''Love Monkey'' is an American
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series starring
Tom Cavanagh
Thomas Cavanagh (born October 26, 1963) is a Canadian actor. He is known for a variety of roles on American television, including starring roles in '' Ed'' (2000–2004), ''Love Monkey'' (2006) and '' Trust Me'' (2009), and recurring roles on ...
. The series was created by Michael Rauch, based on the book of
the same name, by
Kyle Smith. It was a co-production of
Paramount Television
The original incarnation of Paramount Television was the name of the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, that was responsible for the production of Viacom television programs, until it changed its name ...
and
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
.
The first episode aired on January 17, 2006, on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, attracting an audience of about 8.6 million viewers. By its third episode on February 7, viewership was down to 6.2 million, and CBS pulled it from the schedule.
[CBS Breaks Up with 'Love Monkey'](_blank)
from zap2it.com CBS later made one episode available online via its short-lived
Innertube
CBS Innertube was a broadband video channel launched by CBS in May 2006. The channel offered original web-only shows, as well as rebroadcasts of CBS's regular shows. The service was only available in the United States. It was rebranded as CBS.com ...
website.
At the end of March 2006,
VH1 announced plans to re-broadcast the three episodes broadcast on CBS and air the five remaining unaired episodes. The last episode aired on May 16, 2006 on VH1. The series was subsequently aired on the Canadian
MuchMoreMusic
M3 was a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Established in 1998 as MuchMoreMusic, the network began as a spin-off of the youth-oriented MuchMusic, targeting an older demographic with ...
(later
M3) channel.
In the summers of 2009 and 2010, the series was shown on the
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
HD cable network.
Cast
*
Tom Cavanagh
Thomas Cavanagh (born October 26, 1963) is a Canadian actor. He is known for a variety of roles on American television, including starring roles in '' Ed'' (2000–2004), ''Love Monkey'' (2006) and '' Trust Me'' (2009), and recurring roles on ...
as Tom Ferrell, 30-something single record executive
*
Judy Greer
Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress, who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She first rose to prominence in a variety of suppor ...
as Bran Lowenstein, Tom's friend who always tells things to him straight
*
Christopher Wiehl
Christopher Wiehl (born ) is an American actor.
Life and career
Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington and is of Danish and German descent. His father, Dick Wiehl, was an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He graduated from t ...
as Jake Dunne, closeted homosexual ex-baseball player turned
sportscaster
*
Larenz Tate
Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as O-Dog in ''Menace II Society'' and as Councilman Rashad Tate in ''Power''. Tate's other films and television series include the fil ...
as Derrick "Shooter" Cooper, Tom's wealthy womanizing friend
*
Ivana Miličević
Ivana Miličević (; born April 26, 1974) is a Bosnian Croat-American actress and model. She is best known for her starring roles in the Cinemax action drama series ''Banshee'' (2013–2016) and The CW science fiction drama series ''The 100'' (20 ...
as Julia, Tom's colleague and possible girlfriend
*
Katherine LaNasa
Katherine LaNasa (born December 1, 1966) is an American actress, former ballet dancer and choreographer. She starred in films ''Jayne Mansfield's Car'', '' The Campaign'', and ''The Frozen Ground''. On television, LaNasa had a leading role in the ...
as Karen Freed, Tom's sister and Mike's wife
*
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...
as Mike Freed, Tom's friend and brother-in-law (he is married to Tom's sister)
Music
Theme song
* Episodes 1 – 3: "
Someone Who's Cool" by
Odds
Odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are calculated as the ratio of the number of events that produce that outcome to the number that do not. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics.
Odds also have ...
* Episodes 4 – 8: "
For You I Will (Confidence)
"For You I Will (Confidence)" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger, featured on her debut album '' Underage Thinking''. The song was used as the theme song for the CBS comedy-drama series ''Love Monkey'', on which Geiger ...
" by
Teddy Geiger
Teresa Geiger (born September 16, 1988) also known by her stage name Teddy Geiger, is an American artist, songwriter and record producer.
Early life
Geiger was born on September 16, 1988, to Lorilyn Rizzo-Bridges and John Theodore Geiger, I. Sh ...
Geiger's theme song "For You I Will (Confidence)" became a hit single, reaching #29 on the
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
in May 2006.
On MuchMoreMusic, the theme was "Someone Who's Cool" by
Odds
Odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are calculated as the ratio of the number of events that produce that outcome to the number that do not. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics.
Odds also have ...
on all episodes.
Musical guest appearances
The show featured established musicians (often in bit roles) and also features fictional musicians (in italics).
* Episode 1:
Teddy Geiger
Teresa Geiger (born September 16, 1988) also known by her stage name Teddy Geiger, is an American artist, songwriter and record producer.
Early life
Geiger was born on September 16, 1988, to Lorilyn Rizzo-Bridges and John Theodore Geiger, I. Sh ...
,
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
* Episode 2:
LeAnn Rimes
Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Chris ...
,
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...
, Teddy Geiger, ''Zoe''
* Episode 3:
James Blunt
James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...
, Teddy Geiger
* Episode 4:
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
,
Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both '' Late ...
,
She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge is an American rock band, based in San Fernando Valley, California. Formed in 2004, the band is a duo of singer and guitarist Justin Warfield and multi-instrumentalist Adam Bravin. Their music has been influenced by post-punk, ...
, ''Gladwell''
* Episode 5: ''The Barbarian Bros.''
* Episode 6: ''Ray'',
Dr. John
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B.
Active as a session musician from ...
* Episode 7: ''Gordon Decker'' - Portrayed by
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in ''Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in '' Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...
* Episode 8:
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
,
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
,
Lisa Loeb
Lisa Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with the number 1 hit song "Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites,'' the first number 1 single for an artist ...
,
Mýa
Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
, Teddy Geiger
Episodes
Episode 1: "Pilot"
Tom gets fired from his job at a record company after making an unwise comment. He then gets dumped by his girlfriend after being told they are not compatible. Meanwhile, he tries his best to convince a new talented singer, Wayne, found in the small town of
Monroe,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, to sign with him. Tom eventually gives up on Wayne because he doesn't have enough money to sign him, but at the end of the episode Tom accepts a new job at True Vinyl, a small
indie record company, only to find that this company has signed Wayne (largely because Wayne wants to work with Tom).
Episode 2: "Nice Package"
Tom promises to get Zoe, a famous singer he once represented, to play at a
benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
, but her label company will not let her even though she wants to do so. Through Tom's efforts and eventual brainstorm, Zoe is partnered with Wayne and the innovative collaboration results in a .
Meanwhile, Mike and Karen look for a
nanny
A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
for their child and Shooter gets involved in a new relationship.
Episode 3: "Confidence"
Wayne is ready to release his first single, and Tom insists that Wayne gets a
video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...
too. Although his indie record label has little money, Tom wants to make it happen regardless. The rest of the company convince him to hire Nate, an up-and-coming director fresh off an award at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
. Nate has more in mind than just making a video and eventually Tom fires him and he makes his own. Meanwhile, Mike's wife decides to
petsit a dog, and both Mike and Karen decide they aren't ready for kids. Bran is in a relationship with her boss, who is horrible at sports. Julia has a quick relationship with Nate, and Jake attempts a new
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
for his sports commentary.
Episode 4: "The One Who Got Away"
Tom must rep his ex-girlfriend's band, and he discovers that they still have feelings for each other.
Episode 5: "The Window"
Tom has a small window of opportunity to promote the Barbarian Brother's latest album, and a review from Abby Powell could take the band to the next level. However, as the band's rock star lifestyle spins out of control, Abby expresses her feelings for Tom. Tom must find a way to prevent damaging both his career and love life. Meanwhile, Bran's relationship with Scott progresses until a pregnancy scare threatens to derail it.
Episode 6: "Opportunity Knocks"
When Tom and the guys attend the funeral of Carmine Moretti, the owner of their favorite
pizzeria
A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta.
Many pizzerias offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then take ...
, Tom discovers that Carmine's son Ray is an amazing singer with star potential. However, Ray must now support his family and take over his father's business. Tom must convince Ray not to squander his talent. He wants to sign Ray with the label. But first, Tom needs to convince Jeff that Ray has more potential for greatness than the artist Julia wants to represent. Meanwhile, when Shooter and Mike are
mugged
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
, they are both forced to deal with the situation in their own way.
Episode 7: "Mything Persons"
Singer Gordon Decker cracked under the pressure of the music business years ago and never completed his long-awaited second album. Tom now has the chance to buy Gordon's catalogue, but in order for it to be financially beneficial to True Vinyl, he must get Gordon to record the rest of the album. As Tom meets a beautiful doctor with whom he has a real connection, he must also hunt down the reclusive (yet still brilliant) singer and convince him to give the music business another try. Meanwhile, Bran struggles with the fact that she is dating her boss.
End song as performed by Gordon Decker was from an original song by
Abandoned Pools
Thomas Edward Walter (born October 30, 1970) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his alternative rock band, Abandoned Pools, as well as being the former bassist and one of the founding members of Eels.
Early years and the E ...
, "Maybe Then Someday" from the 2005 album ''Armed To The Teeth''.
Episode 8: "Coming Out"
On the eve of Wayne's first album release, screaming teenage girls, greedy music executives, and manipulative publicists are all trying to now get a piece of him. Tom is trying to protect Wayne, but Tom's old mammoth label Goliath keeps tempting Wayne and his parents with a lucrative new contract offer. Phil, who works for Goliath, tries to convince Wayne that True Vinyl is too small to take his career to the next level. Phil also offers Tom a new job with his own label under the Goliath umbrella. Meanwhile, Karen and Mike prepare for the birth of their baby, Bran learns whether or not she got the big promotion, Shooter must finally decide if he'll take over the family business, and Jake must choose if wants to face the professional repercussions of
coming out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
.
Trivia
Several episodes of Love Monkey featured the acting and music/recording studio script input of New York City guitarist and recording engineer
Hugh Pool
Hugh Pool (born Hugh Eustis Potts Pool, March 17, 1964, Mars, Pennsylvania) is an American musician, songwriter, and producer who plays guitar in a unique style that melds traditional Delta blues, country music and classic and psychedelic rock ...
and his recording studio Excello Recording.
References
External links
* from CBS
* from VH1
* {{IMDb title, 0457046
MuchMoreMusic websiteReview of Love Monkeyfrom
The Book Standard
2000s American comedy-drama television series
2006 American television series debuts
2006 American television series endings
CBS original programming
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
Television shows based on American novels
Television series by CBS Studios
Television shows set in New York City
English-language television shows