When I first saw "Stacked" advertised, I thought, "oh no, not another average sit-com based around a once famous personality" (Cybil, Jenny, Fat Actress, The Comeback etc etc). But this was different. For once, the main personality in the show, in this case Pamela Anderson, was an asset and not a hindrance. Her character and her performance fit in with the other characters, instead of the other characters revolving around the "most famous" person on the show.
Another good thing about Stacked is its consistency. It reminds me of Cheers in its heyday; consistently funny with solid characters. Unlike the very excellent 'My Name is Earl', which varies wildly from week to week as to how the characters behave, Stacked is much more solid and satisfying, because of this. It's also pretty unique to see something so well crafted in this day and age.
The entire cast is brilliant. I wasn't immediately enamored with the casting of the two brothers who run the store, but I soon warmed to their characters. Christopher Lloyd is absolutely on form, delivering his lines with the comedy precision of a master, knowing how to make one line turn from a chuckle into a gut-laugh. Even Pamela Anderson, not known for comedy talent, has a character which fits her personality perfectly, while allowing her to drop some great lines and still seem like the same person.
Every character in this sit-com feels "right" and you can only imagine the amount of time and effort that must have gone into making this happen.
Stacked is never mean-spirited, overly cynical or even topical, it's just brilliantly crafted, constistently funny, top-quality entertainment. It echoes Cheers in its heyday - whatever happened to shows like this? I hope Stacked finds its audience and remains as good as the first season, and then keeps running for years to come! It deserves to!
