1999 was a pretty great year for writer Alan Ball. That was the year his script for "American Beauty" made it into theaters as a feature film. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Mr. Ball, as well as Best Picutre, Best Director for Sam Mendes and Best Actor for Kevin Spacey.
Five days after "American Beauty" had its release in theaters, this show debuted. Ball created "Oh Grow Up" based on his one act production, titled "Bachelor's Holiday" which is the story of three housemates who caught a mouse in a glue trap and start to reflect upon the existential elements of life and meaning because of it.
Here, no mice, despite the ABC Television Network, which got taken over by Disney a couple of years before. But we do have 3 housemates, all former classmates at the same University, who are all coming to some life-changing revelations.
There's artist Norris (David Alan Basche) who is making a serious effort to transform his career as a painter into a success. There's Hunter (Stephen Dunham) who runs a construction business and who is an artist in his own right - with the ladies. And there's Ford (John Ducey) who realized he was gay and needed to split from his wife Suzanne (Rena Sofer), though they both still love and care for each other. He has just moved in with Norris and Hunter, so it's a college throwback for all of them as they negotiate their world in Williamsburg and what awaits them.
Hunter's dog is named Mom (Hunter had some issues), and Mom (Beans) frequently barked at the events going on, which is translated for the viewers using Dog to English subtitles. Some of these are the funniest lines of an episode.
But the most challenging element comes in the series pilot, when Hunter meets a cute eighteen year old named Chloe (Niesha Trout) who just happens to be his daughter. Suddenly the playa is an instant dad.
Of course, complications arise, as Hunter had a one night stand with Chloe's roommate (it could have been worse...) and the roommates try to outdo each other in what can only be called the Brooklyn Olympics. Competition becomes the lives of these guys, which is just another way to avoid reality, if we're being honest here. And Hunter's relationship with Chloe alternates between sweet and thoughtful and cringey and painful as her childhood memories of not having a father around create more than a few hilariously difficult moments.
New York plays a part because of the Art Gallery Scene, the continual need for construction work, the LGBTQ community and the Dog Runs, giving everyone in the cast a moment in the spotlight.
There is a lot of both good natured and mean spirited comedy throughout the series and the show is a lot smarter than the concepts that introduced it.
But we are talking about Alan Ball, who would go on to create "Six Feet Under" a couple of years later, which, I guess, throws this into that category of shows that got canceled so something better could happen. In addition to freeing up Mr. Ball to create his masterwork series, it made room on the schedule for the phenomenon that was to become "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
