IN the beginning, there was network TV. Father knew best, sitcom moms always wore a smile and nobody ever talked dirty. Television sex was taboo in the years B.C. (before cable). What's surprising, though, is that on-air sex is still a touchy topic. The networks routinely accompany references to their favorite subject with nervous giggles on the laugh track. Men are nearly always impotent or incompetent, and women are always left unsatisfied.
But change is underway. On Eden, Playboy TV's new landmark evening drama, fantasy finally meets reality. American cable audiences will have a real alternative to buttoned-up prime-time fare. And while the central plot of Eden is presented from a woman's point of view, this series set in paradise is great television for two. The original version is currently airing on Playboy TV, and USA Network will kick off its version with a prime-time two-hour movie airing June 27.
Eden tracks the blossoming of gorgeous widow Eve Sinclair, portrayed by the soulful Barbara Alyn Woods, as she takes over the daily operation of her dead husband's tropical resort, Eden. Eve's quest for healing grief and emotional serenity is disrupted by Randi Banks (the drama's quintessential bad girl, played by sultry actress Darcy DeMoss). How devilish is Randi? How pure is Eve? Is Eden the start of a new era of sexy TV programming? Viewers can judge for themselves. In the meantime, discriminating readers can appreciate the duo's charms here.
