DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Stacked - The Complete Series
By Jeff Swindoll Dec 26, 2006, 14:37 GMT
Stacked is not going to be towards the top in a list of classic TV shows, but it did make me laugh.
Stacked is a double entendre, it refers to the bookstore in the show but it also refers to Pamela Anderson’s……um assets. Whatever the title refers to, I thought that it was a funny show.
Skyler (Pam Anderson) is a party girl/rock star’s girlfriend type. She walks into Stacked Books to pick up a book about relationships. Stuart (Brian Scolaro) and Gavin (Elon Gold) Miller own the bookstore. Stuart is, of course, infatuated with Skyler and the uptight Gavin bristles when Stuart offers her a job at the store. Katrina (Melissa Jaret Winokur) works the coffee bar in the store and Professor Harold March (Christopher Lloyd) is the store’s most frequent customer.
Disc one: “Pilot” - When Skyler, in the midst of a breakup, arrives at Stacked Books, Stuart is eager to help and Gavin learns not to judge a book by its cover. “Beat the Candidate” - Much to Stuart’s dismay, Skyler’s job at Stacked is in jeopardy after a rocky first day. “A Fan for All Seasons” - After sleeping with a famous author, Gavin fears that he has become a groupie, and Katrina, facing a string of bad luck, maintains a positive outlook. “Gavin’s Pipe Dream” - A sexy dream about Skyler has an unsettling effect on Gavin and causes commotion at the bookstore. “The Ex-Appeal” - Gavin and Stuart try to help Skyler get her grandfather’s watch back form her slick ex-boyfriend. “Nobody Says I Love You” - Love and confusion are in the air when Skyler starts telling everyone, except Gavin, that she loves them. Kid Rock has a cameo. “Two Faces of Eve” - Skyler is in a bind when she learns that her friend Eve (Jenny McCarthy) plans on marrying an elderly man for his money, while Harold encourages Stuart to invest in the stock market.
Disc two: “Darling Nikki” - Skyler’s former rival Nikki (Carmen Electra) arrives for a visit, and “darling” Nikki is up to her old tricks when she mistakenly assumes that Stuart is Skyler’s boyfriend. “Crazy Ray” - Despite encouragement from the others, Gavin is jealous and frustrated when an old acquaintance from his writing group publishes a successful novel. “IPod” - Gavin is afraid he may be robbing the cradle, and Stuart obsesses over a customer using the bookstore’s restroom without buying anything. “Heavy Meddle” - Katrina is accused of racism after a run-in with a feisty health inspector, while Skyler tries to fix Harold up with one of her groupie gal pals. “Goodwizzle Hunting” - The gang throws a birthday hootenanny for Katrina to help her hook up with the guy that she has a crush on. When he doesn’t show up, Stuart gives her an extra special birthday present. “After Party” - After Stuart and Katrina sleep together, they must awkwardly decide where they stand with each other. Meanwhile, Gavin fears a sexual harassment lawsuit, and the bookstore is abuzz with gossip. “Romancing the Stones” - After Gavin finds out that he needs surgery, he and Stuart bicker over the fate of Stacked Books, and just before going under, Gavin reveals his true feelings to Skyler…but is that the drugs talking?
Disc three (unaired episodes): “You’re Getting Sleepy” - The bookstore is turned upside down when Harold’s daughter Zoey visits to introducer her new boyfriend, a mischievous hypnotherapist with a hidden camera. “The Third Date” - Gavin has trouble being intimate with Zoey because she’s Harold’s daughter, and Skyler hires a new stock boy who is somewhat unclear on the concept of good-natured ribbing. “The Day the Music Died” - The future of the bookstore is jeopardized when an obnoxious rocker with his amp turned up to eleven opens a music store next door. “Poker” - Skyler utilizes her unique flair for fashion to take Gavin’s son shopping while Gavin obsesses over an online tournament. Meanwhile, Harold is miffed when his regular seat is taken by a surly newcomer. “The Headmaster” - Hoping to get Owen into a prestigious private school, Skyler agrees to date the school’s headmaster, while back at Stacked, Harold feels cheated and demands two years’ worth of free coffee.
Stacked isn’t exactly going to be remembered as a classic television series, but it did make me laugh. It does have the usual sitcom overacting, but Christopher Lloyd plays his part with gusto. Harold March is a cross between Doc Brown and Reverend Jim (from Taxi). Pamela Anderson, Brian Scolaro, Elon Gold, and Marissa Jaret Winokur all have comic moments to shine in the series. It’s not a classic, but it did give me a chuckle now and again. Some might want to watch because of Pam Anderson’s (cough, cough) wardrobe.
Stacked is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include five unaired episodes of the cancelled series (on disc three). There’s also a 7 minute featurette called “Nipplegate” that interviews costume designer Christy Ito and fashion stylist Charlene Roxburough.
They talk about the show’s fashion and the occasional high beams that Pam Anderson shows on Stacked. Next is the 5 minute “Show Us Your Bloopers” which is an uncensored blooper reel (it’s just language gents, don’t get your hopes up). The final featurette is the 9 minute “Skyler’s Guide to Dating” which is just made up of clips from the show, no new footage here. If you count the unaired episodes then it’s a nice selection of special features, but if you just count the featurettes then it seems rather slim. There’s even some clips of some promo commercials in “Nipplegate” that are not to be found on the disc. These would’ve made a nice addition to the set.
Stacked is not going to be towards the top in a list of classic TV shows, but it did make me laugh. Christopher Lloyd caused most of my laughter, but everyone got a chance to make this critic giggle. Pam Anderson fans will want to ogle her, but she does cause some laughs.
Stacked – The Complete Series is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
