TV Review: Swingtown

From Left to Right: The Thompsons (Josh Hopkins and Mariam Shor), the Deckers (Grant Show and Lana Parrilla) and the Millers (Molly Parker and Jack Davenport).


There was a marathon on Bravo for the CBS series called Swingtown earlier and once I caught the end of the fourth episode, I couldn't keep my eyes off the TV.

Swingtown is set in the 70s, in the Suburbs of Chicago. The Millers just moved to Chicago's North Shore area, befriended their new neighbors the Deckers and come to find out that they have an open marriage. The Millers and their reserved old friends, The Thompsons, got involved in this new discovery and ravels in the new possibilities and the consequences.

I was very surprised how a major network would feature a show with sex being its main topic. I was wondering why no religious nut had made a big deal out of the show before, but it turned out they had. Producers Alan Poul, of Six Feet Under fame and Mike Kelley from the O.C. and One Tree Hill did shop around with HBO and Showtime, but then HBO already have shows like Big Love and Tell Me You Love Me and Showtime already have Californication and CBS scooped it out and greenlighted it. Good for them, really, to have the guts to have this show on primetime. The bad news is though, that the ratings for this first season was less than ideal and there's no words on whether they will be having a second season or not.

Jack Davenport who played the goofy husband in Coupling is in the show playing Mr. Bruce Miller, I didn't detect any British accent from the guy and incidentally his character's wife in this show is also called Susan, who's played by a pale-skinned, elf-like beauty Molly Parker, who's actually the heart of the story. The open-minded swinger couple Tom Decker, a pilot with a porn stache who looked like a member of the Bee Gees, is played by Grant Show and smart and beautiful Trina Decker is played by Lana Parrilla. Conservative couple controlling Janet Thompson is played by Mariam Shor and her husband Roger Thompson is played by Josh Hopkins. Josh Hopkins is a hottie, especially when he takes his shirt off. Yum.

Combining the compelling storylines, their kids growing up in the 70s, drugs, rock and roll, political climates and the occassional sexual tensions and scenes, you've got yourself a decent and intriguing show. I sure hope they come back with another season and if you find another marathon of the show, you might want to seat down and spend some time on it, it's well worth it.


10 pounds heavier and a chest of hair and we've got here my dream lover.