Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis is an ambitious reporter with her sights set on anchoring Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. Complicating her daily life is the fact that her spoiled, needy, recently-separated sister Kathy has moved in with her. Worst of all, the hot guy Pepper woke up with one morning, Charlie Babcock, just showed up in the newsroom, grabbed her dream job, and is now practically her boss. She's trying to despise him, but Charlie is smart, handsome, funny, available, and interested. She gets much-needed support from her close friends, the TV station's makeup artist Kimmy and cameraman Chick, who has a secret crush on Pepper.
- Metascore37
- 2006-2006
- 1 season
- The WB Television Network
- Comedy, Drama
- TV-PG
Pepper Dennis is an ambitious reporter with her sights set on anchoring Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. Complicating her daily life is the fact that her spoiled, needy, recently-separated sister Kathy has moved in with her. Worst of all, the hot guy Pepper woke up with one morning, Charlie Babcock, just showed up in the newsroom, grabbed her dream job, and is now practically her boss. She's trying to despise him, but Charlie is smart, handsome, funny, available, and interested. She gets much-needed support from her close friends, the TV station's makeup artist Kimmy and cameraman Chick, who has a secret crush on Pepper.
Season 1 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 2006
Episode 1
Pilot
Tue, Apr 4, 2006 60 mins
Pepper Dennis is a beautiful and ambitious reporter with her sights set on anchoring Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. Just when Pepper thinks she's about to land her dream anchor job, her hot new boyfriend, Charlie Babcock, shows up in the newsroom and steals the job out from under her. Complicating Pepper's daily life is her needy and recently separated sister Kathy, who has moved in with her. Only Pepper's close friends and co-workers, makeup artist Kimmy Kim and cameraman Chick, seem to feel her pain.
Episode 2
Poker Clubs and Boob Cams
Tue, Apr 11, 2006 60 mins
Pepper proves at the station's annual unpopular 'sexual harassment seminar' replay that female abusers are no better then the archetypal male predator. Charlie is equally painfully victimized, yet always the gentleman, during her stubborn attempts to enter the Kresky Club and expose Chicacgo's prime 'poker room' as a virtual bordello. Meanwhile sis and her husband try getting back together.
Episode 3
Frat Boys May Lose Their Manhood
Tue, Apr 18, 2006 60 mins
Pepper's personal anger during a live interview lands her on the couch of the company shrink, who forces her to confront her issues with Charlie. Meanwhile, Kathy's desire to please people leads Pepper to discover dangerous hazing rituals at a college fraternity, leading one of the pledges to hold everyone in the frat house, including Pepper, hostage at gunpoint.
Episode 4
Heiress Bridenapped
Tue, Apr 25, 2006 60 mins
Chicago's top banker, Connor Blanchard, is marrying Pepper's college friend in grand style. This stirs embarrassment and frustrations about marital status, family expectations and priorities in life. Then an uninvited guest changes everything.
Episode 5
Saving Venice
Tue, May 2, 2006 60 mins
Pepper may win an award, an audience 'homeability' focus group hates her grim appearance, unlike charming Charlie Babcock. So Jack expects her ordered behind the screens. Even Chick is tempted to bond in order to get seduction tips. Giving Pepper a pets/human interest segment backfires. Charlie offers to coach her in charming on air, but she still gets it wrong every time. Kim has the hots for Pepper's kid brother Mitch, now in college.
Episode 6
Celebrity Twin Could Hang
Tue, May 9, 2006 60 mins
Editor Jack Bell, Pepper's mentor, has been fired and replaced by recent graduate and CEO relative Lester 'Les' Gaye. He incorporates a ludicrous management mission, including audience entertainment instead of hard facts - and forced vacation days catch-up, even for Pepper. Kathy is determined to keep her from working on (unpaid) for an interview with socialite April May Tyler, who is accused of murdering her twin. Charlie bends to the new wind, followed by the gang. Charlie bumps into an interview with April and realizes her manager Benny Gold is manipulating her.
Episode 7
Curtis Wilson's a Total Nut Job
Wed, May 17, 2006 60 mins
Pepper's obsessive rivalry, and a bet with Charlie, drive her to render public the fact that Curtis Wilson, Chicago's challenger in the mayoral election, lied about a summer in his youth when he checked into a psychiatric institution. She feels guilty when this seems to wreck his campaign, otherwise to her taste. Charlie encourages her to push for the full truth, with surprising results.
Episode 8
Hiroshi Watanabe in Bed with Curtis Wilson
Tue, May 23, 2006 60 mins
Curtis gives Pepper an exclusive tip on an upcoming story. Babcock finds out that Pepper and Curtis are seeing each other and questions her integrity as a reporter. Kimmy tries to resist the temptation that is Pepper's brother Mitch. And, most importantly of all, Pepper has to find a new swimsuit for her weekend trip with Curtis.
Episode 9
Charlie Babcock's Homosexual Encounter
Tue, May 23, 2006 60 mins
An accident at the paper copier puts Guy in no condition for work, so Pepper is assigned to cover Guy's story about Grady Harper, a football star, who's big fan Babcock is. Babcock wants the story, but Pepper is still bitter about the "Pope story" incident and does not give in to Babcock's pleas. When doing the story, Pepper gets injured and Grady takes care of her. Then he invites her out on a date. Babcock invites himself, but all is not as it seems, as Babcock finds out in the men's room (hint: there is a clue in the title). Meanwhile, Chick's class reunion is rapidly approaching and he accidentally e-mails to everyone (as often happens on TV) that Pepper is his date. Oops.
Episode 10
Dennis, Bulgari, Big Losers at ACoRNS
Tue, Jun 6, 2006 60 mins
The ACoRNS nominations are announced and Pepper is excited to get four nominations, especially since Babcock gets only one. Kathy as a dinner date that just gets a bit too uncomfortable for her. She turns to Pepper for advice because "slutty doesn't come easily." She hasn't been single for ten years. Sadly, Pepper only encourages her to seek support groups, since she is too busy fantasizing about her quadruple ACoRNS win. Pepper invites her parents, but they couldn't be less interested because Pepper's brother Mitch needs all the support for his performance at a stage-play. And the problems don't stop there.
Episode 11
Pepper Dennis Behind Bars
Tue, Jun 20, 2006 60 mins
After refusing to reveal her source in a city scandal, Pepper finds herself behind bars. While in the slammer, after observing several inmates suffer food poisoning, Pepper uncovers a scandal that's plagued the jailhouse for years. Meanwhile, Kathy realizes she wants to be more than just a receptionist and pursues night classes at the local college. Charlie shows up at Pepper's doorstep and shocks her with an unexpected question.
Episode 12
True Love Is Dead
Tue, Jun 27, 2006 60 mins
Babcock basks starring in a Japanese dental gloss commercial, but is sued for his teeth's brilliance. Pepper even hates publicity spots for their own news. Kimmy spent money she can't afford on Nadia Vodinova's dating service. Pepper insists in a refund, against True Love's rules, and thus stumbles on systematic fraud. She also discovers Kimmy dumped kid brother Mitch after a month. Babcock gets an even worse surprise, and comes up with shocking solution.
Episode 13
Star Anchor Weds Colleague
Tue, Jul 4, 2006 60 mins
Facing deportation back to Canada, Babcock proposes to Pepper. Les turns their wedding into a reality TV show, but the 'happy couple' wrestles with their motives. Chick and Bianca want to sabotage them, hoping to get their own chance. Kimmy and Immigration's special agent Russell Fuller, whose divorce made him cynical about true love, have their own affair. Reverend Nesbitt's pre-marital session starts a series of uncharacteristic choices and moves.