BIG SHOTS: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this comedy series about the tangled personal lives of four successful businessmen friends. In this episode, Duncan and his ex-wife Lisbeth "reconnect" at their country club while Karl attempts to keep his marital affair secret and James is shocked when he is let go by his boss, Walter. He tells his friends, though not his wife, what happened, but Walter is then suddenly killed in a golf-cart accident and James realizes that no one else knew of his firing. He returns to work, wondering along with his friend Katie who will be named the new CEO. Karl attends couple's counseling with his wife Wendy and denies any affair, though receives a text message from his mistress, Marla, during the session. Duncan chats with a reporter who flatters him at first but then asks him about the "rumors" concerning some sort of misdeed in Yonkers. He feigns innocence, but then confesses to his friends that he was arrested several years previously for soliciting a transsexual prostitute. Amused, they advise him to track down the prostitute, Dontrelle, and pay her off. At Walter's wake, James talks with the widow and finds that his boss was having an affair, and is stunned when he realizes that it was with his own wife, Stacey.
Duncan heads to dinner with his 19-year-old daughter Cameron, with whom he has a contentious relationship, and she challenges him to give her a job at his cosmetics company, Reveal. Karl spends time with Marla, assuring her that he has no real relationship with his wife, and she cajoles him into attending counseling with her as well, much to the therapist's confusion. Brody struggles to plan an elaborate party for his wife, Janelle, and he and Duncan head to the fateful truck stop to search for Dontrelle. James confronts Stacey about her affair with Walter and walks out when she admits it, heartbroken. Duncan is embarrassed when Cameron publicly contradicts him at work and banishes her to the stockroom, while elsewhere Karl struggles with the idea of breaking up with Marla. James' meeting with the board goes badly when he insults Walter and rants that the world is changing faster than they can handle, stating that the new CEO should be someone who has truly experienced loss. Karl attempts to end things with his mistress, but she feels betrayed upon learning that he attended a movie with his wife and declares that she is going to tell Wendy everything. James reveals Stacey's affair to his friends, and the men conclude that they are "the new women" because of their many emasculating problems.
Karl arrives home to find Marla and Wendy together, but finds that Marla has posed as a decorator and has "hit it off" with his wife, and she chides him for cheating on such a nice person. Duncan crashes Lisbeth's date to talk about Cameron and she urges him to do better as a father, and he again reflects on their lingering chemistry. Katie comforts James about his wife's affair, and he reveals that he has been named the new CEO after all. Brody is pleased when Janelle's party is a success, though Duncan is shocked when Cameron arrives with Dontrelle in tow and quickly pays her to keep silent. James tells an upset Stacey that he is not ready to come home, though he has no interest in being an eligible bachelor. Duncan and Cameron take "baby steps" towards improving their relationship and agree to continue working together, though elsewhere Dontrelle meets with the reporter, revealing that she taped her secret conversation with Duncan and intends to expose him. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 27, 2007 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:38
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:91487
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Businessmen; Friends
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2007
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Charles McDougall … Executive Producer, Director
- Jon Harmon Feldman … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Carol Trussell … Producer
- Joshua Levey … Associate Producer
- Tim Jacobsen … Visual Effects Producer
- Michael Vartan … Cast, James Walker
- Christopher Titus … Cast, Brody Johns
- Joshua Malina … Cast, Karl Mixworthy
- Paige Turco … Cast, Lisbeth Hill
- Jessica Collins … Cast, Marla
- Peyton List … Cast, Cameron Collinsworth
- Amy Sloan … Cast, Wendy Mixworthy
- Wendy Moniz … Cast, Stacey Walker
- Nia Long … Cast, Katie Graham
- Dylan McDermott … Cast, Duncan Collinsworth
- John Getz … Cast, Walter Storrs
- Mayte Garcia … Cast, Lori Hodge
- Francesca P. Roberts … Cast, Dr. Seaver-Filner
- Jazzmun … Cast, Dontrelle
- Tracy Bautista … Cast, Johnelle Johns
- Sarah Breck … Cast, Dancer
- Hector Luis Bustamante … Cast, Hector
- Mike Caban … Cast, Reveal Executive
- Carlos Cervantes … Cast, Boardmember #1
- Daniel Lujan … Cast, Hector's Assistant
- Erica Luttrell … Cast, James' Assistant
- Lance E. Nichols … Cast, Boardmember #2
- Carrie Rutledge … Cast, Waitress
- Rick Scarry … Cast, Amerimart CFO
- Taira Soo … Cast, Boardmember Assistant
- Chris Walden … Cast, Musician
- Lisa Wilcox … Cast, Waxer
- Necar Zadegan … Cast, Prostitute