They were at one point the Bill Paxton and Bill Pullman of erstwhile chesty blonde Playmates — two separate and distinct individuals still bound together by public confusion over exactly who was whom. A decade removed, the fog of mistaken identity has lifted (hey, marrying a crusty nonagenarian and throwing on a hundred-plus pounds will do that for you), but the difference between Anna Nicole Smith and Pamela Anderson (below, for the record) can still be measured most acutely in one hyphenated word: self-awareness. The latter has it in spades, as the DVD release of VIP: The Complete First Season amply demonstrates; the former, well, she might be able to spell it.



That the first episode of the bubbly, syndicated VIP is, in fact, titled “Beats Working at a Hot Dog Stand” really speaks volumes about this show, and indeed the fantastic, whimsical, magical mystery tour that is Anderson’s professional voyage. The small-town girl turned pneumonic ex-Playmate stars here as Vallery Irons, who comes to California not knowing that her big break will come in the form of a date with a famous action star. While attending a Hollywood premiere, a crazed fan pulls a gun. When her movie hunk turns into a coward, however, it’s Vallery who rises to save the day, and becomes the hero. Mistaken for a bodyguard, Vallery is thrust into a new world of action and danger, so she becomes what others want and need her to be — the namesake owner of a special high-end security consulting agency, Vallery Irons Protection. There she works with her crack staff — brassy Tasha (Molly Culver), saucy Nikki (Natalie Raitano), perpetually nonplussed Kay (Leah Lail) and the muscle, Quick (Shaun Baker) — to guard high-strung actresses, centerfold models, talk-radio stars, basketball prospects and more.

Tone is everything for a syndicated romp like this, and VIP has the smarts not to take itself at all seriously. It’s also rather ingenious in its construction, the manner in which the parties truly need each other in order to succeed. Tasha may register continued exasperation with Vallery — especially for her serial fashion indulgence — but the latter’s lack of prescribed experience always lends itself to some outside-of-the-box thinking that proves helpful. Likewise, Quick and the others provide the practical know-how to implement Vallery’s schemes and plans. Anderson’s off-screen likeability is further evidenced by a wide-ranging roster of guest stars that includes Jay Leno, Morgan Fairchild, Jerry Springer, Sherman Hemsley, Pauly Shore, Robin Leach, Marie Osmond and magicians Penn and Teller. While it’s definitely not re-inventing the wheel, there’s enough campy and lightweight fun here to qualify the show for a look for those looking to shake some of the sand from Baywatch out of their trunks. All 22 episodes of VIP’s 1998 inaugural sashay are included here, in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format with an English stereo audio mix. Spread out over five discs housed in three slimline cases in turn stored in a single cardboard slipcase, supplemental extras include a trivia track on the series pilot and audio commentary on the season finale, “Val the Hard Way,” with executive producers Jonathan Lawton and Morgan Gendel, actress Raitano and writer Steve Kirozere. There’s also a brief behind-the-scenes featurette and a selection of cheeky, newly filmed cast introductions to three episodes. More with Anderson would certainly be welcome, but VIP has the smarts to leave you wanting more. B- (Show) C+ (Disc)