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 Lisa Rieffel, Anthony Mangano, Melinda McGraw, and Andrew Bilgore. [5] [6] Michael Eisner, then the head of The Walt Disney Company, personally phoned Turner to tell her that he loved the show, [7] and it was promised a slot on the fall schedule, [8] but the network reneged. Heartbroken, Turner speculated that this was because Disney planned to go into business with Martha Stewart, [9] but Tolan later remarked that it was dropped due to a poor reaction with test audiences. [8] 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. [10]
After the cancellation of High Society, Smart shifted her focus to live theatre [11] and was disinterested in returning to episodic television. [12] 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, [13] 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. [14] Tenacious persistence paid off, and Smart finally accepted the part. "I never turned it down because I didn't like it," she remarked. [15]
CBS president Les Moonves suggested Nancy McKeon for the role of Jane, [16] and she was overly enthusiastic about the material. [17] 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. [18] [19] Once the two ladies had been cast in this series, a genuine friendship blossomed. [20] The supporting cast members were added, and they soldiered into production.
Stewart's show was also produced by CBS, [21] and she became furious with Moonves [22] [23] not only over this sitcom but also The Simple Life , which starred Judith Light as a similar character. [24] The writers attempted to alleviate the situation by devising an ongoing on-screen rivalry between Chelsea and Martha, [25] [26] [27] with the hopes that Stewart would be amused and eventually agree to guest-star. [28] Although there was a vague awareness of Stewart's disdain, it was mostly shielded from the cast and crew. [29]
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. [30] 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. [31] Then at the Christmas party, one of the writers prophetically joked that since the production had been going so smoothly, "We're screwed!" [32]
Placed in the same timeslot where High Society had aired in 1995, [33] [34] the show premiered in January 1998, temporarily bumping the soon-to-be-canceled Cybill off the air. [35] Suddenly, the atmosphere turned dour as the press fixated on Stewart [36] and harassed the cast regarding her dissatisfaction. [37] 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." [38] 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. [39] The lead actresses each went on to publicly speculate that the abrupt cancellation was a direct result of Stewart's malcontentment. [40] [41]
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. [42] The show's final episode, "Do Not Go Squealing Into That Good Night," was never broadcast, instead, CBS aired a rerun of JAG . [43] 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. [44]
Smart reprised her role without fanfare in the 2019 revival of Mad About You , which was produced by Tolan. [45] In an episode entitled "Real Estate for Beginners," she appeared as Chelsea Stevens-Kobolakis. [46] 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. [47] 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.
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 pen variations of the same joke:Style &Substance has neither. [48] [49] [50] [51]
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." [52] 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." [53]
The Los Angeles Times' Howard Rosenberg claimed,"The more episodes you see,the funnier and more likable Chelsea and Style &Substance get." [54] 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." [55] The same paper's Allen Johnson called Smart's performance "nearly flawless," and also commended the show's "cleverly written material." [56] People Magazine's Terry Kelleher gave the show a B-rating,remarking that it's "often deliciously funny." [57]
