News
| Tue Mar 9, 2010 Brent Butt's Cast Makes HICCUPS a Humdinger Publisher: TV Guide Author: Greg David | |
| My biggest concern, when I watched the first episode of Hiccups, was that the supporting cast wouldn't be as strong as those on Corner Gas. I already love Nancy Robertson and Brent Butt in any role they play, but wasn't sure I would cotton to the new folks. After all, how do you top Oscar, Emma, Lacey, Hank, Davis and Karen? They were such iconic and memorable characters, it's hard to believe anyone could replace them. And yet the characters surrounding Millie and Stan have made strides to do just that. Last night's sophomore episode, "Strata's Fear," was a vehicle to establish publisher Joyce Haddison, her clueless secretary Crystal, Millie's hunky agent Taylor and Stan's wife Anna as characters worthy of just as much heavy lifting as Millie and Stan. David Ingram, as Taylor, is simply hilarious. He carries himself like stud, dressed to the nines, sporting Horatio Caine shades and whispering thinly-veiled come-ons. He says something stupid in every scene he's in, and often threatens to steal the spotlight away from everyone else. A close second in my list of faves is Paula Rivera, who portrays Anna Dirko. The Mexican hottie immediately reminds me of Gloria (Sofia Vergara) on Modern Family, mostly because of the accent. But that's where the similarity ends. Rather than fawning over Jay like Gloria often does on the ABC sitcom, Anna has a "do it yourself" attitude. Sure she loves Stan, but she's not about to bust her butt to, say, make him a sandwich. "I thought you were going to make me a sandwich?" Stan asked her last night. "No, I asked you if you wanted a sandwich," she replied. "I assumed that meant you were going to make me one." "I assumed you were going to make it yourself. See what our assumptions got us?" "I know what it DIDN'T get me. A sandwich." It's that kind of soft, poke in the ribs humour between a TV couple that I love. It shows thoughtful writing done without a heavy hand. And it's just those types of scenes that make me stop comparing Hiccups to Corner Gas. Hiccups airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV | |
