The Anna Nicole Show
Encyclopedia
The Anna Nicole Show is an American reality
sitcom
starring former model
and Playboy
Playmate Anna Nicole Smith
. The series debuted on August 4, 2002 on the E! entertainment television network
and ran for two seasons.
cousin; and her "fashion feud" with interior decorator Bobby Trendy
. Perhaps intentionally (as indicated by the series' tagline, "It's not supposed to be funny. It just is") many of the situations on the show were inexplicable or highly unlikely; for example, even in Smith's obese state, it was very unlikely that she could not find a single man willing to have sex with her, as she repeatedly claimed.
Although termed a reality show, many, if not all of the episodes began with situations contrived by the producers (i.e., Smith goes to a dating service; Smith participates in a game show based on The Bachelorette
); the show was a "reality show," however, to the degree that Smith and the other individuals interactions and reactions to the events occurring around them were unscripted.
The show was cancelled in February 2004 due to low ratings, though some insiders cited "creative differences." Only season 1 is released on DVD. The show has returned in a series of specials, the first of which aired shortly after Smith's much publicized weight loss and advertising campaign with Trimspa
.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
starring former model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
. The series debuted on August 4, 2002 on the E! entertainment television network
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
and ran for two seasons.
Synopsis
The show follows the exploits of Anna Nicole Smith and her entourage; much of the focus of the series was on the fact that Smith had become obese after falling out of the public eye, no longer received regular modeling or acting work, and, at the time of the series' debut, was in a precarious financial state after lavish spending sprees and the battle against her stepson for her deceased husband's fortune. Story arcs included Smith's alleged period of unwilling celibacy (which Smith referred to as "the dry spell"); her struggle to cure her miniature poodle's habit of attempting intercourse with inanimate objects; her love-hate relationship with her toothless, redneckRedneck
Redneck is a historically derogatory slang term used in reference to poor, uneducated white farmers, especially from the southern United States...
cousin; and her "fashion feud" with interior decorator Bobby Trendy
Bobby Trendy
Bobby Trendy is an interior decorator, designer and television personality. He first achieved notoriety as a series regular on The Anna Nicole Show.-Early life and career:...
. Perhaps intentionally (as indicated by the series' tagline, "It's not supposed to be funny. It just is") many of the situations on the show were inexplicable or highly unlikely; for example, even in Smith's obese state, it was very unlikely that she could not find a single man willing to have sex with her, as she repeatedly claimed.
Although termed a reality show, many, if not all of the episodes began with situations contrived by the producers (i.e., Smith goes to a dating service; Smith participates in a game show based on The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...
); the show was a "reality show," however, to the degree that Smith and the other individuals interactions and reactions to the events occurring around them were unscripted.
The show was cancelled in February 2004 due to low ratings, though some insiders cited "creative differences." Only season 1 is released on DVD. The show has returned in a series of specials, the first of which aired shortly after Smith's much publicized weight loss and advertising campaign with Trimspa
TrimSpa
TrimSpa is a dietary supplement designed for weight loss, marketed by the company Goen Technologies, headed by Alexander Szynalski, a.k.a. Alex Goen. Celebrity Anna Nicole Smith was its spokesperson. Various products marketed by TrimSpa are claimed to help "stave off hunger". TrimSpa formerly...
.
Additional cast
In addition to Smith, the show also featured:- Kim Walther "Kimmy/Kimmie" – an overweight, purple-haired woman purported to be Smith's personal assistant. She claimed to be Smith's biggest fan and admirer, insisting that she saw the "inner beauty" of Smith, which led her to getting a large tattoo of Smith on her shoulder and upper arm. Kimmie's ambiguous sexual orientation and the possibility of a lesbian relationship with Smith surfaced in several episodes.
- Howard K. SternHoward K. SternHoward Kevin Stern is an American attorney, and a former domestic partner of the late Anna Nicole Smith. On September 28, 2006. Stern and Smith exchanged vows in a legally nonbinding ceremony in Nassau, Bahamas...
– Smith's attorney, frequently portrayed as a cold, calculating mind who serves as Smith's right-hand-man; he frequently assumes the role of stooge. Stern's antagonistic relationship with interior decorator Bobby Trendy was a recurring plot line throughout most of the series.
- Daniel SmithDaniel Wayne SmithDaniel Wayne Smith was the son of the model and actress Anna Nicole and Billy Smith. He infrequently appeared in his mother's E! Network reality TV show, The Anna Nicole Show...
– Smith's teenage son. Though listed in the show's opening credits, his appearances were infrequent, and he often appeared to be somewhat camera shy. In his rare appearances, he was portrayed as something of a foil to his mother's raunchy behavior.
- Sugar Pie – Smith's miniature poodle. The dog's tendency to attempt to have intercourse with various inanimate objects was a running gag on the show. In the first season of the show Smith attempted to cure Sugar Pie of her habits by hiring a pet psychic.
- Bobby TrendyBobby TrendyBobby Trendy is an interior decorator, designer and television personality. He first achieved notoriety as a series regular on The Anna Nicole Show.-Early life and career:...
– A flamboyantly gay interior decorator, the quality of whose work and timeliness, or lack thereof, displeased Smith, resulting in an elongated feud which served as the show's major ongoing plot line; he was somewhat the show's primary antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. He was prone to making self-congratulatory bon mots about his own taste in fashion and clothing accessories and frequently went out of the way in the middle of conversation to list the brand names of the articles of clothing he was wearing. Had something of a catchphrase in uttering the word "luxurious" in reference to himself or activities in which he participated.
- Shelly Cloud – Anna Nicole Smith's cousin; "Cousin Shelly" is portrayed as Smith's opposite. She never left the small town in which she grew up and is now an impoverished housewife with no teeth. Shelly frequently arrives on Smith's doorstep without notice to request financial assistance or otherwise attempt to exploit their relationship for financial gain, though she insists it's because they were close as children and that she misses her cousin. Next to Bobby Trendy, she is the show's second most notable "antagonist." In the series finale, Shelly reveals that she plans to force herself and her husband into Smith's life permanently by moving into her house with or without permission.
- Benjy Bronk – Benjy from The Howard Stern Show went on two dates with Smith after her appearance on the Stern show. According to Smith, they "...had a drink, and the next thing I knew, my head was in Benjy's lap and I loved it..."