tek's rating: ½

Running Wilde, on FOX
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Will Arnett plays Steve Wilde, who's this rich, immature, self-centered, spoiled playboy. Keri Russell plays Emmy Kadubic, who was Steve's childhood sweetheart. He hasn't seen her in years, and she's his total opposite. She's like into environmentalism and protecting endangered cultures and stuff. An activist. And she has a somewhat precocious 12-year-old daughter named Puddle. For some time now (I'm not sure how long, probably years), Emmy and Puddle have been living in an Amazon rain forest, along with Emmy's fiancee, Andy Weeks (David Cross), who is also an activist. (I don't remember if the show ever said anything about who Puddle's father is or was, or what became of him.) But Puddle just wants to be a normal kid with a normal life, and she definitely doesn't like living in a rain forest. In the pilot, Emmy and Puddle go to see Steve because of some humanitarian award he was receiving (which he was giving to himself). He wants to impress Emmy, and win her back, because I guess she's the only person who ever really made him happy. Their relationship is hard to describe... she basically hates everything he stands for, but she still seems to like him. And Puddle likes him too (or at least more than she does Andy), and she likes the lifestyle with which Steve could provide her and her mother. Emmy agrees to stay at Steve's place (though they're living in a treehouse), for Puddle's sake, I guess.

Anyway. Steve has a couple of employees named Migo Salazar and Mr. Lunt. I really have no idea what to say about them. And he has a frenemy named Fa'ad Shaoulin, who is also rich and always in competition with Steve. And... well, Steve's family doesn't really seem to care about him, though it's because of his father, an oil tycoon, that he has all this money and extravagant lifestyle. And Emmy would like Steve to help her fight the evil business practices of his father, though he's afraid to do that because it would mean giving up his money. Meanwhile, she may come to enjoy his lifestyle, as much as she tries not to. And I can't really think what else to say right now, as far as plot goes. It doesn't really make much sense, but that's okay because it's just so quirky and funny. And it's narrated by Puddle, who's definitely an amusing kid, sort of drily sarcastic or whatever. I dunno. But I really liked the show and I was sorry it got cancelled after... well, less than a full season....


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