Preston Episodes, The

1 9 9 5 (USA)
8 x 30 minute episodes

David Preston (David Alan Grier from In Living Color) was a newly divorced 37-year-old college English professor who had moved from the womb-like security of his New Jersey campus to the competitive bustle of Manhattan, where he could toss wisecracks and chase dates.

Convinced he would become a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, David was crestfallen when he found that the only job he could get was as a photo caption writer for Stuff magazine, a cheesy weekly celebrity magazine with content closer to the tabloids than Time or Newsweek.

Neurotic David constantly tried to convince himself (and others) that his job was more important than it actually was.

Working with him at Stuff were Larry Dunhill (Clive Revill), the magazine’s irascible and cynical British editor, who liked the trashy tone of the magazine and had no interest in making it more literate; his reluctant confidante Kelly Freeman (Judith Scott), who had burned out as an investigative reporter and preferred the puffery and reduced stress working at Stuff; Harlow (Brent Hinkley), the weird researcher and fact checker who stared at the floor; and Adam Green (Matthew Walker), the writer who had hired him.

Derek (Tommy Hinkley), the eccentric guy who lived across the hall from David, had no job but was forever trying to make his big score. Also seen were David’s parents and his ex-wife, Mary Ann.

Ratings and reviews were not favourable, and Fox canned the series after eight episodes.

David Preston
David Alan Grier
Kelly Freeman
Judith Scott
Harlow
Brent Hinkley
Larry Dunhill
Clive Revill
Adam Green
Matthew Walker
Derek Clooney
Tommy Hinkley