Muscle (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Muscle is a comedy
television series from the United States
which aired on The WB
in 1995
. It was set inside the fictional Survival Gym
in New York City
. It was a parody
of prime time
soap operas of the 1990s.
Muscle was one of the four sitcoms that aired as part of the original Wednesday night two-hour WB lineup (with The Wayans Bros.
, The Parent 'Hood
, and Unhappily Ever After
); it was the only one of the four that did not make it past the first season.
), the president and founder of the chain of gyms, by poisoning in the first episode. His son Kent, a former alcoholic and drug addict, was determined to figure out who the killer was and bring them to justice. His original suspect was his stepmother and the new president of the company, Jane Atkinson.
In an ultimate act of rebellion he would sleep with his father's trophy wife, Jane, inside the gym's sauna. When Big Jim caught them in the act he apparently died of a heart attack, but an autopsy
would reveal that he was in fact poisoned. Kent would then spend the rest of the series trying to bring his father's murderer to justice, by doing his own amateur investigation. His initial suspect was his step mother Jane, but he would also come to suspect his best friend, and gym manager, Victor.
After the death of her husband she tried to take over running the Survival Gym. However her stepson, Kent, remained a constant rival for the job. In order to win him over she set about seducing him and making him her second husband. Kent, however, believed she had murdered his father and was initially reluctant. After Big Jim's secretary confessed to the murder, it appeared that Jane and Kent would begin to have a relationship. Unbeknown to Kent, Jane paid the secretary to confess.
Another scheme she had to secure the Survival Gym franchise was to become pregnant with Big Jim's child, using his previously frozen sperm. However, Jane discovered that she was in fact barren, and had to ask Cleo, to be a surrogate.
It was later revealed that the mysterious woman was in fact her mother. Her mother was a madam at a brothel
. She did not know who her real father was, only that she was conceived around the time the circus
was in town. Cleo/Lorna Louise believed that her father was a clown
, she never met him during the show.
The staff and clientele at Survival Gym never knew this and Cleo was often used as a pawn in the power struggles between Jane and Kent Atkinson. For example, Jane asked her to be a surrogate mother for Big Jim's baby, in an attempt to control Survival Gym. When Kent found out, he seduced Cleo, and then asked her not to agree to be the surrogate. What he did not know, was Cleo had already had the procedure. When Cleo actually ended up being pregnant she did not know who her baby's father was, Kent, or Big Jim, but believed whoever it was she would end up inheriting a huge fortune from the Atkinson family. However, she had also had sex with a director to get in his play, so there was a possibility that he was the father of her baby. The series ended without the father being revealed.
Garnet Hines's most infamous client was Guy Vore, the Carnivore. Guy was accused of being a serial killer
and a cannibal. Garnet with the help of Dr. Gold would get Guy acquitted, however both men would come to regret this action.
Gianni's other love interest was a trainer, named Angela, who had a crush on him. Although, there was some chemistry between them, her lack of monetary success, initially led him to reject her. However, he would eventually dump the financially secure Dottie, for a romantic relationship with Angela. Ironically, shortly after choosing Angela, Gianni suffered a back injury that temporarily paralyzed him and caused him to be supported by Angela's limited finances.
Robert had initially hired Sam to be his trainer. He soon came up with a plan to have Sam star in a series of exercise videos. Robert would do anything to help Sam, from blackmailing Bronwyn to date Sam, to providing him with steroids to help him win a bodybuilding contest. Despite doing these unscrupulous acts, he also showed genuine compassion towards Sam, like talking him out of committing suicide even though it violated Robert's parole (Sam tried to kill himself outside of Robert's ankle bracelet's range). Given that he had a good reason Robert's parole was not violated.
Because he tried to blackmail her, Bronwyn had a strong dislike for Robert. This was initially mutual due to the fact he found her to be arrogant. However in a strange twist, he developed a crush on her. Since she was a lesbian, he decided to dress in drag as Roberta to Angela and Gianni's wedding to win her over. Bronwyn apparently was attracted to "Roberta", however the series was not renewed and this plot element was never fully developed.
Marshall was also the expert witness in the Guy Davore case. It was his testimony that Guy was sane that lead, in part, to Guy's acquittal. Dr. Gold would later come to regret this.
Gianni, being a gigolo, initially resisted being with her because of her lack of money, however, he realized he did in fact love her. After a brief courtship he would propose marriage. The final episode of the series was Angela and Gianni's wedding at the gym, the place where they met.
When he was a boy, Guy had raised rabbits. One day his grandmother killed the rabbits and served them to him as a stew
. She then told him that his friends were now inside him and would remain with him forever. Guy now believed that in order to keep his friends forever he had to eat them, and unfortunately he now believed Marshall and Garnet to be his friends. They were later rescued by the police. Guy believed that the two of them would help him get acquitted again, but it appeared as though that was unlikely.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which aired on The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
in 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. It was set inside the fictional Survival Gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
soap operas of the 1990s.
Muscle was one of the four sitcoms that aired as part of the original Wednesday night two-hour WB lineup (with The Wayans Bros.
The Wayans Bros.
The Wayans Bros. is a situation comedy that aired from 1995 to 1999 on The WB. The series starred real-life brothers Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. Both brothers were already well-known from the sketch comedy show In Living Color...
, The Parent 'Hood
The Parent 'Hood
The Parent 'Hood is an American sitcom that aired on The WB airing from January 18, 1995 to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas....
, and Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After
Unhappily Ever After is an American sitcom that aired for 100 episodes on The WB network from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of four and a half seasons...
); it was the only one of the four that did not make it past the first season.
Synopsis
The central plot concerned the murder of "Big" Jim Atkinson (Adam WestAdam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
), the president and founder of the chain of gyms, by poisoning in the first episode. His son Kent, a former alcoholic and drug addict, was determined to figure out who the killer was and bring them to justice. His original suspect was his stepmother and the new president of the company, Jane Atkinson.
Cast
- Dan GauthierDan GauthierDaniel Lester "Dan" Gauthier is an American actor.-Early life:Gauthier was inspired to act early on by his mother, who was a local theater actress in their Central Oregon home. By the time he turned 18, Gauthier moved to California to attend San Diego State University. He was recruited by SDSU's...
as Kent Atkinson, was the son of the founder of Survivor Gyms, Jim Atkinson. The two of them had a contentious relationship fueled by the fact that Kent never felt that his father thought he was good enough. This may have contributed to his various acts of rebellion against his father, such as his alcoholism, drug abuse and frequent womanizing.
In an ultimate act of rebellion he would sleep with his father's trophy wife, Jane, inside the gym's sauna. When Big Jim caught them in the act he apparently died of a heart attack, but an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
would reveal that he was in fact poisoned. Kent would then spend the rest of the series trying to bring his father's murderer to justice, by doing his own amateur investigation. His initial suspect was his step mother Jane, but he would also come to suspect his best friend, and gym manager, Victor.
- Shannon Kenny as Jane Atkinson, was Big Jim Atkinson's beautiful, BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and much younger, wife (she was about the same age as his son). She was portrayed throughout the series as being very manipulative and was the series principal villain. Her character can in part be seen as a parody of Joan CollinsJoan CollinsJoan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
' character, Alexis, on the television series Dynasty.
After the death of her husband she tried to take over running the Survival Gym. However her stepson, Kent, remained a constant rival for the job. In order to win him over she set about seducing him and making him her second husband. Kent, however, believed she had murdered his father and was initially reluctant. After Big Jim's secretary confessed to the murder, it appeared that Jane and Kent would begin to have a relationship. Unbeknown to Kent, Jane paid the secretary to confess.
Another scheme she had to secure the Survival Gym franchise was to become pregnant with Big Jim's child, using his previously frozen sperm. However, Jane discovered that she was in fact barren, and had to ask Cleo, to be a surrogate.
- Amy PietzAmy PietzAmy Pietz is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Pietz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the adopted daughter of Nancy, a nurse, and Arnold Pietz, a truck driver. She trained throughout her childhood in ballet and prepared to go professional, but eventually decided not to due to...
as Bronwyn Jones, was Kent's cousin, and a local television news anchor. At the start of the series she was a closeted lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Robert Bingham would try and blackmail her in order to keep her secret. Bronwyn would respond by outing herself at the end of one of her own news casts. This would cause the news director to exploit this fact. For example he designed a news promo about problems in health care as: "Naughty Nurses" featuring two beautiful women in nursing outfits having a pillow fight. Then the announcer would say the local news channel's name, "...featuring Bronwyn Jones, lesbian!" By the series end Bronwyn was considering leaving the broadcast to escape exploitation.
- Wendy BensonWendy BensonWendy Benson-Landes is an American actress seen in many television shows. One of her roles was as Joanne Hertz, the segment producer for the character Piper Halliwell at her restaurant Quake in the series Charmed....
as Cleo, was a trainer and struggling actress working at the gym. Seen primarily as innocent and naive by her fellow gym staffers, she was in fact a woman with a mysterious past. This would be hinted at by the fact that she sometimes would speak with a Southern accent when she was alone. She routinely received phone calls from a mysterious woman, also with a Southern accent, who called her Lorna Louise.
It was later revealed that the mysterious woman was in fact her mother. Her mother was a madam at a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
. She did not know who her real father was, only that she was conceived around the time the circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
was in town. Cleo/Lorna Louise believed that her father was a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, she never met him during the show.
The staff and clientele at Survival Gym never knew this and Cleo was often used as a pawn in the power struggles between Jane and Kent Atkinson. For example, Jane asked her to be a surrogate mother for Big Jim's baby, in an attempt to control Survival Gym. When Kent found out, he seduced Cleo, and then asked her not to agree to be the surrogate. What he did not know, was Cleo had already had the procedure. When Cleo actually ended up being pregnant she did not know who her baby's father was, Kent, or Big Jim, but believed whoever it was she would end up inheriting a huge fortune from the Atkinson family. However, she had also had sex with a director to get in his play, so there was a possibility that he was the father of her baby. The series ended without the father being revealed.
- Michael BoatmanMichael BoatmanMichael Patrick Boatman is an Image Award-nominated American actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as U.S. Army Specialist Samuel Beckett in the ABC drama series China Beach, as New York City mayoral aide Carter Heywood in the ABC sitcom Spin City, and as sports agent Stanley Babson in...
as Garnet Hines, was a successful criminal defense attorney. He was portrayed as being amoral and doing whatever it takes to get his client acquitted. One of Garnet's past clients was Robert Bingham, who he failed to get acquitted, but did get him a light prison term.
Garnet Hines's most infamous client was Guy Vore, the Carnivore. Guy was accused of being a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
and a cannibal. Garnet with the help of Dr. Gold would get Guy acquitted, however both men would come to regret this action.
- Nestor CarbonellNestor CarbonellNestor Gastón Carbonell is an American actor, known for portraying Richard Alpert in ABC's drama Lost and Mayor Anthony Garcia in the film The Dark Knight...
as Gianni was a gigoloGigoloGigolo may refer to:* A male prostitute, escort, or dancer, who offers services to women* Gigolo , a 2006 single by Helena Paparizou* Gigolo , a 2003 single by Nick Cannon...
, who used the gym to meet potential "dates". Gianni grew up poor and was determined never to be poor again. Believing that he had few talents, he decided the only way he could live a life of luxury was living off of women. The woman who would become involved with was a wealthy widow named Dottie.
Gianni's other love interest was a trainer, named Angela, who had a crush on him. Although, there was some chemistry between them, her lack of monetary success, initially led him to reject her. However, he would eventually dump the financially secure Dottie, for a romantic relationship with Angela. Ironically, shortly after choosing Angela, Gianni suffered a back injury that temporarily paralyzed him and caused him to be supported by Angela's limited finances.
- Steve Henneberry as Sam Pippin, was a sweet, but not too bright and insecure bodybuilder, and trainer at the gym. Sam had a crush on Bronwyn, when he did not initially know she was a lesbian. His business partner Robert Bingham blackmailed Bronwyn, into going on a date with Sam in order to build up Sam's confidence. After Bronwyn came out, Sam attempted suicide by throwing himself off the Gym's roof, but Robert talked him down.
- Jerry LevineJerry LevineJerry Levine is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski in the feature film Teen Wolf.-Career:...
... Robert/Roberta Bingham, was a former stockbroker on Wall Street, who was convicted of insider trading. At the start of the show he was just released from prison and on parole. While on parole he had been given an ankle monitor, which limited how far he could move inside the gym.
Robert had initially hired Sam to be his trainer. He soon came up with a plan to have Sam star in a series of exercise videos. Robert would do anything to help Sam, from blackmailing Bronwyn to date Sam, to providing him with steroids to help him win a bodybuilding contest. Despite doing these unscrupulous acts, he also showed genuine compassion towards Sam, like talking him out of committing suicide even though it violated Robert's parole (Sam tried to kill himself outside of Robert's ankle bracelet's range). Given that he had a good reason Robert's parole was not violated.
Because he tried to blackmail her, Bronwyn had a strong dislike for Robert. This was initially mutual due to the fact he found her to be arrogant. However in a strange twist, he developed a crush on her. Since she was a lesbian, he decided to dress in drag as Roberta to Angela and Gianni's wedding to win her over. Bronwyn apparently was attracted to "Roberta", however the series was not renewed and this plot element was never fully developed.
- Alan RuckAlan RuckAlan Ruck is an American film, stage and television actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart Bondek on Spin City.-Early life:...
... Dr. Marshall Gold, was a psychiatristPsychiatristA psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, who worked out at the gym. Marshall was notorious for constantly revealing things told to him in the confidence of his practice. He was the one who told Robert that Brownwyn was virgin. Dr. Gold admitted that if he was bored listening to a patient, he would reread some of the details about Brownwyn's sex life.
Marshall was also the expert witness in the Guy Davore case. It was his testimony that Guy was sane that lead, in part, to Guy's acquittal. Dr. Gold would later come to regret this.
- T.E. Russell as Victor, was the manager of the New York branch of Survival Gym and Kent's best friend. Victor was often poorly treated by Big Jim and thus became a suspect in his murder. Victor's friendship with Kent came into question when Kent told the police that Victor was probably the killer. After Big Jim's secretary confessed, Victor would refuse to be friends with Kent because he had suspected him of the murder.
- Michole White as Angela, was a trainer at the gym who had a crush on Gianni. Her parents ran a pet store specializing in birds and fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. While they did not have much money the did love each other deeply. This is what Angela wanted, someone she could share a romantic relationship with.
Gianni, being a gigolo, initially resisted being with her because of her lack of money, however, he realized he did in fact love her. After a brief courtship he would propose marriage. The final episode of the series was Angela and Gianni's wedding at the gym, the place where they met.
Notable guest stars
- Brent HinkleyBrent HinkleyBrent Hinkley is an American actor, director, and playwright. He is best known for his role as "Lou" the sidler in the Seinfeld episode The Merv Griffin Show, Officer Murray in The Silence of the Lambs, and Conrad Brooks in Ed Wood.-Filmography:Film credits include:-External links:* * * *...
as Guy Davore, was a serial killer and cannibal, who was defended successfully at his trial by Garnet Hines with the help of Dr. Marshall Gold. After the trial the judge appointed Hines and Gold to monitor him to make sure that he was not a danger to the community. While on a visit to his home, Marshall and Garnet were drugged and taken hostage by Guy.
When he was a boy, Guy had raised rabbits. One day his grandmother killed the rabbits and served them to him as a stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
. She then told him that his friends were now inside him and would remain with him forever. Guy now believed that in order to keep his friends forever he had to eat them, and unfortunately he now believed Marshall and Garnet to be his friends. They were later rescued by the police. Guy believed that the two of them would help him get acquitted again, but it appeared as though that was unlikely.
- Adam WestAdam WestWilliam West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
as "Big" Jim Atkinson, was the founder and president of the Survival Gym chain. Big Jim was seen occasionally in flashbacks and heard in voice-overs, after his death in the first episodes. Big Jim was portrayed as sort of a macho, self-promoting business man. He was constantly challenging people to feats of strength contests.