So, has anyone caught this new Cupid series on ABC Family? It's literally a remake (same producer and all) of a series from the late 90s, starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall.
The remake isn't bad, but so far, it doesn't compare to the original (which didn't even make it a full season), despite my being a big fan of Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson. The original Cupid was a great show, and one that should've gone on for a long time. It was also early in the hour long comedy/drama trend; when not a lot of those shows were given time to develop.
Cupid centered on Trevor Hale (Piven), a man who insisted that he was actually Cupid, the god of love. He claimed that he had been sent to earth, as a punishment, for being so casual with his bow and arrow. He was charged to match up 100 couples, without the benefit of magic, before he could go home to Mt. Olympus. Dr. Claire Allen (Marshall) was a respected psychologist, couples counselor and author (mostly of dating and relationship books/articles/studies), who ended up responsible for Trevor's behavior after his release from the psyche ward (when his delusion was deemed not dangerous to him or anyone else), and his recovery of the memory of his true self.
The show was complimented by a nice bevy of guest stars (usually being those Trevor was trying to fix up), including; George Newburn, Connie Briton (of Friday Night Lights), Jessica Lundy (the hilarious cousin in Madhouse), Harry Groener (the hilariously evil former mayor of Sunnydale, CA), Lisa Loebe (yes THAT Lisa Loebe), Anna Chumlsky (of My Girl fame), Sherilyn Fenn (man did I love Rude Awakening), Todd Field (Beltzer it's a Twister!), Kim Fields (it's Tutie!), David Johansen (aka Buster Pointdexter of Hot Hot Hot!) ,Christine Tayler (complete with jokes about her shaved head in Friends and being Marsha Brady), Tiffani Amber-Theissen (playing quite the hardened single mother of adolescent twins) and Piven's father Byrne (co-director of the Piven Theater workshop that launched so much great talent beyond the Cusack family).
And that was just the guest stars! There were great recurring roles for Jeffrey D Sams (as Trevor's long suffering roommate, Champ), Jeff Parise (back when he wasn't nearly so hot), Paul Adelstein (preparing well for his part in the Bedazzled remake), Joe Flanigan (Shephard from SG Atlantis playing Claire's overly accomplished boyfriend), and Melanie Paxson (who went from Claire's assistant to become the Gladware chick).
Jeremy Piven truly made this show great, as only Jeremy could do. His Trevor wasn't always warm or wise, but his belief in love and romance was legitimate and inspiring. Trevor was the kind of man any woman would fall for, and yet the show had little to do with his own dating life, as he was banned from sex with mortals (at the risk of losing his own immortality). I also love that, at least during the show’s short reign, you were never quite sure if Trevor really was Cupid. There were hints that he might be truly deluded, but there were just as many hints that he might be who he claimed. But regardless of his mental state, a clear desire, to bring love to random strangers on the street, can't be a bad thing. Piven played that element to a T, reminding us always that Trevor's intentions were almost always good, even if his methods were sometimes over the top. And beyond his duty, he was also tried (in his own way), to be always push his friends to follow their own hearts.
Marshall also had a great role in this show. As a professional and career driven psychologist, she believed that Trevor was sick and needed her help. But, at the same time, she had her own romantic streak. Trevor’s zest and faith, in love, moved her. And his carefree and infectious glee in life, couldn't help but seep into her. At points, she even discards what she should do professionally, to help Trevor, when she knows that he's right about two people. This shows her broad mind, despite having a fairly closed heart in the beginning.
There were also moments when Claire desperately wanted to believe in Trevor. For instance, in one episode, he is absolutely certain that two people; Dan (a sweet loveable hockey coach) and Susan (a woman dying of a congenital heart defect); are meant to be one. In fact, he can feel that their hearts are tied to one another. When they do meet, and truly hit it off, it seems Trevor has just made another great match. But when Dan is killed in a car accident after the successful date, it appears all he's done is set Susan up for more heart ache, until it is revealed that Dan's blood and tissue is a perfect match for Susan's rare type. Even Claire has to admit that Trevor did a good thing, personally bringing Trevor to the hospital, so that Susan can thank him, for allowing her get to the know the man who ended literally giving her his heart.
Cupid was, at its core, an ongoing search for the meaning of love and passion. It was funny, inventive, original, and occasionally heart wrenching. But what it never was, was boring or insipid. It was a masterpiece of television, and I'm afraid that it can never be duplicated properly. But I might give the new show a chance, just to see how close they come.
© CleverTitania.com 2009
