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SERIES BACKGROUND: The series ran five years and was one of those high school series which was a bit more mature than the standard fare (thereby drawing the expected "viewer discretion is advised" bulletins), often tackling controversial topics which many parents seem to have trouble discussing with their kids. In this respect it was not unlike the reasonably wretched Boston Public, but with two favorable differences: Madison had a minimal regular cast and often had a different character of focus (especially in the first season, when the cast changed for every episode, and b.) it didn't feature constant unwanted choir practice scenes and shove an unwanted song down your throat every week.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I had to sit through plenty of episodes of Boston Public with my niece and nephew a few years back, and knowing what I know now I would have gladly watched Madison with them instead. It's not a great show and certainly not a show for your stereotypical guy who would prefer to be watching sports or a crime drama, but it's the best show of its type I know of. I haven't seen nearly as many episodes of Madison as I have of (groan) Boston Public, but I've definitely seen enough to know that the former is vastly superior to the latter. The acting is better, the stories seem better as well, and (I don't mean to beat this point to death, but I can't stress it enough) no unwanted songs that you have to sit through with younger relatives while hoping that a sudden and weekly case of five-minute deafness provides you a much-needed break.
Gabrielle gets very little time in this episode, perhaps a combined two minutes, but as per usual makes the most of it. She does a great job of coming across as an obnoxious phony and is the perfect offset to a far more sympathetic character. The episode - and the show itself - is designed to appeal primarily to youth, but if you're a fan of Gabrielle's you won't regret spending the time on it, regardless of your age.
KUDOS TO GABRIELLE: This episode features her in yet another of her extremely varied roles, and she nails this one to the wall. As Jennifer accepts an award she doesn't seem to deserve, Gabrielle perfectly portrays her as a sickeningly (repeat: sickeningly) obnoxious little bitch - and is so effective at it that when Jennifer is reduced to tears later in the episode you won't even feel sorry for her. She's also quite amusing as she tries to cope with the fact that her main (and more deserving) competition for the award attends the ceremony with a far-more eye-catching boyfriend than the fraternity nerd she herself shows up with. Best of all, during Jennifer's acceptance speech Gabrielle is indescribably good (annoying, but good - given that she was supposed to be annoying) as she quotes Jennifer's favorite actress of all time.
NOTE: Sally Field's actual quote as she accepted her second Oscar in five years back in 1985 was "I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!", but is almost always misquoted (like it is by Jennifer in this episode) as "You like me, you really like me!"
APPEARING HERE AND ELSEWHERE WITH GABRIELLE:
Barry Pepper, who plays Mick Farleigh, played Skidd in Sliders episode "Summer of Love." Jerry Wasserman, who plays Mr. Novak, played Lieutenant Vigo in "The Disappearance of Vonnie." Jonathan Scarfe, who plays R.J. Winslow, played Keith in Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story. Kate Robbins, who plays a nurse, played Doreen in UC Undercover episode "Life on the Wire." Malcolm Stewart, who plays Mr. Gortch, played the school principal in Alienated episodes "Caught" and "Sexual People," Principal Feldman in Pasadena episode "Someone to Talk To," John in "The Other Moment: A Moment of Truth Movie," and Dr. Marsolais in "Moment of Truth: To Walk Again."
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