Love American Style (1999)

30 years after the debut of "Love American Style" (which spun-off "Happy Days" and the animated "Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home"), there was an attempt to revive the series. Imagine "Love American Style" in "The Twilight Zone" and you've got the gist of this wonderful little oddity. Featuring a slew of familiar TV actors (including Mariska Hargitay, Steven Eckholdt, Sherilyn Fenn and Joely Fischer), the pilot included a series of 6 twisted romantic-comedy vignettes. The show didn't get picked up to air as a weekly series, but it did air during February 1999 sweeps as part of their themed "Flashback Weekend" celebration.

Here's a breakdown (which include links to watch each segment on YouTube)...

In the wraparound skit "Love In The Old South" Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") and Matt Letscher ("Good Morning Miami," "Eli Stone") star as an unwed couple in the old South who attempt to make love while her father's away... These skits were intercut between the other segments but have been compiled into one on You Tube.

In "Love And The Heimlich Maneuver," Joely Fisher ("Ellen," "'Til Death") stars as a woman who comes to the realization that she may be too good for potential beau Tom Verica ("American Dreams," "The Naked Truth").

In "Love and the Case Against It," an elementary schoolgirl (Sarah Haspel) runs to her teacher (TV writer Winnie Holzman, "ThirtySomething," "My So-Called Life") and accuses her classmate (J.B. Gaynor, "Grounded for Life") of sexual harassment.

In "Love and the Internet," Leila Kenzle ("Mad About You") arrives at the airport with plans to wed the man she's been talking to on the internet for the past year, whom she has never laid eyes on.

In "Love And The Blind Date" Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU") stars as a woman who's stood up by her blind date, so she winds up at a bar, where she butts heads with Steven Eckholdt ("Friends," "It's Like... You Know," "My Big Fat Greek Life"). A must-see for Hargitay fans.

And they saved the best for last! In "Love And The Jealous Lover," b-movie queen Sherilyn Fenn and Jon Tenney ("The Closer") plan to spend a sweaty romantic evening together, but their plans are foiled by her schizophrenic dog.

LINKS:

The Internet Movie Database