Beautiful People

If you are living a life that is beautiful, things just have a way of working out. That's where we find a little family as this series begins.

The Kerrs - Mom, Lynne (Daphne Zuniga, veteran of "Melrose Place") her brainiac younger daughter Sophie (Sarah Foret), and Sophie's lovely and popular eighteen year old sister Karen (Torrey DeVitto) were residing in a small town in New Mexico, when they ran into a problem. Dad decided to ditch his marriage and parental responsibilities to run off with Karen's bestie, leaving the three women to figure out what to do now that they're on their own.

Let me state that a different way: the father of this family abandoned them for his teenage daughter's best friend. That's devastating in several different ways all at once, but hey, let's not dwell on it.

In better news, Sophie got accepted for a scholarship to an elite school for gifted students in New York. These Kerrs needed to get out of town anyhow, but this meant that Karen suddenly had an opportunity to go to New York to pursue her dream of being a fashion model. And that also meant that Lynne could finally see if her long deferred dream of becoming a designer might come true in The Big Apple!

When you're three fish out of some backwater New Mexico town and are hitting the biggest spotlight in the nation, of course there are going to be problems. The first is finding work. I mean, sure, there's a decent alimony settlement, but it's New York in 2005. Both Lynne and Karen need to get jobs to cover their costs as they move toward their eventual fashion goals. And Karen, in her haste to get in good with the people who can help her, might be sliding into a lifestyle that isn't so healthy, like needing to diet to lose weight, and taking drugs to help. See also, 373's "The Agency" for source material from an actual Model house that inspired that storyline.

Let's not forget younger Sophie, who though she loved the concept of this school on paper, suddenly sees the shortcomings of the personalities involved, most especially her classmates and their parents, who were elitist snobs and disparaging bullies. Those ugly cretins are, in fact, the "Beautiful People" of the show's title! How's THAT for a twist?

New York played a part because it's the super wealthy of the school board making demands of their kids and not letting Sophie in on their Reindeer Games that provide drama. One of Sophie's classmates, we're told, is from the family that owns the Empire State Building! And the ever-present fashion world is always an appropriate backdrop for any series set in NYC. Plus that more sinister world of nightlife, parties, clubbing, with controlled substances aplenty, that "low road" that many end up traversing, is continually is a threat.

But lets remember that ABC Family was where you could watch, so those threats were mostly exactly that. Also, there were so many women in this series, it was a real boon for actresses at the time, quite a bit like "Gilmore Girls" which was concurrently running with this show.

In the end, "Beautiful People" was perhaps just a little too light on the drama and not as much fun as it could have been, as they tried to shoehorn the soap opera elements into the plots and make things about those snobs at the school. Maybe this would have worked better with more comedy, like "Gilmore" displayed, since there were far more moments where a lighthearted tone would have fit better?

Conversely, a show like this one might have helped inspire (or at least gotten network execs to greenlight) a different drama with many of the same themes, that being, "Gossip Girl."

I'm so glad that the ABC Family channel brought back "Beautiful People" for another season this is just a show that I cheer for! A great story you have the Kerr family who move from a small New Mexico town all the way to New York City to start a new life, only to find as always new challenges and problems await. Lynn Kerr played brilliant by Daphne Zuniga (and just to mention I'm glad to see her working again she's great as always just remember her Melrose Place days!) is a single separated split mother from her husband who has two daughters, the first high-schooler Sophie(Sarah Foret) who is the brains of the family, a straight A student and hard worker who attends the city's best private school academy. Second it's Karen(Torrey DeVitto) who is ambitious, free-spirited and sexy she has dreams of stardom as a fashion model. Along the way all experience good times and bad times in the city, ghost of the past come along the way as Lynn comes in contact with her old college love that she now sees in the city, not to mention her ex-husband and a custody battle all along while trying to deal with her new job in fashion design and trying to help guide her daughters direction in the Big Apple. Never fear with a trio of ladies like these beauties it's love, smarts, and ambition that will conquer all! Watch "Beautiful People" it's a must watch you will be so happy! Last but not least I must mention that Torrey DeVitto is so pretty, it's only right to have her on a show like "Beautiful People". Torrey is one sexy thing! Really so many adjectives could describe her anything from sexy, pretty, beautiful, so many I can't think of enough words, I hope I see her in more series or maybe big screen films. Now I end my comment with another thing about Torrey, I remember one episode last year from the first season when she was about to make love before mom Lynn walked in on her, as she started to undress she had on a sexy and silk light-colored blue/ greenish bra, now that made Torrey want to be my girl!

Naturally, I feel compelled to tell you about my love for an amazing actress named Daphne Zuniga, the main head-liner of this nice show. Years ago, try twelve or thirteen, Zuniga was a young photographer named JoBeth Reynolds on the critically acclaimed drama, "Melrose Place". She was, herself, beautiful, witty, tough, and deep, as well as surrounded by beautiful people all over. Now, in this new drama, "Beautiful People", she returns to the prime-time dial, but with a new breed of beautiful people.

With Jo Reynolds a fond memory, Daphne is now the lovely Lynn Kerr, a newly single mother, trying to provide a warm, sharing, and loving world for her two daughters, portrayed by Torry Devitto and Sarah Foret. Zuniga never fails to satisfy, and as Lynn Kerr, I see new depths to which she can dive into, especially now as other Melrose alumni are resurfacing as well. (Marcia Cross and Doug Savant in "Desperate Housewives"). The two new actresses Foret and Devitto are cute, and even amusing in this family based drama, but obviously, Zuniga helms the project with force and experience to which the younger stars are lucky to work with. The rest of the cast is okay too. Ricky Mabe takes the cake among the co-stars as a non-conformist, straight-forward, honest , but good-hearted outcast, stealing the scene as he spits his words about the truth concerning the "BP'S" (Beautiful People). The show has soft touch for familiar development, but just as the 'beautiful people' it introduces, looks are always deceiving.

I can also say, that this show is truly misplaced on the ABC-Family channel. It does deal with a mother, and her two daughters in their new life, and the concern for safety and love in the big apple, but there are some touchy situations this show touches base with. I have no problem with a single part of this show, but the surprise is the channel it airs. I know it would seem fairly normal on the normal ABC station, but Family is a bit risky, as Daphne even said in the beginning about the program. I didn't completely believe it myself, but it's true. The Kerr family meet people who take drugs, teenagers who have sex, in hot-tubs for that matter. An adult male, speaks his mind on the basis of his homosexuality, and other kinds of chaos ensues.

I am all for risk, and to that I can say I hope to see more of this show around. It's about time we see Daphne Zuniga in the spotlight again, and she is, without a doubt, having a great time like the rest of the cast. I know only as much as the next viewer about the eight episode run for an opening season, but I hope much more will come! A good Welcome Back to Daphne Zuniga, and an even bigger good luck to the show! It's a fun show to watch.

Beautiful People is a great show with great writing and great acting and great everything else! Daphne Zuniga is awesome as Lynn Kerr, a single mom trying to make it in the fashion business. And Sarah Foret is actually very good also as Sophie Kerr, the youngest of the Kerrs. I will admit, sometimes she does over act a little bit. But only at some parts. Torrey DeVitto is my favorite of the three as Karen Kerr, an edgy and spunky girl who wants to be a model.

I like the rest of the cast equally as much. Overall, this show is just sometimes over dramatic, but still doesn't go way too over the top.

I've been missing it for a while, and I can't wait till the season premiere.

I don't understand why a show as good would stop , I really hope whoever made this series can continue . I just love love this show and am very sad that i had to watch my last episode last night . This is one of the best shows to me ever . I would like to see more shows like this one made so that me and my 3 girls can continue watching great shows together . The show has great family views and good values on how a good mom fights for her children even when the father screws them all up , but the best part of how i see this show is how the daughters are see how strong the mother is and they are happy to admit there mom is strong and want to be like her , a good mom movie show is a strong show for anyone .