The Legend of Bagger Vance"), and his agent, Jerry McKenney (Robert
Urich, Spenser: For
Hire), who offers his friend a rare and appreciated male point-of-view.
In addition, Emeril must deal with his teenaged son, James (newcomer
James Lafferty) -- who works as an intern on his show – as well
as his neglected wife, Nora (Mary Page Keller, Life
Goes On), and self-righteous network executive Trish O’Connell
(Tricia O’Kelley, Everybody
Loves Raymond).
"We have a show featuring great food and the wonderfully charismatic
Emeril who is surrounded by self-assured, terminally opinionated
women," says a candid Bloodworth. "What’s not to like?"
The Cast:
Emeril Lagasse
as Emeril Lagasse
Carrie Preston
as B.D. Benson
Sherri Shepherd
as Melva LeBlanc
Robert Urich as Jerry McKenney
Lisa Ann Walter as Cassandra Gilman
Production
Credits:
Linda Bloodworth is the creator and executive producer and Harry
Thomason is the executive producer and director of the series from
NBC Studios.
Airdates:
Tuesdays on NBC (8-8:30 p.m. ET), Premieres Tuesday, September
18th, 2001
Episodes:
1-4 Whose Life Is It Anyway?--10/16/2001
Culinary
Network executive Trish O'Connell (Tricia O'Kelley) gives Emeril
(Emeril Lagasse) exciting news -- his show's high ratings have prompted
the network to order 20 additional episodes. The catch -- they want
him to present a hipper image, complete with a new set and designer-label
chef's jacket. Emeril's agent and friend, Jerry McKenney (Robert
Urich) and his staff -- producer Cassandra "Cass" Gilman (Lisa Ann
Walter, "Life's Work"), stage manager Melva LeBlanc (Sherri Shepherd),
and food stylist B.D. Benson (Carrie Preston) -- are all thrilled.
However, Emeril quickly finds himself torn between the additional
demands of his success and the fact that his wife, Nora (Mary Page
Keller), and three children, James (James Lafferty), Halo (Alexis
Della Ripa), and Charlie (Joey Roberts Mercardo) already consider
him an absentee husband and father.
1-5 --10/23/2001
1-6 Halloween--10/30/2001
While the rest of the Emeril crew gears up for Halloween, Emeril
(Emeril Lagasse) gets sucked into another one of Jerry's (Robert
Urich) self-improvement schemes as the fleshy hipsters decide to
secretly visit the plastic surgeon to remove their love handles
via liposuction. Meanwhile, Trish (Tricia O'Kelley) tries to scare
Cass (Lisa Ann Walter), Melva (Sherri Shepherd) and B.D. (Carrie
Preston) by cracking down on the nudity, drunkenness and costume
fires usually associated with the annual Food Channel Halloween
party.
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