The supporting cast of "Style and Sub-
stance ':• Joseph Maher as Mr. John, the
sycophantic interior designer; Linda
Kash as Trudy, the tough food stylist;
Heath Hyche as Terry, Chelsea's sweet
but incompetent secretary; and Nancy
McKeon as Jane Sokol, the domestic
diva's TV show producer.
scripts with his writing partner, Chris
Alberghini.
The first, which aired Jan. 26,
paired Chelsea with her cooking show
idol, played by Jean Stapleton, for an
appearance with Regis and Kathie Lee.
The second follows Chelsea through a
disastrous experience running a charity
benefit.
Chessler's interest in writing devel-
oped as he was growing up in CalifOr-
nia and intensified during college. He
entered Harvard with plans to become
an architect, but his priorities changed.
He graduated with a concentration in
English and American literature.
Back in California, Chessler
became a motion picture/literary agent
and took stock of his professional
preferences for the future.
"I realized that if I wanted to con-
tinue in the business and deal with all
the ups and downs, the way for it to
be fulfilling for me would be to stay
on the creative end," he said. "That's
when I decided I didn't want to con-
tinue as an agent or try to get an exec-
utive job. I wanted to write."
After being hired as a writer's assis-
tant on "Love and War," Chessler met
Alberghini, who then was an assistant
to the producer. The two teamed up
three years ago and sold a story idea
for "The Nanny."
Move Over,
Martha!
The dish on "Style and Substance."
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News
I
f Chelsea Stevens bears some
resemblance to TV's homemak-
ing guru Martha Stewart, the
connection is based purely on
profession.
That's the way the leading character
of the new CBS sitcom "Style and
Substance" is explained by series staff
writer Mike Chessler.
"The show is not about being a
parody of Martha Stewart or even
being a direct corollary of her," said
Chessler, 31, who began working on
the series in July. The show makes
very little mention of her.
In the comedy series that debuted
in January, Jean Smart plays Chelsea
Stevens, the star of a fictional TV pro-
gram that tells viewers how to manage
their households. Meanwhile, Chelsea
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86
works behind the scenes telling co-
workers how to manage their lives.
"When a lot of shows are devel-
oped, the first thing everyone says is
[to] make sure the characters are like-
able," said Chessler, whose dad, Sher-
man Chessler, grew up in Michigan.
"I think that's why it's hard for a lot
of TV shows to have an edge. If every
character is instantly likeable, the
show often ends up very bland.
"I think we've been able to create a
character who's a little more complex
— someone whose various neuroses
and obsessions will lead viewers to see
the good in a person who may not be
likeable on the surface."
The pilot for "Style and Substance"
was shot last spring. After CBS bought
it and ordered 12 more episodes,
Chessler was hired.
In addition to helping edit all 12
programs, Chessler completed two full
Family Ties
After many experiences reporting
about people tracing their family
trees, I recently learned about the
personal meaning of establishing
those kinds of connections.
Although cousins Sherman and
Marlene Chessler periodically have
visited Michigan relatives over the
years since they moved to Califor-
nia, their children seldom joined
them.
During Sherman and Marlene's
last trip to Detroit, they talked
about the TV writing career of
their son Mike. I thought it would
be a fun time to establish a link
with Mike— not only for a JN
article but also to explore the roots
of our mutual interest in writing.
The resulting conversation,
which translates into the piece
about Mike's work for "Style and
Substance," also provided a chance
for some family remembrances. It's
been quite a while since Mike visit-
ed with his Michigan relatives,
including his Southfield uncle and
aunt, George and Rosa Chessler,
and their children, Mark and Elana
(Lofman).
I liked getting acquainted with
Mike, and I hope the profile on him
stands as a preface to a lifetime filled
with great writing successes. 111
— Suzanne Chessler