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13 Episodes 2011 - 2011
Episode 1
26 mins
With a pending high concept reality show about his life dating a model half his age, TV producer George (Ken Finkleman) is as nervous and neurotic as ever. He shares his measured enthusiasm over the project with his pal Doug (Jason Weinberg), who pleads with him to be on the show. But given Doug's life is low to no concept, George refuses then sets out for Los Angeles to get Larry David's approval for his desired series title, "Embrace your Enthusiasm." Unfortunately, he never even boards the plane after an argument with a fan on an airport escalator lands him with airport security. Meanwhile, Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) his gorgeous, nubile girlfriend complains that they aren't having enough sex and she'd like greater intimacy from him. George makes excuses but clocks her less than subtle hints. But it's the network demands that actually escalate their relationship intensity after the executives threaten to kill the show if Claire and her two young children don't live in his house. Frantic to save the show, George asks Claire to move in. Though he's got serious reservations about her kids, anxiety over her Rottweiler, Bruno, disdain for her Austrian nanny Erica (Ieva Lucs) and outright paranoia about her ex-husband Tony (Noah Danby), he's got no choice if he wants the show to happen. Claire moves in with tons of stuff including a massive painting he detests and that amplifies their vast age difference and generational knowledge gaps. And as George finally resigns himself to his new domestic entanglements, he learns the network is taking a pass on the show.
Episode 2
26 mins
George (Ken Finkleman) is stunned when Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) announces her intention to convert to Judaism. Worse, he discovers she's been meeting with his Rabbi to discuss the process. Since he defines his own Jewishness as closer to neurosis than religion, he admires her agnostic upbringing void of guilt, war and negative associations. But she's in pursuit of a more spiritual life and won't be assuaged. Meanwhile, Erica (Ieva Lucs) the nanny is disgusted with George for bringing salami into her all-organic household. Unbeknownst to her, or Claire, the salami is not only his guilty treat, but also secret salvation to calm and befriend Bruno, the Rottweiler. He gleefully restocks his supply at the butcher when he picks up a side of beef for a determined Claire to make brisket. After conferring with Doug, (Jason Weinberg) who agrees Claire's conversion is a bad idea, George is even more convinced that the success of their relationship depends on their differences of faith. Determined to stop her conversion, he enlists his nerdy, blubbering butcher Martin Gould (Jeff Glickman) to change her mind with a less seductive representation of his religion. Unfortunately, Martin is so besotted by the stunning "shiksa," he further whets her appetite for the Jewish faith. To remedy the situation, George meets his Rabbi (Joey Klein). When the Rabbi learns George has no plans to marry Claire, he agrees her path may not be prudent and offers to help.
Episode 3
30 mins
As George juggles calls from Doug (Jason Weinberg) and Claire (Lauren Lee Smith), he gets pulled over by a bike cop (Jacob Richter) for a series of infractions. His plates are expired, his license is expired and he's clearly a distracted driver. But it's the digs about his nonchalant driving that really stick in his craw as he heads out for dinner with Claire. Bragging about his skills, he nearly wipes out a pedestrian. The incident leads to a shouting match with the man, Gerry, (Martin Roach) a producer who brags that he's landed Jack Nicholson for a role in his new movie. Irked about Gerry's success and having to wait for a table at a chi-chi new restaurant, George lies to the hostess (Meghan Heffern) to grab an empty table for four. They are seated immediately after he claims Jack Nicholson is meeting them for dinner. But when he realizes his ex-wife Julia (Barbara Radeki) is dining at the next table, he makes a slew of excuses and a hasty exit. As he and Claire bolt, George says that his dinner companion has been killed in an accident. Thinking it's Jack Nicholson, the hostess freaks and spreads the tragic celebrity death news causing an avalanche of rumour and innuendo. And as George and Claire drive in search of something to eat, his distraction and arrogance cause him to nearly kill another pedestrian. Insults are hurled, slurs are screamed and property damage is inflicted. It's yet another expensive lesson that George somehow fails to recognize.
Episode 4
30 mins
Stuck in traffic, George's (Ken Finkleman) impatience gets the better of him and he honks at the driver in front. When the horn sticks and blares, the irate driver tears the windshield wiper off George's car. Inspired, George decides to try to market the Fonk, a friendly sounding honk. But as he pitches the idea to the Holt Renfrew cosmetic salesman (Matt Bois) who is helping Claire, things get unfriendly, fast. Insults are exchanged and suddenly George is considering plastic surgery. He drags Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) along to his appointment with Dr. Mason (Kevin Jubinville) only to discover the two used to date. Though he's hedging over his decision to get a neck job, in a moment of weakness, he consents to the surgery. Afterwards, he tells Claire he's cancelling his procedure and grudgingly admits jealousy over their affectionate re-acquaintance. Claire goes out for lunch with the doctor and when she returns George hugs her in an effort to express greater affection, and subvert the threat he's now feeling from the successful plastic surgeon's past with his hot, young girlfriend. Doug (Jason Weinberg) agrees it's imperative George go through with the neck job so Dr. Mason can't ethically make moves on Claire. But after an unfortunate honking incident involving a cabbie leads to an act of road rage, it seems like the surgery might not happen after all.
Episode 5
30 mins
Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) wants George (Ken Finkleman) to hear a show pitch from her ex-husband but he's adamantly against it. To appease her, he buys her an expensive dress and accompanies her to the hair salon. At the salon, he's approached by her stylist, Jordan (Hal Eisen) who has an idea for a Gay Sopranos series. George shrugs him off until he runs into his understandably bitter ex-wife Julia, (Barbara Radecki) and her BFF Saundra (Liza Balkan). In an effort to dodge further conversation, he grabs Jordan to hear his pitch then sets up another meeting. Claire warns George about screwing things up since Jordan is the best hair stylist in the country and she can't afford to lose favour with him. Needless to say the idea is unfeasible, but Linda, (Lisa Ryder) the network executive, also gave Jordan props to ensure her preferred status as a client. And now George is in the unenviable position of breaking the news to Jordan that his show idea sucks. Doug (Jason Weinberg) suggests George team Jordan and his boyfriend, Steve, (Ian Warburton) with Claire's gangster ex, Tony (Noah Danby), and his associate. As the gays and gangsters have a writer's confab, George sneaks out for coffee with Doug. The collaboration quickly goes south and Alan (Steven McCarthy) keeps calling George on his cell. But as all hell breaks loose at the office, George ignores the phone preferring to focus on his cappuccino and biscotti.
Episode 6
30 mins
George (Ken Finkleman) boasts to Doug (Jason Weinberg) and Alan (Steven McCarthy) about turning down a two hundred thousand dollar commercial deal for a product he's averse to promoting. But while the notion of shilling an extremely personal body product seems unsavoury, he's happy to demand a fee for an appearance on "Between Friends," a This is your Life-style program that reintroduces people from your past. When George picks up his estranged childhood friend Dave (Alan C. Peterson) at the airport, his worst fear is that they'll still have nothing in common, which could mean making some bad TV. But things escalate to terrifying levels when, after a scary, turbulent flight, Dave begins to reassess his life and confesses that he's a professional hitman with dozens of kills to his credit.
Episode 7
30 mins
As George (Ken Finkleman) becomes more aware of how different his tastes, references and sensibilities are from Claire's (Lauren Lee Smith) he begins to fret about their relationship. When he solicits Doug's (Jason Weinberg) advice, the two men agree that their relationship acumen and insights far surpass women's intuition. Still, it's clear these paranoid feelings have George unhinged. Doug's solution is a cohabitation agreement, a sort of pre-nuptial document for the unmarried, to make sure Claire doesn't clean out his considerable assets if things go awry. Unfortunately, as George indelicately broaches the subject with Claire, she's irate. Well aware of their age and taste differences, she accepts them. Furthermore, if George is so adamant about this foolish contract, she's moving out. His hand forced, George needs to rethink his position fast, before she walks out the door.
Episode 8
30 mins
Unsettled and miffed about his new domestic situation, George (Ken Finkleman) is in the doghouse after he insults Erica the nanny's work ethic (Ieva Lucs), then Claire's (Lauren Lee Smith) intelligence. Doug (Jason Weinberg) advises him to buy Claire a gift to apologize. So George pops into the hardware store to grab something. The hardware guy (Howard Pressburger) recommends flowers. They're a hit, but he misses the mark again when he suggests caging Bruno the Rottweiler. So off he heads for a better make-up gift before meeting with his broker. But before he can get down to business, Doug drags him to The Communal Mule coffee shop to admire the most beautiful woman in the world (Christine Tizzard). George is overwhelmed. He hits on her pretending he's doing a show about how unhappy beautiful women are only to discover her life is amazing. Afterwards, as the men look at expensive art, Doug convinces George that a face-to-face meeting with his broker can only mean bad news. George gets increasingly paranoid that he might have enlisted corrupt financial management from a Bernie Madoff-type crook. Even worse, he must also endure the extortionist prices of parking in the downtown core. Luckily, he finds a metered spot, but blocks in the driver trying to exit to stop a creeper from sneaking ahead of him. After dooring a passing bike courier, a verbal altercation ensues ending with one of the drivers leaving in an ambulance and George happily secured in the parking spot. With only a few minutes to go before his meter expires, George finds himself anxiously waiting in his broker's office. Fed up with waiting and wanting to avoid a pricey parking ticket, he charges into his broker's office to find it empty then heads back to his car for an even bigger surprise.
Episode 9
30 mins
After George (Ken Finkleman) picks up Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) from an extravagant shopping adventure, his cell phone rings. To his shock, it's the most beautiful girl in the world who he met at a coffee shop and offered a show. He hangs up immediately, claiming it's a telemarketer. Claire is suspicious. George vents to Doug (Jason Weinberg) about the call. The previously happy beautiful woman has broken up with her boyfriend and is now despondent and desperate to appear on The Ugly Side of Beauty, the non-existent show he claimed he was producing. To get her to stop stalking him, George begs Doug to date her and leaves for a meeting. George meets with Weldon (Damir Andrei), a journalist with a pitch about his life as a beat reporter. As George gushes over the idea of corrupt city politics, the beautiful girl (Christine Tizzard) interrupts - berating him for dumping Doug on her and lying about the show. He pulls her aside admitting his other show won't happen and then promises her a role on Weldon's new show. Appeased, she leaves, and Weldon hits up George for a few thousand bucks. Back at home, Claire tells George a woman called three times looking for him. He claims he's being stalked by the most beautiful woman in the world, but she rightly suspects he encouraged her. As George vents to Doug, he notices the beautiful woman walking Claire's dog Bruno. They duck into a boutique where George flirts with the saleswoman. The beautiful woman enters and tells George and Doug off. The following day at the office, George's assistant Alan (Steven McCarthy) tells him Weldon has met with tragedy. And for George, that's extremely painful news given he loaned him five thousand dollars, cash.
Episode 10
30 mins
When George (Ken Finkleman) and Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) attend the screening of a pretentious art film, it's all George can do not to scream in agony. And when the director (Lindsay Owen Pierre) approaches them in the lobby afterward, George can only offer comments on the man's suit. Embarrassed, Claire is effusive and grabs the attention of the director who decides to cast her in his new film, a vérité love story starring him. After hearing the story of the encounter, Doug suggests that in future, George enlist the universal "fucked up" in response to people seeking feedback. In most circumstances, they will take it as a compliment. The theory proves true when George meets with Scott (Adam M. Reid) and Matt, (Max Reid) a pair of extremely stoned up-and-coming writers. Despite their questionable talents, George's words prove encouraging. Now being sued by the most beautiful woman in the world (Christine Tizzard), George agrees to have lunch with her and hopefully get her to drop her lawsuit. When he fails to convince her after promising another non-existent development deal, he realizes that his salvation may lie with the film director he so despises. Meanwhile, despite George's reservations, Claire is off to try her hand at acting. He warns her that the French Canadian is a talentless buffoon, but she won't listen. And when George refuses to drop it, he finds himself sleeping on the couch.
Episode 11
30 mins
Hung-over and plied with Tylenol by his assistant Alan (Steven McCarthy), George (Ken Finkleman) is clearly suffering when Doug (Jason Weinberg) stops by his office to chat. George regales him with an astonishing story involving Claire's friend Anita, (Kristi Angus) a Swedish supermodel, and Gunnar, (Ian Matthews), her hockey player husband. Apparently despite Gunnar's athletic prowess, he's unable to impregnate his wife and they'd like to enlist George for the assist. Flashing between George's dramatic embellishment of the scenario with Doug and the actual meeting, negotiations and sealing of the deal, George is obviously incredibly pleased with the strange sexual transaction. Suddenly, George is bringing home a murderer for a few days plus has planned a dinner party with their mutual friend Allen, (Jan Filips) a successful orthodontist. Charmed by Dave and his tales of dealing with cancer and a disabled son, Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) thinks George is over-reacting, again. But her calming influence does little to relieve George's anxiety when Dave tells him he selected his vocation due to the emotional trauma inflicted on him in grade school by Allen. Now George must find a way to un-do certain calamity before it's too late.
Episode 12
30 mins
George (Ken Finkleman) takes his kids, Sidney (Sidney Cohen) and Abe (Abe Cohen) for a fancy meal where they suggest he trade-in his BMW for a Prius, especially given he is trying to produce a project with an environmentally sensitive film company. Later on in the day, during a shopping excursion with Claire (Lauren Lee Smith), she asks him to buy a car. Considering a big-ticket purchase like that akin to a serious commitment, George recoils. Doug (Jason Weinberg) suggests George draw up a 'pre-purch' agreement, a sort of pre-nuptial that will make the car defer to him if their relationship ends. When Claire hears of the idea she's insulted. To make amends and prove his commitment to her, he offers to drive her kids and their nanny to a birthday party hosted by a film financier (Scott Edgecombe). At the party, George wreaks havoc even getting into a shoving match with the clown. Having made a bad situation worse, George decides to stall by taking Claire to test drive the car and then criticizing its handling. His ploy works. But when he gets an opportunity to impress a visiting film executive (Jeff Pangman) by giving him a ride to the airport, he borrows the car for another test drive. And while the exec is impressed, things go quickly awry as George's attempts to redeem himself create huge complications.
Episode 13
30 mins
George (Ken Finkleman) complains to his agent about his struggles to get a new project off the ground. The agent (Ennis Esmer) tells George his ideas are stale and he needs an online, multiplatform approach to be relevant to a younger demographic. George is miffed with his bluntness and the apparent inanity of his suggestions. When George meets with the network executives, (Patrice Goodman/Kristen Bishopric) they team him with Lewis Weinstein, (Matthew Tissi) a kid who is a viral sensation with HeyBully, a virtual way to vent aggravation. George leaves the meeting clueless about the concept and feeling even more irrelevant. Doug's (Jason Weinberg) solution is retirement. After all, unemployment has served him well. But Claire (Lauren Lee Smith) quickly puts the kibosh on that, saying he'd drive her crazy and she'd leave him. So George meets with the teen tech prodigy, Lewis. Nothing happens and George is even more confused than before. His agent reports back that the network execs love the idea and want to skip the development and pilot stages and jump to a 13-episode order. George's head is about to pop off. To seal the deal, George has Shabbat dinner with Lewis and his parent / managers (Doug Bell/Kathy Laskey). They seem equally confounded about what their son is onto, but endorse his collaboration with George. Still ignorant about the nature of the show he's going to produce, George meets with Lewis to discuss the series only to discover that creativity is often fleeting, fickle and deeply mysterious.