One Season Wonders: The Class (2006)

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you

When people think of one-season television shows, they usually recall the critically acclaimed or cult favorites like My So-Called Life, Freaks & Geeks, and Selfie. But what about the shows that make you say, “Oh, right, I vaguely remember that,” or even, “I have no idea what that show is”?

A friend was watching The Accountant 2 and admitted they were only watching it for Jon Bernthal. For some reason, that gave me a reverse That’s So Raven moment, I suddenly remembered that one of the first things I saw Jon in was The Class. The only other thing I remembered about the show was that Lucy Punch was also a main cast member. The only other detail I recalled was that Lucy Punch was also part of the main cast. Curious, I checked to see if it was streaming (it’s not) and was surprised when I came across a photo of the full cast.

Recognize some of these faces?

Created by David Crane (co-creator of Friends, Episodes) and his husband Jeffrey Klarik (co-producer of Mad About You) the series premiered on CBS, September 18, 2006, and ran for 19 episodes before being cancelled due to low ratings and budgeting. It revolves around a group of eight 28-year-olds who were all in the same third-grade class. Though they all drifted apart, they are brought back together when Ethan (played by Jason Ritter) decides to throw a party to celebrate his engagement to a fellow classmate. 

Fun fact: Aaron Paul auditioned for this show and was very upset that he didn't get the role. But if he had, he wouldn't have been able to audition for (and get!) the role of Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad. 

Now let's revisit the cast:

Character: Ethan Haas. A well-meaning, optimistic romantic who reunites his third-grade classmates while navigating the fallout from a broken engagement and reigniting old flames. He also happens to be a pediatrician and has a golden retriever.

Played by: Jason Ritter is probably best known for his heartfelt and versatile performances across television and animation. He gained prominence as Kevin Girardi on Joan of Arcadia, moved on to roles like Sean Walker in The Event and Mark Cyr in Parenthood, the latter earning him a Primetime Emmy nomination. He also voiced Dipper Pines in the popular animated series Gravity Falls and portrayed Pat Rollins in the Netflix series Raising Dion.

In film, Ritter has appeared in critically acclaimed features like the Emmy-nominated HBO movie The Tale, Bitch, and The Intervention. He currently stars in NBC’s Matlock and bares a strong resemblance to his comedy legend father, John Ritter. 

Character: Holly Ellenbogen is a sharp-witted television news reporter and Kyle Lendo’s former prom date—now married to interior decorator Perry Pearl and mother to baby Oprah. She returns to the group reunion determined to flaunt her seemingly perfect life, though her presence (and abrupt departure after episode 12 due to budget cuts) hints at undercurrents of tension and unresolved issues.

Played by: Lucy Punch is a British actress celebrated for her standout comedic and character roles in both film and TV. She first gained notice as the eccentric receptionist on Doc Martin.

She broke into major Hollywood movies with scene-stealing turn as Darla in Dinner for Schmucks, followed by memorable roles in Bad Teacher and Hot Fuzz, showcasing her knack for playing offbeat, often risqué characters.

On the small screen, Punch earned acclaim as Amanda in the BBC parenting satire Motherland and its spin-off Amandaland, and charmed audiences as the villainous Esmé Squalor in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Most recently, she appeared in the musical fantasy Into the Woods, The Meddler and Silent Night.

Character: Kat Warbler, a sarcastic, sharp-tongued cynic who guards her heart but shows fierce loyalty to her twin sister, Lina, and gradually reveals a softer side.

Played by: Lizzy Caplan is widely recognized for her breakout turn as Janis Ian in the cult hit Mean Girls, and for her acclaimed Emmy-nominated lead performance as sex researcher Virginia E. Johnson in Masters of Sex.

She has had strong supporting performances in films like Cloverfield, 127 Hours, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Now You See Me 2.

More recently, she earned further Emmy recognition for portraying Libby Epstein in Fleishman Is in Trouble, and continues to shine in acclaimed projects like Castle Rock, Netflix’s Zero Day, and Fatal Attraction. 

Character: Richie Velch, a sweet but unlucky man recovering from a painful breakup, whose awkwardness and honesty lead him into unexpected love.

Played by: Jesse Tyler Ferguson (with the baby-est face of the cast!) is best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Mitchell Pritchett on the long-running ABC sitcom Modern Family, earning five consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

He also built a strong Broadway reputation, originating the role of Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and winning a Tony Award in 2022 for Best Featured Actor in Take Me Out, in addition to his acclaimed one-man show Fully Committed. 

Character: Duncan Carmello, a charming slacker who still lives with his overbearing mother and rekindles a spark with his high school sweetheart. The season ends with he and Kat having a one night stand. 

Played by: Jon Bernthal. He gained worldwide attention as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead, a volatile and deeply conflicted friend, Frank Castle/The Punisher in Marvel's Daredevil and The Punisher, a revenge-driven vigilante whose portrayal earned acclaim for its emotional depth and intensity. His most recent television work as Michael “Mikey” Berzatto in The Bear, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor. As one of two people who watched the television adaptation of American Gigolo, it was criminally underrated! 

He's been equally successful in film, having supporting and lead roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, The Accountant/The Accountant 2, King Richard, Widows and more. 

Character: Lina Warbler, Kat’s sunny, romantic twin who maintains a positive outlook despite repeated heartbreaks, and quickly forms a surprising bond with Richie.

Played by: Heather Goldenhersh is best known for her Tony-nominated Broadway performance as Sister James in Doubt (2005), along with notable film roles such as Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice (2004), Martha Pomeroy in Kinsey (2004), and Sheila in School of Rock (2003). She and Jesse Tyler Ferguson  even had a reunion when she guest starred on Modern Family in the season 7 episode, Thunk in the Trunk (pictured right).

Character: Nicole Allen, a glamorous former cheerleader trapped in a loveless marriage to a controlling football star, as she wrestles with lingering feelings for Duncan.

Played by: Andrea Anders. In addition to supporting and guest roles on Oz, Law & Order, Ted Lasso, and Modern Family, Andrea is probably most known as Alex Garrett, Matt LeBlanc’s quirky and neurotic neighbor, on the Friends spinoff, Joey, and as Linda Zwordling in the cult favorite Better Off Ted.

Character: Kyle Lendo, a kind-hearted and sensitive gay man who is happily settled with his boyfriend but must confront unresolved emotions tied to his past. He was popular in school and all the girls were in love with him. He took Holly Ellenbogen to their senior prom, but at the afterparty he was caught in bed with Michael from his Spanish class. He is now a first-grade teacher.

Played by: Sean Maguire is an English-American actor and singer whose career began at age five opposite Laurence Olivier, but he first rose to fame playing Tegs Ratcliffe in BBC’s Grange Hill and Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders .

He found U.S. recognition through his roles as Donovan Brink in UPN’s sitcom Eve and later as Robin Hood in ABC’s hit Once Upon a Time.

Maguire has built a varied filmography with parts in The Magicians, The 100, Timeless, Criminal Minds, and a leading role in Meet the Spartans, while also sharing his passion as founder of The Players Conservatory acting school in Los Angeles.

Kenneth Cole: The Birth of the Shoe Company

[source]

One afternoon I decided to listen to some 80s classics which included Klymaxx's The Men All Pause and at one point they mention their Kenneth Cole shoes and I think "has Kenneth Cole really been around that long to be mentioned in an 80s classic?" And the answer is yes and then some.

Back in 1982, Kenneth Cole wanted to unveil his line of shoes during market week at the Hilton New York Hotel but was limited on funds and could not afford a hotel room or show room. He decided to get creative and rented a friend's truck, only to be told it would be near impossible to get a permit to park the truck in midtown Manhattan. When he visited the mayor's office to inquire about a permit he was told there were only two ways people received parking permits - production companies shooting full-length films and utility companies. 

What does Cole do? He changed his company letterhead from Kenneth Cole, Inc. to Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. and applied for a permit to shoot the film "The Birth of a Shoe Company." He received the permit, parked across from the Hilton New York the day of the shoe show. Sometimes their was a director and film in the camera, the models were now actresses, and they sold forty thousand pairs of shoes in just three and a half days!

The company is still called Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. as a reminder to get creative and push boundaries. 

In the video below you can listen to Kenneth talk about these events along with footage from the "film shoot."

Me and J.F.K Jr. and George and Matt Berman

Products purchased through this post may earn me a commission.

[x]

Background
Quite a bit ago a regurgitated story about how Princess Diane and J.F.K. Jr. had a secret meeting years ago made the rounds again. They were meeting in hopes that she would do a cover shoot for his magazine, George. (Matt Berman, whose book this post is about, recently posted a sketch that JFK Jr. presented to Diana at their meeting) It didn't happen but of course a meeting of two iconic people would make the news, even years later. Skimming the articles and reading comments about John and George and the 90s gave me a wave a nostalgia (as do most things these days), but also made me want to learn more about John.


I started with his wikipedia then onto other short articles, but they were filled with the same stories and thoughts except on who they considered the love of his life (the three main women of course being his longtime friend turned girlfriend, Christina Haag, actress Daryl Hannah, and Calvin Klein publicist Carolyn Bessette). There was one interesting fact I found: there is no audio recording of (his eventual wife) Bessette's voice. The public didn't know what she sounded like, which is so odd to me since they were so hounded by paparazzi, but I guess that was pre TMZ and camera phones. When filming Gone Girl, director David Fincher encouraged Rosamund Pike to base Amy Dunne on Bessette, but even with their resources they couldn't find any recordings. This ended up either being false or they didn't do their research well as a (brief) paparazzi video was later shown on this past Friday's TLC Special, so there is probably more.

NYFW x Samsung Film Screening: Battle at Versailles

To say I am a fashion person would be a lie. I've perused some fashion blogs (or rather "shopping" blogs), watched a few streaming events, used to be obsessed with watching award show red carpets, and know my fair share of designers, but I definitely don't have the eye or creativity to be a fashion person.

When I first moved to New York, I thought "maybe I'll get more into fashion! There is so much inspiration just by walking down the street and so many thrift stores. I'll put more of an effort into what I look like and maybe find some events!" But no such thing has happened, I probably dress worse than when I did back home and as much as I love attending events (particularly free ones), I just never sought them out, probably because I never thought I'd fit in.

I make this sound more serious than it is, and like my finally attending an event is a big milestone, but I was happy I finally attended one. And really, I only went because it was a film screening.

The event was held at the Samsung 837 flagship store, more of an interactive playground than your typical retail store. You can test out their latest products, including VR experiences, listen in on special guests about the latest technology or even career advice.

Produced by M2M (Made to Measure), an online fashion video network that streams original content as well as runway shows and other fashion and art related films such as The September Issue and The Man Who Fell to Earth and hosted by RaVal Davis, the audience was treated with truffle popcorn and a couple of splits of Chandon Rosé for the screening. I'm usually not a rosé person, but I gotta say, it was tasty, not too sweet.

The film covers the historical fashion show that was held at the Palace of Versailles on November 28, 1973 to raise money for it's restoration. Without trying to just list off it's history, the event was created by Eleanor Lambert, a prominent figure in the fashion and arts world who helped with founding the Museum of the Modern Art and New York Fashion Week (and whom Mussolini called a bitch). The event was essentially French designers (Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior, and Hubert de Givenchy) vs. American designers (Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, Bill Blass, and Anne Klein), and the Americans were assumed to fail before even arriving in Paris.

With over 700 guests including Grace Kelly and Andy Warhol, the Parisians started with an elaborate show that ran over two hours compared to the American who clocked in at around 37 minutes. But in those 37 minutes they not only wowed the fashion world, but earned their respect. Liza Minelli opened the show then each designer showcased their eight pieces which the French considered "sportswear" and used eleven black models (Pat Cleveland, Bethann Hardison, Billie Blair, Jennifer Brice, Alva Chinn, Norma Jean Darden, Charlene Dash, Barbara Jackson, China Machado, Ramona Saunders, and Amina Warsuma), an unprecedented number for that time.

The film includes interviews with designers, assistants, models and attendees who reminisce not just about the event and fashion but that time in New York and Paris in such a way that the viewer wishes we could visit, even for just a day. With little footage and photographs to work with, director Fritz Mitchell recreates the designers' runway looks as the models give first hand accounts. One instance that stands out was when Pat Cleveland twirled and twirled around the stage in a layered Halston number and stopped just as she got to the edge of the stage. Oscar De La Renta requested to go last and had the women walk to the tunes of Barry White; according to him, if Mozart can play in Versailles, then why not Barry White? It was a refreshing and daring show, something the audience, mostly Parisians, loved. Afterwards, they were invited to celebrate in the Hall of Mirrors, a gallery where only royalty had been before. To say the show was a success was an understatement. It changed the way the world looked at fashion and American fashion in general.

At just over an hour the film doesn't go too much into the drama, the preparation beforehand nor does it conclude with a "where are they now" or "what happened after?" but it is a visual feast and took only the necessary soundbites to take us back to that time. Stanley Tucci perfectly narrates the film and the original music, composed by Brian Keane, knows when to be dramatic while letting the visual take over, then other times playful, like a fairytale.

After the film I definitely visited quite a few wikipedia pages and saw there was another documentary based on the event. And early last year, Ava DuVernay was in talks of directing a film for HBO. I almost wish they would make a mini series about it because I'm not sure if concentrating on one person or aspect would be enough for an event like this, but in the mean time, this was a great starting point.

Lucky for us, it is streaming for free on M2M. Watch below:

The 2016 Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows

Once the holidays start approaching here in the city there's the excitement of so many things such as the Rockefeller Christmas tree, holiday markets, ice skating and even department store windows. New York City is probably the most popular place for holiday windows - though Paris and Chicago are definitely close - from Macy's to Barneys, but the most famous display of all is Bergdorf Goodman, to the point that they made a documentary about it. Taking the title from a 1990 Victoria Roberts cartoon that was featured in the New Yorker, Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's covers the history of the luxury goods department store while following David Hoey, Senior Director of Visual Presentation, and Linda Fargo, ‎SVP Fashion and Store Presentation Director, as they plan and execute the 2011 holiday window displays for the iconic store.

Covering everything from when Herman Bergdorf started a tailor shop in downtown Manhattan to Linda meeting with Ally Hilfiger (daughter of designer Tommy Hilfiger and one half of the iconic Rich Girls), about her latest clothing line to interviews with the store's most successful personal shopper, Betty Halbreich; the film covers a lot. Almost too much. It's all very interesting but there doesn't seem to be any cohesion and because everything is just touched upon, you want more and unfortunately, the film doesn't deliver.

For this year's display, David says he took inspiration from Henri Rousseau and trips to the American Museum of Natural History, that they are to be looked at as magical realist versions of natural history museum dioramas. I took a trip down to Bergdorf's on a cold December night and took a few pictures. If you're in the city, they will be available to view through January 2, 2017 and at the bottom of this post I included a list of companion books to check out.

Pleasure Trip

The Thrill of the Chase

The Only Way to Fly

The Bird's Eye View

The Hitchhiker

Winging It

The Scenic Route

The Book Club

(love the details on this)

This one didn't have a title but I had to include it

Books to check out*:

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman by Bergdorf Goodman

I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist by Betty Halbreich

Dreams: Through the Glass by Linda Fargo

The Bergdorf Goodman Cookbook by Bergdorf Goodman

The Rise of Fashion and Lessons Learned at Bergdorf Goodman by Ira Neimark

*Breakfast with the Uncultured is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Bottle Shock + Wine tasting

A few weeks ago I went to a screening at the Metrograph of Big Night which was introduced by the one and only Alton Brown and afterwards he did a little Q&A. When asked if he thought any other good American "food" films have been made since Big Night, he quickly said no, but mentioned that Americans are great at making wine films such as Sideways and Bottle Shock. I was honestly surprised he mentioned Bottle Shock since I attempted to watch it a while ago but got bored and never finished it. I figure I'd give it another shot so I invited my fellow wine and film lover friend over for a little wine tasting while we watched the movie (a streaming version is currently available with Amazon Prime).

Bottle Shock is somewhat* based on the true story of the blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as "Judgment of Paris". Alan Rickman plays Steven Spurrier, a expat Englishman and wine shop owner, living in Paris who decides to hold a blind tasting to not only try and save his shop but to introduce the French to wines from other parts of the world. He travels to Napa Valley where he meets Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman), owner of Chateau Montelena. Jim has no interest in being in the competition as he believes it's a set up to be laughed at by the French but his hippie son, Bo (Chris Pine), slips a few Chardonnay bottles to Spurrier and (spoiler alert!) they win the Chardonnay part of the competition. After the competition is mentioned in Time, requests for the Chateau Montelena wine grows and Napa Valley has been recognized.

The story itself is an interesting one yet the filmmakers didn't delve too much into details of the actual competition and its characters but instead introduced unnecessary (and most likely made up) sub plots such as a dull love triangle, and though Gustavo Brambila (played by Freddy Rodriguez) is a real person and did work at Chateau Montelena, it wasn't until after the events shown in the film.

Going back to the idea of "food"films, what makes a lot of those films interesting and fun is the actual food. Spanglish, as God awful as it was, was worth watching for the infamous sandwich scene, and Big Night's unveiling of the food and the guest's reactions are both mouthwatering and entertaining. There are so many films dedicated to food but not so wine and the filmmakers missed an opportunity to not just show the hard work that goes into wine making, the characters loving wine. The closest we get is a few short scenes with Dennis Farina's character visiting Spurrier's shop as he tries what the shop has to offer. The big competition scene itself seemed to only last a few minutes and was ladled with shots of snooty reactions from the judges as they try to guess which wine is from California rather than showing the judging process and close ups of the color and body of the wines against the sun. Oh the prettiness that could have been.

*After reading the screenplay, Spurrier criticized it's inaccuracies and considered it insulting.

Bagged and numbered

This photo is a bit out of focus but I will always take the opportunity to show off the Wisconsin shaped cutting board a friend gifted me. It also seemed appropriate since Dennis Farina's character is from Milwaukee

"palette cleansers" between wines aka any excuse to eat cheese and olives and pickled vegetables

We went with Savignon Blanc splits except one Chardonnay, which of course stood out like a sore thumb (neither of us are Chardonnay fans), but surprisingly, it scored about the same as the others. In the end #4, a Savignon Blanc from Rapa Nui winery won by one single point.

I made the handy dandy "wine mats," which are legal size and available to download here and we used this to help us score/rate each wine.

I think my next tasting will be beer while taking in a viewing of Drinking Buddies.

Getting Crafty // Movie Poster Coasters

This is a simple and quick DIY project that you can gift or make for yourself. In this instance, I'm making these for a friend's birthday as she liked the ones I made for myself so I asked her her six favorite movies and printed out their movie posters.

What will you need?*

• Print outs of what you want to put on the coasters. I trimmed the edges about three fourths of an inch smaller than the tile on mine.
• Ceramic tiles (I got mine at Home Depot for about sixteen cents each)
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Cork tiles 
• Mod Podge
• Sponge
• Scissors
• Clear Shellac Spray

Step One: Trace the tile onto the cork and cut out. Trim the edges a bit so they are slightly smaller than the tile

Step Two: Outline the non cork side with glue and firmly press it on the back of the tile

       

 Step Three: Flip the tile over and cover the area that you will placing your print out with Mod Podge

Step Four: Place the print out on the tile and cover the entire thing with Mod Podge. Don't worry about streaks, it'll dry clear. 

If you printed on regular paper (like I did), it may start to bubble up, just smooth it out with your finger (if you're ok with getting a little messy) and add more Mod Podge. 

Step Five: Once the Mod Podge is dry (should only take a few minutes), spray with two thin layers of the shellac, waiting about an hour between layers. 

The reason why I add the shellac is because Mod Podge is not hot beverage friendly. I learned that the hard way when my mug full of hot coffee heated the Mod Podge and the coaster stuck to it, but not long enough and it fell to the floor and broke. 

Now use and enjoy!

*Breakfast with the Uncultured is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.