Chaos City

Classy, Witty, Satirical, Dynamic...

Seasons 1-4 TV series brings a half hour of highly enjoyable escapism. Well loved characters. Michael J Fox is the glue for the whole show. It started with him and unfortunately the show died without him.

The strong ensemble cast gave the show depth and representation, from Carter to James you felt that the show had a commentary from a broad spectrum of characters, not particular deep as perhaps west wing, but that is not the intention. you become invested in the T&T of these characters, as with all good shows, they bring familiarity, social commentary at its light entertainment best.

This show like "friends " was a staple diet during my university years. Recently i have got my hands on the whole series of shows. It was a pleasure to revisit this comedy. Good luck to Mr Fox's foundation on Parkinson's research.

I used to love spin city; set around the Mayor of New York and his staff, it provided a lot of laughs and politics in comedy actually quite works.

The mayor's deputy Mike was one of the best and brilliantly played by one of my favourite actors, Michae J. Fox who has so much screen charisma. The way Mike interacted with his staff was great; his relationship with Carter was hilarious and the way he mentored James was often touching. So many of the characters were great including James, Stuart, Carter, Paul, Nikki and Stacey.

Then they ruined it by casting Heather Locklear as Caitlin. I hated Caitlin, she was so annoying and she replaced the fiesty brooklyn gal, Stacey who was far superior.

When Stacey left it started to go wrong, then Mike, James and Nikki left too and Charlie Sheen couldn't be good enough to replace the loss of three great characters. Charlie was good, not as good as Mike but still a great actor, but Caitlin seemed to be the focus, it should have been called the Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear show at the end as it was always about their relationship, just like it had been with Caitlin and Mike.

The later episodes are not as memorable, James was such a good character that the show suffered without him, everyone else was so self assured but James was the innocence of City hall and without him it was a bunch of big shot Caitlin's who wanted to rule the world.

Another one of the few sitcoms on TV I find very funny and quite witty. The cast is packed with talented performers. Now, don't get me wrong, Michael J. Fox was great in the role of Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, but Charlie Sheen does just as good a job at replacing the lead role as Deputy Mayor Charlie Crawford. Rarely, do I watch a show where a lead character is replaced by another actor, and that actor is just as good as his/her predecessor. I have nothing against Charlie Sheen, I really appreciate him as an actor. But I was very pessimistic about him filling Fox's shoes. Well, he succeeded with flying colors!

Anyone who has seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (one of my all-time favorites) should be familiar with Alan Ruck--who played Cameron Frye, Ferris's anal retentive best friend. He pretty steals the show as the witty, perverted Stuart Bondek. I guess I would say he's my favorite on the show. He definitely brings in the biggest laughs! That episode was classic where he was hired as a screenwriter for porno films. Every time someone would utter any sort of sexual innuendo, he would jot it down on his typewriter. Ruck is a superbly talented comic actor. His facial expressions alone, which reveal exactly what he's thinking, just make you want to crack up.

Michael Boatman is funny in sort of straight role--which is a very ironic statement, being that he's playing a gay character. He never tries too hard for a laugh, yet knows exactly the right timing and delivery. But I did notice a plot hole, concerning his character. In one episode, he's trying desperately to quit smoking. Yet they never showed him smoking in previous episodes. That should be listed in the "goofs" section.

Richard Kind has the goofiest role as Paul, the bumbling speechwriter. I can't imagine anyone playing the part better than him.

Barry Bostwick is also quite funny as the Mayor. His deadpan delivery makes his dialogue all the more funnier.

I have to admit, sometimes the show gets too farcical and out of control. Virtually all sitcoms suffer from this--the characters end up saying or doing something ironic for a cheap laugh, even if it doesn't make sense.

But even though the show has its share of lame gags, I'm often dying with laughter every episode. As goofy as it gets, as senseless as it gets, "Spin City" never fails to make me laugh. The cast is excellent and the writing is often sharp. There's not much more I can ask for. I hope the show continues to be a success and lasts about five more seasons!

My score: 8 (out of 10)

I only consider this show great during the Michael J. Fox years. Between those four delicious seasons, political satire and humor were at a peak on television. Fox and his assorted cast of friends and co-workers were exceptional, making this one of the best sitcoms in the history of television. People will disagree, but come on. Friends? Seinfeld? Please!!! In an age where reality TV is becoming a norm, I can always look back to this show in syndication and watch one of the last good shows that hasn't been stretch thinner than a Hollywood actress' waistline. The most underrated actor in the show wasn't even an actor. The lovable rat/dog/wombat "Rags," a scene stealer everytime he was carried onto the screen. All of my favorite episodes have Rags in it, especially the episode when Rags rediscovers his libido and the episode when he brought back to life by Christopher Lloyd. Good stuff all around, and its too bad Fox had to leave the show.

That's one of the best and most funny sitcoms I've ever seen. Michael J Fox is unbeatable in his part as the Deputy-Mayor of New York. I strongly recommend this sitcom to everybody who like that kind of entertainment.