TV Gets Down To Business With Lipstick and Cashmere

40 is the New...Money, power, respect and not-so-middle age

By Daiana Feuer
Published: Feb 01, 2008

Two of the brains behind the beloved Sex and the City may have gone their separate ways, but lucky for us viewers, they ended up in similar places. NBC's Lipstick Jungle is based on another page-turner by writer Candace Bushnell, while ABC’s Cashmere Mafia is being produced by Darren Star (who also produced 90210 and Melrose Place). Both prime time series are concerned with the lives of "big" women. The term "big" doesn't describe their skirt sizes, nor is it a quip about their ages, but as a measure of success refers to the size of their pockets and lifestyles. In both cases, "big" is beautiful.

In Lipstick Jungle, best friends Nico (Kim Raver), Wendy (Brooke Shields), and Victory (Lindsay Price) are numbers 8, 12, and 17 on The Post's list of "New York's 50 Most Powerful Women." Sex and scandal abound as these leading ladies reconcile work, play, competition, and seek happiness in their stylishly overbooked lives.

Cashmere Mafia taps a similar vein. Mia (Lucy Liu), Juliet (Miranda Otto), Caitlin (Bonnie Somerville) and Zoe (Frances O'Conner) became friends in college. Fast-forward a few decades, the four high-level executives sit together at lunch chatting about romance, business and scheming colleagues, calling upon each other's resources and connections to stay on top—like a band of superheroes.

The charming blend of sentimental wit anticipated in both series should make for a justifiable reason to order-in dinner and snuggle up to your TiVo.

Lipstick Jungle premieres Thursday, February 7th at 10pm EST, NBC
Watch Cashmere Mafia Wednesdays at 10pm EST, ABC

Daiana Feuer is fond of admitting she learned English from the TV, though movies and Madonna should also be thanked. She came from Argentina at a young age, and likes to apply her cinematic language skills to video art and creative writing.

Browse All Features >