Wild Card (TV series)

Last updated
Wild Card
Also known asZoe Busiek: Wild Card
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Lynn Marie Latham
Bernard Lechowick
Starring Joely Fisher
Chris Potter
Vikki Krinsky
Aislinn Paul
Jamie Johnston
Country of originCanada
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes36
Production
Executive producersLynn Marie Latham
Bernard Lechowick
Douglas Steinberg
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companies Fireworks Entertainment
Lifetime Productions
Original release
Network Lifetime (United States)
Global Television Network (Canada)
ReleaseAugust 2, 2003 (2003-08-02) 
July 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)

Wild Card (also known as Zoe Busiek: Wild Card) is a Canadian-American comedy-drama series starring Joely Fisher. It was broadcast in the United States on Lifetime, and on the Global Television Network in Canada from August 2003 to July 2005.

Contents

Synopsis

Zoe Busiek is a former Las Vegas blackjack dealer whose life takes an unexpected turn when her sister Susan dies in a hit-and-run and she has to take care of her sister's three children, Taylor, Cliff, and Hannah. When the insurance company denies the family a financial settlement Zoe takes matters into her own hands, which leads her to a new career as an insurance fraud investigator with handsome former criminal Dan Lennox and serious but sweet Sophia Mason becoming her partners.

Each episode is centered on a particular case as well as Zoe's family life. She use her skills at reading people and deduction as a newly-hired insurance fraud investigator. Sophia later becomes the boss. She leaves the show in the second season, along with Marcos, and is replaced by M. Pearl McGuire, who becomes Zoe's and Dan's new boss.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Production notes

The series, which is set in Chicago, Illinois (filmed in Toronto), was created and executive produced by Lynn Marie Latham and Bernard Lechowick. The theme song for the first season is performed by Amy Sky, while the theme song for the second season, "I Believe In Me," is performed by Cherie.

Main crew

Lynn Marie Latham, Bernard Lechowick, Linda Gase, and Thania St. John. Latham and Lechowick were fired as showrunners by the end of the first season, replaced by Doug Steinberg (formerly a consultant on Dawson's Creek ).[ citation needed ]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 18August 2, 2003 (2003-08-02)January 24, 2004 (2004-01-24)
2 18July 11, 2004 (2004-07-11)July 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)

Season 1 (2003–04)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Pilot"Stephen Surjik Lynn Marie Latham & Bernard Lechowick & Steve Blackman August 2, 2003 (2003-08-02)
Zoe Busiek is a free spirited woman originally from Chicago who lives in Las Vegas. When she learns her sister died in an accident, she goes back to take care of her children. She then learns that the insurance company decides not to pay because eye witness account claims her sister was at fault. But Zoe doesn't believe she was so she sets out to prove it.
22"The Learning Curve"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanAugust 9, 2003 (2003-08-09)
A woman's house is set on fire for trying to help out the community, so Zoe and Dan go and interview a 12-year-old boy named Jimmy who knew the woman that was killed. Sophia has trouble with her boyfriend. Hannah tries to protest for a crossing guard at her school that lives in her car.
33"Con Artistry"Andrew PotterSteve BlackmanAugust 16, 2003 (2003-08-16)
Zoe finds out her partner, Dan, used to be engaged and used to be a thief. Meanwhile Dan's ex-fiancé; comes to town. Marcos asks Zoe out on a date, but she turns him down the first time. Sophia and her boyfriend try to find a house, but have differences tastes in a place to live. Dan discovers he has feelings for Zoe and goes to tell her, but when he does he sees Zoe and Marcos kissing on the porch.
44"Hell Week"Steve BlackmanSteve Blackman & Marla KanelosAugust 23, 2003 (2003-08-23)
A drunken young woman falls into a coma after being mauled in a lion enclosure. The zoo sues the girl for trespass. Zoe's and Sophie's investigation takes them to a university sorority where the girl was a pledge. Zoe tries to sort out her feelings for Marcos, a visitor from her past comes and surprises her.
55"Dearly Beloved"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanSeptember 6, 2003 (2003-09-06)
A country club wedding that was ruined by errant lawn sprinklers.
66"Dead Again"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanSeptember 13, 2003 (2003-09-13)
A man falls overboard from a yacht. His beneficiaries collect the insurance. Zoe investigates when the drowned man dies a second time, 2 years later. Dan tries to prove the innocence of the man's partner who is in prison for embezzlement.
77"The Cheese Stands Alone"Jeremy PodeswaSteve BlackmanSeptember 27, 2003 (2003-09-27)
The database of an upscale matchmaking service is destroyed.
88"No Bull"Sturla GunnarssonSteve BlackmanOctober 4, 2003 (2003-10-04)
Sophia stays behind to investigate a jewel theft, while Zoe and Dan are sent out of the city to investigate the health of a bull.
99"Mimi's Assetts"Steve BlackmanSteve Blackman & Marla KanelosOctober 18, 2003 (2003-10-18)
When a fog machine explodes and kills a stripper, Dan and Zoe go undercover in that strip-joint to gather clues and find out who was responsible. Dan gets fired quickly, but Zoe soldiers on.
1010"Spooked"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanOctober 25, 2003 (2003-10-25)
Zoe and Dan investigate a case of vandalism; Zoe deals with her niece's and nephew's Halloween antics.
1111"Sand Trap"Andrew PotterSteve BlackmanNovember 8, 2003 (2003-11-08)
Zoe and Dan investigate the death of a celebrity who may have changed her will to indicate she wanted to be cryogenically frozen.
1212"Black Sheep"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanNovember 15, 2003 (2003-11-15)
Zoe and Dan investigate the circumstances of a large auto insurance claim.
1313"Bullet Proof"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanDecember 6, 2003 (2003-12-06)
Zoe is shot when she interrupts a burglary in progress.
1414"Backstabbed"John BellSteve BlackmanDecember 13, 2003 (2003-12-13)
Zoe goes undercover as a reality-TV contestant in order to investigate a murder.
1515"Auntie Venom"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanJanuary 3, 2004 (2004-01-03)
After a woman is fatally bitten by a poisonous Australian snake on a cruise, the insurance investigation team's suspects include her ex, the biologist who presents the TV show "Nigel au Naturel", and a rivalling cruise company which earlier just managed to keep a lizard incident from public knowledge. So Daniel goes on their next singles cruise, where Nigel Hampton also has booked carrying a ferret and a pet snake, as passenger and Zoe fills in for the sick singer. Meanwhile, the kids shoot a jealous murder play at home.
1616"Block Party"Andrew PotterSteve Blackman & Marla KanelosJanuary 10, 2004 (2004-01-10)
When Victoria Motetti gets killed in her nice neighbourhood, the police suspects the Robin Hoods burglary gang, but their usual pickings were not robbed, just art. When Dan and Zoe investigate, it turns out that Victoria's lover, handyman Trey, a surfer who travels around the Pacific and has access to several robbed houses, paid all his hefty debts shortly after the burglary, and a robbed bracelet falls out of his car; but the plot thickens... Meanwhile, Zoe tries to separate Taylor from Ryder at least some time by 'creating' a filing job for her at the office.
1717"Candy Land"Steve BlackmanSteve Blackman & Marla KanelosJanuary 17, 2004 (2004-01-17)
In this winter wonder episode, Dan enjoys investigating the Karmakazi-snowboard scene, where sabotage of fuel tanks upset everything, at the side of model Candace 'Candy' LaRue; the hotel owner, who might have planned this to get modern fire equipment, and his ex accuse each-other; barman Sam hates the very sport. Meanwhile Zoe -who turns out Candy's former best friend- takes her nieces -whose minds and phones remain home-focused- on a 'working parent guilt' ski trip to the same Dells. Candy gets Zoe's blessing to go for Dan, while Zoe's lover Marcos turns up after his volleyball tournament was cancelled. They suspect Josh Dickens who has his own physiotherapist and would have lost the sponsorship without the delay but has an alibi. Julian finds out that Ryder has returned to Columbus without even telling Taylor.
1818"Queen Bea"Steve BlackmanSteve BlackmanJanuary 24, 2004 (2004-01-24)
Wild gal pal Candy tags along with Zoe and her family back to Chicago.

Season 2 (2004–05)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
191"A Felony for Melanie"July 11, 2004 (2004-07-11)
202"Dr. Sidney Loses a Kidney"July 18, 2004 (2004-07-18)
213"Sniper Shot, Intern Hot"July 25, 2004 (2004-07-25)
224"Roses Are Red, Violets Are Busiek"August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01)
235"Bound and Gagged, Your Husband Was Snagged"August 8, 2004 (2004-08-08)
246"Wham Bam, Thank You Dan"August 15, 2004 (2004-08-15)
257"Slam Dunk Funk"August 22, 2004 (2004-08-22)
268"Die, Die, Who Am I?"September 26, 2004 (2004-09-26)
279"Premonition Mission"October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03)
2810"Bada Bing, Bada Busiek"October 10, 2004 (2004-10-10)
2911"Tick Tock, Writer's Block"October 17, 2004 (2004-10-17)
3012"Blind in a Bind"October 24, 2004 (2004-10-24)
3113"Russian Missus Gets No Kisses"June 11, 2005 (2005-06-11)
3214"See Ya Later, Investigator!"June 18, 2005 (2005-06-18)
3315"A Whisper from Zoe's Sister"June 25, 2005 (2005-06-25)
3416"Multiple Personality Fatality"July 2, 2005 (2005-07-02)
3517"My Boyfriend Is an Axe Murderer"July 9, 2005 (2005-07-09)
3618"Zoe's Phony Matrimony"July 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)

Syndication

The series was aired in syndication on the Lifetime Real Women network.

Related Research Articles

Wild card most commonly refers to:

Wildstorm Productions is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1998. Until it was shut down in 2010, the Wildstorm imprint remained editorially separate from DC Comics, with its main studio located in California. The imprint took its name from a portmanteau of the titles of the Jim Lee comic series WildC.A.T.S. and Stormwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joely Fisher</span> American actress (born 1967)

Joely Fisher is an American actress and singer, the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Connie Stevens, and half-sister of actress Carrie Fisher. Her breakthrough came in 1994, starring as Paige Clark in the ABC sitcom Ellen, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Fisher later starred in the 1999 comedy film Inspector Gadget and had leading roles in the Lifetime comedy-drama Wild Card (2003–2005), and Fox sitcom 'Til Death (2006–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Windsor</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Scott Windsor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. From 1993 to 1996, Scott was played by Toby Cockerell. In 1996, Scott left the village to join the army and when he returned in 1998, Ben Freeman took over the role and played Scott until early 2007.

"Two Tonys" is the 53rd episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the first of the show's fifth season. Written by David Chase and Terence Winter, it was directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on March 7, 2004.

Lynn Marie Latham is an American television writer, producer, and showrunner. Her initial foray into writing for television was as a story editor for the series Berrenger's in 1985. That same year, Latham became a writer for the nighttime serial Knots Landing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zak Ramsey</span> UK soap opera character, created 2004

Zak Ramsey is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Kent Riley. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 6 September 2004. The character was originally credited as "Zak Barnes". After only four months, Riley was written out of the show. Producer Bryan Kirkwood reintroduced him in 2006 and was then credited with the surname Ramsey. Zak was introduced into the series as one of three new student characters, who arrive to study at the Hollyoaks Community College. Joining Zak were Bella Manning and Stuart Harding. When the character was reintroduced, a new set of students were created for Zak to share stories with. Zak is portrayed as a Scouser / Liverpudlian character, with a "fun-loving" persona and enjoys partying rather than concentrating on his studies.

The 1994 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Football League, the 32nd as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 35th overall. They failed to improve their 11–5 record from 1993 and finishing with a 9–7 record and Wild Card spot in the 1994–95 playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Miami Dolphins 27–17 in the wild-card round. Alongside celebrating the NFL's 75th anniversary season, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana retired following the season.

Danny Valentine is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by David Judge. He first appeared in 2007 and made his final appearance in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Brown (actress)</span> Canadian actress and model

Natalie Brown is a Canadian actress and model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Carpenter</span> Soap opera character

Archie Carpenter is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Stephen Beard. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 3 November 2008. He was introduced as the brother of the established character Zoe Carpenter. Archie moved into the college halls of residence. In March 2010, executive producer Paul Marquess wrote the character out of Hollyoaks as part of his rejuvenation of the series, which included multiple cast changes. Archie made his final appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 May 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meghann Fahy</span> American actress (born c.1990)

Meghann Fahy is an American actress. Her first prominent role was playing Hannah O'Connor on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live from 2010 to 2012. On Broadway, she starred as Natalie Goodman in the stage musical Next to Normal from 2010 to 2011. She starred as Sutton Brady on the Freeform drama series The Bold Type, which ran from 2017 to 2021. In 2022, Fahy played Daphne on the second season of the HBO series The White Lotus, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Jeffrey Stepakoff is an American television writer, producer, and author.

<i>Bachelor in Paradise</i> (American TV series) season 2 Season of television series

The second season of Bachelor in Paradise premiered on August 2, 2015. Chris Harrison reprises his role from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette as the host of the show.

<i>Harlots</i> (TV series) 2010s British period drama TV series

Harlots is a British period drama television series created by Alison Newman and Moira Buffini and inspired by The Covent Garden Ladies by British historian Hallie Rubenhold. The series focuses on Margaret Wells, who runs a brothel in 18th-century London and struggles to secure a better future for her daughters in an unpredictable environment.

Carolyn Taylor is a Canadian actress and comedian, best known as one of the creators and stars of the sketch comedy series Baroness von Sketch Show.

The Girl from Plainville is an American biographical crime drama television miniseries created by Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus. The series stars Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, and Colton Ryan. It premiered on Hulu on March 29, 2022. A portion of the series showed at SXSW on March 12, 2022. The series is a dramatization of the events leading to the death of Conrad Roy and his girlfriend Michelle Carter's conviction for involuntary manslaughter. The series received mostly positive reviews, with praise towards the performances of Fanning, Ryan, and Sevigny.

Tom Jones is an ITV four-part television drama reimagining Henry Fielding's 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling. It is directed by Georgia Parris and adapted by Gwyneth Hughes, with Solly McLeod playing the eponymous hero Tom Jones. The show premiered on PBS in the United States from 30 April 2023.

References