With a title like “Stacked,” it’s not hard to believe that Pamela Anderson is the star of the show. Of course, this is exactly what the producers hoped for, and it works... until you watch the show. You might be let down to realize that “Stacked” is actually the name of a book store and, while Anderson is the star of the show, it’s not all about her boobs.

Still, there’s plenty of Pam to look at in this show.

This short-lived FOX series held on for two short seasons, producing 14 original episodes and only airing nine. Now, the complete series is collected into a DVD box set.

The show tells the story of Gavin and Stuart (Elon Gold and Brian Scolaro), two dorky brothers who own a book shop in L.A. One day, a beautiful woman named Skyler Dayton (Anderson) wanders into the book store, and they both fall in love with her. Skyler is coming off of a bad relationship and discovers a book in the self-help section that challenges her to change her life. In order to make such a monumental change, she gets a job in a place she never thought she’d be – a book store run by two dorky guys.

Rounding out the cast is Marissa Jaret Winokur as Katrina, the chubby but plucky girl who makes the coffee, and Christopher Lloyd as a retired professor Harold March, who hangs out at the coffee shop as Norm did the bar in “Cheers.”

The weakest link in this show is the two brothers. Gold and Scolaro are decent actors in their own right (although Scolaro does go over the top with his constant Bowery Boys impression), but they just aren’t right to carry a show. Anderson does a decent job, considering she’s never been a powerhouse actor but rather got by on her looks. She’s funny enough when she needs to be, and the real reason she’s on the show is prominently on display in almost every episode.

Ultimately, the best performance in this show comes from Winokur as Katrina. This girl definitely has a grasp on comedy and has the best timing of anyone in the show. And the fact that she’s often paired with a comedy veteran like Lloyd for her humor means that the strongest comedy comes from the supporting cast.

The biggest problems with “Stacked” is that it felt too much like it was structured off a sit-com template. There’s the neurotic main character (Gavin), the hot girl (Skyler), the chubby best friend (Stuart), the homely girl (Katrina) and the wacky next door neighbor type (Harold).

“Stacked” could have really been something if they had shaken up the characters a little more rather than rely too heavily on Pamela Anderson’s bust line. For example, what if they kept the Gavin as he was but made his brother a total hottie... and gay. Then you could have Skyler wanting him, but unable to have him, rather than everyone just wanting her?

Rumor has it that this show had a bidding war among the studios mainly because of Anderson’s involvement. After all, it was a relatively high-profile return to television, long removed from her “Home Improvement” and “Baywatch” days. However, the show never had enough gas in it to really get off the starting block, and it got canceled before it could grow any legs.

However, the charm of a show like “Stacked” is the fact that it is short-lived. Rather than having to slag through multiple discs of show s that had six and seven year runs, you can consume the entirety of “Stacked’ in a single weekend. It’s a cute enough show to warrant one viewing, but it might have lost its appeal if it ran for multiple years.

The DVD comes with all the episodes, including those that never aired, as well as a look at Anderson’s wardrobe, bloopers and a dating spotlight that features the hot guests stars Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo Sound. Widescreen (1.78:1). Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.