Cupid (TV series)

Infobox Television|show_name=Cupid


caption=
format=Romantic Comedy‑drama
camera=
picture_format=
runtime=approx. 44(?) minutes
creator=Rob Thomas
developer=
executive_producer=Scott Winant
Joe Voci
Scott Sanders
starring=Jeremy Piven
Paula Marshall
Jeffrey D. Sams
guest starring=Laura Leighton
narrated=
opentheme=“Human” by The Pretenders (cover of “Human on the Inside” by Divinyls)
endtheme=
country=USA
company=Mandalay Entertainment
Columbia Pictures Television (Sony Pictures Television)
network=ABC
first_aired=September 26 1998
last_aired=February 11 1999
num_episodes=15 (1 unaired)
list_episodes=List of Cupid episodes
website=
imdb_id=0168326
tv_com_id=448

"Cupid" is a 1998-1999 American comedy-drama series created by Rob Thomas, which featured Paula Marshall as Dr. Claire Allen, a Chicago psychologist who is given charge of a man named Trevor Hale (Jeremy Piven). Hale believes he is Cupid, sent down from Mt. Olympus by Zeus to connect 100 couples without his powers, as a punishment for his arrogance.

Originally broadcast on ABC on Saturday evenings at 10 p.m. EST, the show lasted only one season.

Plot

The plot of Cupid is loosely based on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, as alluded to in the Pilot. Trevor begins in Claire’s singles therapy group, with mixed results. Claire and Trevor become attracted to each other as the show progresses, but are unable and unwilling to act on their feelings: she out of a desire to maintain a professional detachment, he because he believes he cannot form a relationship with a mortal woman, since he would have to leave Earth after completing his penance (also, he would never be able to return to Mt. Olympus if he had sex with a mortal before his task was complete). Viewers are never told whether Trevor is really Cupid, and are given hints both ways.

Cast

Regular cast

*Jeremy Piven — Cupid/Trevor Hale
*Paula Marshall — Dr. Claire Allen
*Jeffrey D. Sams — Champ

Recurring cast

*Paul Adelstein — Mike
*Noelle Bou-Sliman — Tina
*Daniel Bryant — Laurence
*Melanie Deanne Moore — Jaclyn
*Jeff Parise — Nick
*Geryll Robinson — Chris

Recurring guests

*Kevin Scott Greer — Single Guy (4 episodes)
*Joe Flanigan — Alex (4 episodes)
*Hollis Resnik — Linda (3 episodes)
*Laura Leighton

taff

*Rob Thomas — Creator, executive producer, supervising producer
*Scott Winant — Executive producer, director
*Joe Voci — Executive producer
*Scott Sanders — Executive producer
*Jeff Reno — Executive producer
*Ron Osborn — Executive producer
*Hart Hanson — Co-Executive Producer
*W.G. “Snuffy” Walden — Composer

Writers

*Michael Green
*Ron Osborn
*Jeff Reno
*Rob Thomas
*Elle Triedman

Directors

*Michael Engler
*Michael Fields
*Tucker Gates
*Michael Katleman
*Elodie Keene
*Patrick Norris
*Peter O’Fallon
*David Petrarca
*Scott Winant
*Deran Sarafian

Episodes

Reviews and articles

*E! Online named Cupid as #4 on its [http://web.archive.org/web/20050716012659/http://www.eonline.com/Features/Topten/Canceledshows/04.html "Top Ten Shows Cancelled Before Their Time"] .
*Two 1998 articles from Tim Goodman "San Francisco Examiner" and Alan Sepinwall "New Jersey Star-Ledger" as listed on [http://www.hieran.com/rob/cupid.html Rob Thomas’s Site] .

Production notes

*"Cupid" was produced by Columbia TriStar Television and Mandalay ProductionsFact|date=February 2007.
*"Cupid" was filmed on location in the Chicago, due to Piven’s love for the city.Fact|date=February 2007

how resurrection

*On October 2, 2007 Variety broke the story that ABC had given Rob Thomas the "green light" to bring "Cupid" back to the airwaves. The project is one of two scripts Thomas has in the works via a one-year development deal with ABC Studios. The new "Cupid" will also relocate from Chicago to Los Angeles, allowing for more high-profile stunt casting. Jeremy Piven will not be involved in the new version. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973234.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 ABC to give 'Cupid' another shot] .]

*On March 14, 2008 "The Hollywood Reporter" reported that ABC had received scripts and approved production for the new Cupid series.

*Bobby Cannavale has been cast as Trevor Hale in the new series.

*Sarah Paulson has been cast as Dr. Claire Allen.

*Parking spaces have been blocked off at the corner of 35th St. and Lexington Ave. in New York City as of Sunday, July 20, 2008, with signs informing that it is in preparation for filming of Cupid.

Notes and trivia

*"The Children's Hour", the last episode broadcast before the show's cancellation in the U.S., aired shortly before Valentine's Day 1999; it features Trevor's ruminations on why the holiday should instead be "Cupid's Day".
*In a December 24 2004, Entertainment Weekly article, creator Rob Thomas mentions that the show would have ended with Trevor and Claire becoming Trevor's 100th match — and without revealing whether Trevor really was Cupid. [http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1008477_3%7C13488%7C%7C0_0_,00.html]
*Series stars Paula Marshall and Jeffrey D. Sams both had recurring roles on Rob Thomas's most recent series "Veronica Mars". Thomas stated that, given the opportunity, he would have written an episode featuring both of their characters, as well as their "Cupid" co-star Jeremy Piven. Additionally, an episode featured a brief glance at a website of high school basketball statistics, with a high school named "Trevor Hale". [http://www.marsinvestigations.net/glossary/H#HaleTrevor]
*The name "Trevor Hale" is an anagram for "Lover Hater" and "Heart Lover."
*Trevor says "Let's hug it out, you little freaks!" in one episode. Jeremy Piven would later portray Ari Gold on Entourage with a famous catchphrase, "Let's hug it out, you little bitches!", in which was originally ad-libbed by Piven himself.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0168326|title=Cupid
* [http://www.slaverats.com/ Creator Rob Thomas’s site] , including show synopsis, reviews and scripts for unaired episodes.
* [http://epguides.com/Cupid/ Entry on epguides.com]
* [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973234.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1&p=0 "Variety" story" "ABC to give 'Cupid' another shot"]
* [http://cupidian.com CUPID] fansite
* [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ida1d365b6d3f5717834ff0724a7c5d2a The Hollywood Reporter Article ABC greenlights Thomas' 'Cupid']