Sordid Lives: The Series

Sordid Lives: The Series
Directed by Del Shores
Starring Bonnie Bedelia
Beth Grant
Leslie Jordan
Rue McClanahan
Olivia Newton-John
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 12
Production
Producer(s) Stanley M. Brooks, Damian Ganczewski
Running time 30 min. (including commercials)
Release
Original network Logo
Original release July 23 – October 29, 2008

Sordid Lives: The Series is an American television series created, written, and directed by Del Shores and acts as a prequel to 2000 film Sordid Lives, also by Shores, self-described as a "Black comedy about white trash". The show is set in small town Texas and centers on the Ingram family.

It stars Rue McClanahan, Olivia Newton-John, Caroline Rhea, Leslie Jordan, Beth Grant and most of the original cast of the film.

It premiered on Logo in July 2008. In Canada, Sordid Lives the uncut version can be seen on Super Channel (also in HD) and the censored version on Out TV. According to Logo's contact page a second season will not be produced due to a lack of funding,[1] and the Logo online web page for the series is no longer available.

The series premiered in the UK on Film24 (Sky157) in August 2009.

Premise

Matriarch Peggy Ingram (Rue McClanahan) takes in the town bar singer Bitsy Mae Harling (Olivia Newton-John) who has just been released from prison. Peggy's wild child daughter LaVonda (Ann Walker) lives with Peggy's chain-smoking sister Sissy (Beth Grant), while Peggy's good girl Latrelle (Bonnie Bedelia) maintains an image of seeming perfection.

Peggy's third child, Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram (Leslie Jordan), is locked in a mental institution where he performs as Tammy Wynette. He plots to escape while he attends therapy sessions with the crazy Dr. Eve (Rosemary Alexander) who believes she can dehomosexualize him.

LaVonda's white trash best friend Noleta (Caroline Rhea) lives in a trailer in Sissy's backyard with her husband G.W. (David Steen), a Vietnam veteran with two wooden legs. G.W. escapes regularly to the local bar in town amidst a small crowd of regulars including brothers Wardell (Newell Alexander) and Odell (David Cowgill), Bitsy Mae, and the bar's resident drunk Juanita (Sarah Hunley).

Latrelle's son Ty (Jason Dottley) is an actor living in Los Angeles and struggling with several therapists (including ones played by Margaret Cho, Carson Kressley, and Candis Cayne) to come to terms with his homosexuality. Along the way he deals with his first boyfriend (Ted Detwiler), his stalker ex-girlfriend (Sharron Alexis), a vengeful trick (Emerson Collins), and the difficulty of coming out to his straight best friend (Robert Lewis Stephenson) and his family back in Texas.

Production

Sordid Lives: The Series is executive produced by Stanley M. Brooks of Once Upon A Time Films,[2] a Santa Monica, California based production company known for its television programming, for MTV Networks' Logo Channel as its first original series. The first season of 12 episodes was shot in Shreveport, Louisiana, from November 28, 2007 to January 27, 2008.

Cast and characters

Actor Character Notes
Newton-John, OliviaOlivia Newton-John Harling, Bitsy MaeBitsy Mae Harling A local singer with "a reputation" who is a close friend of Peggy's, recently released from prison for arson.
Dottley, JasonJason Dottley Williamson, TyTy Williamson The son of Latrelle, Ty is a closeted 20-something gay man who left behind the small Southern Baptist town in Texas and moved to West Hollywood to become an actor.
Hunley, SarahSarah Hunley Bartlett, JuanitaJuanita Bartlett The local bar's crazy fly.
Alexander, NewellNewell Alexander Owens, Wardell 'Bubba'Wardell 'Bubba' Owens G.W.'s friend and the object of Brother Boy's affection.
Steen, DavidDavid Steen Nethercott, G.W.G.W. Nethercott Noleta's unfaithful husband, who regularly escapes to the local bar. He starts an affair with Peggy.
Cowgill, DavidDavid Cowgill Owens, OdellOdell Owens Bubba's brother, who is scarred for life by a pig-bloating incident.
Grant, BethBeth Grant Hickey, SissySissy Hickey Peggy's much younger sister, an aunt to Brother Boy, LaVonda and Latrelle, who is frequently distressed by her family and neighbors.
Dickey, DaleDale Dickey Roberts, GlyndoraGlyndora Roberts Bitsy Mae's secret love.
Rhea, CarolineCaroline Rhea Nethercott, NoletaNoleta Nethercott Sissy's next-door neighbor, the distraught wife of G.W. Nethercott, and best friend to LaVonda.
Jordan, LeslieLeslie Jordan Ingram, Earl 'Brother Boy'Earl 'Brother Boy' Ingram Brother Boy has been institutionalized for 23 years by his parents for being a cross-dressing homosexual, who performs as Tammy Wynette.
Carter, MitchMitch Carter Bumper Security guard at the mental institution where Brother Boy is kept. He is always trying to get Brother Boy to "pleasure" him.
Bedelia, BonnieBonnie Bedelia Williamson, LatrelleLatrelle Williamson Ty's mother, who is primarily concerned with keeping up appearances.
Alexis, SharronSharron Alexis Kaufman, SaraSara Kaufman Ty's stalker ex-girlfriend.
Walker, AnnAnn Walker DuPree, LaVondaLaVonda DuPree Peggy's eldest daughter, a free spirit who is also Noleta's best friend.
Lewis, Mary-MargaretMary-Margaret Lewis Ethel An employee at the mental institution, and a friend for Brother Boy.
Alexander, RosemaryRosemary Alexander Bolinger, Dr. EveDr. Eve Bolinger "Doctor Evil" wants to de-homosexualize Brother Boy so she can write a book, appear on Oprah, and quit her psychiatrist job at the mental institution.
McClanahan, RueRue McClanahan Ingram, PeggyPeggy Ingram The older sister of Sissy and mother of Latrelle, LaVonda, and Brother Boy.

Ingram Family tree

Episodes

No.[3] Title Original air date
101"The Day Tammy Wynette Died—Part 1"July 23, 2008 (2008-07-23)
Sissy asks her nieces Latrelle and LaVonda to search for their mother, Peggy. Brother Boy learns that Tammy Wynette is dead. Noleta and GW have a fight over GW's desire to remove his false legs during sex. Ty goes to therapy and is nervous about trying for a part in a play with gay characters.
102"The Day Tammy Wynette Died—Part 2"July 30, 2008 (2008-07-30)
Brother Boy is visited by the ghost of Tammy Wynette (played by her daughter Georgette Jones), who wants Brother Boy to carry on her legacy. He also meets his new therapist, Dr Eve. Peggy goes to the local bar for the first time with bar singer/ex-con Bitsy Mae. Ty runs into his former girlfriend Sara and meets the very handsome Jacob during his play audition.
103"Pills, Poison & Penises"August 6, 2008 (2008-08-06)
Brother Boy is in a coma at the mental institution and is visited by the family. While there, Latrelle steals some Valium. G.W. has his legs repaired from Noleta shooting some holes in them. Noleta threatens to kill her husband or herself, and buys rat poison. Sara opens Ty's apartment only to discover Ty and Jacob naked.
104"Secrets and Lies"August 13, 2008 (2008-08-13)
Latrelle escapes after getting caught stealing pills by Bumper, the security guard. Bitsy learns Glyndora burned down her trailer—the crime that sent her to prison. G.W. thinks Noleta has poisoned herself. Ty is confronted about his habit of lying and decides to make a change. Dr. Eve explains her dehomosexualization therapy to Brother Boy's family.
105"The Fall and Rise of Brother Boy"August 20, 2008 (2008-08-20)
Brother Boy wakes up from his coma. G.W. and Peggy's affair heats up as they spend the night at the Galaxy Motel. Sissy and LaVonda are kept awake by the neighbor's pet goat. When it eats her prize violets, Sissy shoots it, and they make it look like the goat was run over. Ty meets Walker, an older gay neighbor, who encourages him to come out of the closet.
106"Call Waiting"September 10, 2008 (2008-09-10)
LaVonda spends the day in the salon, and while her hairdresser is at the store buying cigarettes, LaVonda receives several phone calls. Latrelle spies on Peggy and G.W., catching them at the Galaxy Motel spending the night together. Sissy and LaVonda plot to convince Latrelle that she was dreaming about the affair while being unconscious from valium. Brother Boy agrees to pretend to "butch it up" in order to convince people at the institution that he's cured. LaVonda contacts several people at the bar who are aware of her mother's affair with G.W. and composes a cover-up story for everyone to stick to, while convincing Noleta that G.W. was at Odell's home.
107"An Audacious Affair"September 17, 2008 (2008-09-17)
Bitsy Mae and the gang at Bubba's decide to confront the church members; Brother Boy tries to convince Dr. Eve to continue his therapy; Noleta suspects G.W. of being unfaithful; Ty comes clean, but Sara refuses to believe he's gay.
108"Guess Who's Coming to Bubba's"September 24, 2008 (2008-09-24)
Bitsy Mae speaks to the church; Peggy explains her reasons for taking Bitsy Mae in; Brother Boy is troubled in Dr. Eve's therapy; Sissy, Noleta and LaVonda search for a missing Latrelle.
109"Those Pesky Little Stalkers"October 1, 2008 (2008-10-01)
Latrelle owns up to her pill addiction; Brother Boy learns of an escape out of the mental institution; Bumper goes to Latrelle's house to attack her; Walker dies and Sara moves into his old place, upsetting Ty further; G.W. wants to get rid of Noleta so he can be with Peggy.
110"Desperately Seeking Ty"October 8, 2008 (2008-10-08)
Noleta and her gun save the day when Bumper fights with Latrelle, LaVonda and Sissy; the church circulates a petition to close Bubba's bar; Noleta finds evidence of G.W.'s extramarital affair with Peggy; LaVonda catches Bitsy and Glyndora in a compromising position; Sara refuses to accept that her ex, Ty, is now involved with a man.
111"Compromising Situations"October 22, 2008 (2008-10-22)
Ty comes out to Marc and tells Sara that he and Jacob are a couple; Brother Boy and Jackie try blackmail to get out of the institution; church members picket Bubba's; Bitsy Mae takes Glyndora in after Ritchie beats her; Latrelle quits popping pills, while Siss
112"The Trip"October 29, 2008 (2008-10-29)
LaVonda and Noleta arrive in Los Angeles for the opening of Ty's play, but Ty has other problems; G.W. proposes to Peggy; Bitsy Mae shares her feelings with Glyndora; Latrelle kicks her pill addiction; Upon her return, Noleta is arrested for the attempted murder of G.W.; Sissy confesses to killing the goat and is arrested along with Noleta; Brother Boy blackmails Bumper and he and Jackie make their escape.

Soundtrack

  1. Sordid Lives Theme - Olivia Newton-John
  2. So Bad - Olivia Newton-John
  3. None of My Business - Olivia Newton-John
  4. You Look Like a Dick to Me - Olivia Newton-John
  5. Jack Daniels - Olivia Newton-John
  6. Slow Burn - Olivia Newton-John
  7. I Don't Want to Play House - Georgette Jones
  8. I Still Believe in Fairy Tales - Georgette Jones
  9. Precious Memories - Georgette Jones
  10. You Done Me Wrong - Sean Wiggins & Lone Goat
  11. I Could Get Over Him - Kacey Jones
  12. Joyful Sound - Debby Holiday

DVD release

Visual Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 (Canada only) on October 13, 2009.[4] The 3-disc set features all 12 episodes of the series uncensored and uncut as well as several bonus features including deleted scenes, bloopers and several performances by Olivia Newton-John.

Well Go USA released the complete series on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States. The set contains all 12 episodes uncensored and uncut, as well as special features including deleted scenes, bloopers, performances by Olivia Newton-John and music videos (series promo/trailers).

International broadcasters

References

  1. ↑ http://www.logoonline.com/about/contact.jhtml
  2. ↑ http://www.onceuponatimefilms.com
  3. ↑ Sordid Lives: The Series Season Episode Guide Logo Online
  4. ↑ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Sordid-Lives-Series-More-Info-Early-Artwork/12566
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