Infidelities, wild spending,
attempted murder, tabloid headlines - these are all part of the lives of the fictional
professional soccer players from Earls Park, with wives who rival their husbands
as they lie and cheat. "Footballers Wive$" is a UK nighttime soap (also
playing on BBC America) with sensational and outrageous storylines. At
the center of this trashy, campy world is captain Jason Turner (Cristian Solimeno),
a bully who drinks too much and has a new "tart" every week. His wife
Tanya (Zoe Lucker) will stop at nothing to protect her marriage and the lavish
lifestyle it affords her. In the last two episodes of season one, Jason
takes on a new agent, lesbian Hazel Bailey (Alison Newman, "Bad Girls,"
"Hex"). Hazel and Tanya, both most often with
a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, become good friends in season
two. Hazel's sexual orientation is well known. At one point Freddie (Jessica
Brooks), the manager's daughter, goes in for a kiss and invites her to have a
threesome with Sal Biagi (Daniel Schutzmann), the team's Italian star. Hazel wisely
declines. One night Hazel does get Tanya into bed, but only after Tanya indulges
in a little cocaine. Hazel's influence on the players and management of
Earl's Park continues to grow. In seasons three and four, she will take over control
of the club, only leaving when she falls in love with a tennis player. Also of
note in season two is the discovery that Jason's illegitimate son Paddy is actually
intersexed (or hermaphrodite), with a good deal of discussion about the issues
to be faced. It's an addictive, over the top show, made by the people who
brought us "Bad Girls." The two series actually crossover when Tanya
is briefly sent to Larkhall for cocaine possession in "Bad Girls" season
six. |