If life hands you lemons, don’t just squeeze them into lemonade. Find every possible way to slice them.
That’s the philosophy of Margaret Monreaux, the matriarch of a religious dynasty who discovers her husband has fathered three illegitimate children, each looking for a piece of the family fortune.
In “Filthy Rich,” a “Dynasty”-like drama premiering this week, Margaret (Kim Cattrall) assumes her husband (Gerald McRaney) was killed in a plane crash and she’s left to pick up the pieces.
Rather than turn the business over to her uptight son Eric (Corey Cott), she seizes the reins of the Sunshine Network and approaches the three newbies – a martial artist, a drug dealer and an owner of an internet porn site – with a business proposition.
The premise is as outrageous as the fantasies played out on sinwagon.com.
Created by Tate Taylor, the man behind “The Help,” “Filthy Rich” doesn’t send up televangelists the way “The Righteous Gemstones” does. It leans into the concept and shows how the family justifies its mission.
Oozing charm and sugar, Cattrall comes to life when she’s on camera. She’s the quintessential steel magnolia, able to handle every situation she’s in.
The others aren’t quite as flexible.
Ginger Sweet (Melia Kreiling), the online entrepreneur, does everything she can to upend Margaret’s world. When bribery doesn’t work, she turns to embarrassment. The ploy is just enough to keep everyone guessing.
More interesting? The preacher who keeps the ministry ticking. Played by Aaron Lazar, Rev. Paul Luke Thomas is just as multi-layered as Margaret. Like Joel Osteen, he leads with charisma and has an agenda that could bump everyone else’s.
When he tries to counsel Eric, “Filthy Rich” becomes much more than a family affair.
Although it’s not the juicy drama its name suggests (there’s a strain of faith that meanders through some of the scenes) there are enough Southern one-liners to bring a smile every now and then. (“GCB,” come back. All is forgiven.)
Too traditional for its own good, it needs to mix things up on a grand scale – showing an entire episode of Margaret’s talk show for example – and keep viewers off guard.
“Filthy Rich” isn’t bubbling with new ideas. It’s just a change of pace for those weaned on “Desperate Housewives.” Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition? If only this were that loaded.
“Filthy Rich” airs Monday on Fox.
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