For 'Cashmere Mafia', a rubout's likely

[Sylph]

TV This Week

For 'Cashmere Mafia,' a rubout's likely

By Diego Vasquez, MediaLife


When ABC and NBC both announced new shows focusing on a group of stylish,smart career women, each show from a former producer on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” it seemed that whoever got its show on the air first would have a big advantage.

That may not end up being the case.

With its third episode set to air tonight at 10 p.m., ABC’s “Cashmere Mafia” has been a disappointment, earning low ratings, despite a special premiere behind an original “Desperate Housewives,” while also getting poor reviews.

“It's pretty easy to qualify as worst series of the year when the year is less than a week old, but ABC's yucky ‘Cashmere Mafia’ sets the limbo bar so low, only the slackest skeevy show could slither under it before the ball next drops Dec. 31,” writes The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Storm.

In fact, some critics have already declared NBC’s upcoming “Lipstick Jungle” the superior show, with its lighter tone and more appealing trio of women, led by Brooke Shields. That show is from Candace Bushnell, the author of the “SATC” column and books that the HBO comedy was based on. “Mafia” was created by Darren Star, the executive producer of “SATC,” who reportedly had a fallout with Bushnell over their competing “SATC” knockoffs.

“Mafia” could well be gone before “Lipstick” premieres on Feb. 7. Last week’s episode averaged a 2.2, 67 percent behind timeslot leader “Law & Order’s” 3.6 on NBC and off 42 percent from a 3.8 for its debut Jan. 6.

The show wasn’t helped by some rather confusing programming decisions made by ABC. After its debut, the network reran the pilot a few days later, but did not schedule another original episode until eight days later, when it moved into its regular 10 p.m. slot.

In tonight’s episode, Caitlin and Alicia go to a lesbian bridal shower, Mia gets fixed up with a brain surgeon and Zoe makes an important business deal.

[UKBoi]

I LOVE Cashmere Mafia, if people can see past it as a Sex and the City clone and watch it for what it is, the show is really great. It's no Desperate Housewives but it's a nice enough way to spend an hour. Frances O Connor and Bonnie Sommerville are both fantastic in their roles and while it could use a little work it's still a nice enough show and definately better than some of the crap that's on the air, and a breath of fresh air in a TV climate populated by crime and hospital dramas.

The pilot I saw for Lipstick Jungle I didnt really like...the women didnt seem as real and as fleshed out and they seemed to have all these seperate stories that didnt really interlink while in Cashmere Mafia the women have a more believable friendship and seem to be more realistic.

[JackPeyton]

Cashmere Mafia is by far one of the worst shows in the past 10 years.

[tina m]

Oh, it's not that bad. I love it. And to be honest, I've never really seen any SATC (I never had HBO) so I can't compare but sure they're similar, but I lovee this show. Sad it's getting low ratings.