Star creates new 'Mafia'
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, January 04, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Is there enough sex left in the city for another series?
Executive Producer Darren Star thinks so. His "Cashmere Mafia" premieres this week, covering territory that was once "Sex and the City's" exclusive turf.
Now, Star says, women are viewed "from a completely different point of view." And, since his new leads are business tycoons, there's a different vibe. "'Sex and the City' is a comedy about sex," he explains. "This show examines the particular challenges they face as career women."
Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville star as best friends from business school. They're a "cashmere mafia" who bond to help each other through the corporate jungle.
"They're dealing with the same things (most women are)," Otto says. "They're just dealing with them in a higher-stakes world."
Men, Liu say, can be particularly problematic. "Men are a little bit confused. There was a time when they were expected to open the door and pay for dinner. Now, they don't really know what to do. They don't want to be chastised for not opening the door but, at the same time, it's not something women appreciate or expect."
Executive Producer Gail Katz based the series on friends she made at Yale University. Kevin Wade, who wrote "Working Girl," expanded the premise and found the humor in it.
With four leads, he says, "it was a lot to juggle. But it freed me up a little bit because they were four different voices with four different situations." With women in business "there's almost an underdog quality built in."
Children figure into the mix; one woman is gay. In the premiere, Liu's character has to compete with her fiance for a top job at a media company.
Unlike the "Sex and the City" women, "Cashmere's" quartet can't be oblivious to the world around them.
"Sex," in fact, "was conceived as a comedy about sex from the female point of view," Star says. "There hadn't been anything like it."
Now, it's a template for dozens of films and television series.
Like "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue," two Steven Bochco series, "Sex and the City" and "Cashmere Mafia" should be able to stand on their own. "Sex" was a show about single women who were fine with their place in life "and spoke about their sex lives like sailors," Star says. "Now, the new Caesars are women. (There are) provocative and timely issues to think about that are part of what's going on right now with us."
"It's a bit of a myth to suggest that it's guys who have it all and women are just trying to live up to that level," Executive Producer Jeff Rake says. "These days, it's about equalizing the playing field. Men deal with the same dilemmas that women do."
Successful business women, however, haven't been seen much on television. "There's a lot of shows about struggling doctors, interns, lawyers and secretaries," says Somerville. "But there aren't that many shows with four women that are this wealthy. Most of them are (about) classic American-types, struggling women and housewives."
"Cashmere Mafia," O'Connor says, is "aspirational."
Wade insists it's relatable for all viewers -- "whatever their income."
Somerville says it's refreshing to see women who support one another. "Women can be painted so badly in reality shows and tabloids about women celebrities. Shows like this seem to counterbalance it."
And "Sex and the City"? It's still on in reruns. And, it'll be seen later in the year on the big screen.
Its premise? Star hedges.
"It features four women," he says.
"Cashmere Mafia" airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC. It then moves to its regular timeslot at 9 p.m. Wednesdays.
Executive Producer Darren Star thinks so. His "Cashmere Mafia" premieres this week, covering territory that was once "Sex and the City's" exclusive turf.
Now, Star says, women are viewed "from a completely different point of view." And, since his new leads are business tycoons, there's a different vibe. "'Sex and the City' is a comedy about sex," he explains. "This show examines the particular challenges they face as career women."
Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville star as best friends from business school. They're a "cashmere mafia" who bond to help each other through the corporate jungle.
"They're dealing with the same things (most women are)," Otto says. "They're just dealing with them in a higher-stakes world."
Men, Liu say, can be particularly problematic. "Men are a little bit confused. There was a time when they were expected to open the door and pay for dinner. Now, they don't really know what to do. They don't want to be chastised for not opening the door but, at the same time, it's not something women appreciate or expect."
Executive Producer Gail Katz based the series on friends she made at Yale University. Kevin Wade, who wrote "Working Girl," expanded the premise and found the humor in it.
With four leads, he says, "it was a lot to juggle. But it freed me up a little bit because they were four different voices with four different situations." With women in business "there's almost an underdog quality built in."
Children figure into the mix; one woman is gay. In the premiere, Liu's character has to compete with her fiance for a top job at a media company.
Unlike the "Sex and the City" women, "Cashmere's" quartet can't be oblivious to the world around them.
"Sex," in fact, "was conceived as a comedy about sex from the female point of view," Star says. "There hadn't been anything like it."
Now, it's a template for dozens of films and television series.
Like "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue," two Steven Bochco series, "Sex and the City" and "Cashmere Mafia" should be able to stand on their own. "Sex" was a show about single women who were fine with their place in life "and spoke about their sex lives like sailors," Star says. "Now, the new Caesars are women. (There are) provocative and timely issues to think about that are part of what's going on right now with us."
"It's a bit of a myth to suggest that it's guys who have it all and women are just trying to live up to that level," Executive Producer Jeff Rake says. "These days, it's about equalizing the playing field. Men deal with the same dilemmas that women do."
Successful business women, however, haven't been seen much on television. "There's a lot of shows about struggling doctors, interns, lawyers and secretaries," says Somerville. "But there aren't that many shows with four women that are this wealthy. Most of them are (about) classic American-types, struggling women and housewives."
"Cashmere Mafia," O'Connor says, is "aspirational."
Wade insists it's relatable for all viewers -- "whatever their income."
Somerville says it's refreshing to see women who support one another. "Women can be painted so badly in reality shows and tabloids about women celebrities. Shows like this seem to counterbalance it."
And "Sex and the City"? It's still on in reruns. And, it'll be seen later in the year on the big screen.
Its premise? Star hedges.
"It features four women," he says.
"Cashmere Mafia" airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC. It then moves to its regular timeslot at 9 p.m. Wednesdays.
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