Off Centre
Off Centre is an American sitcom that aired on The WB network from October 14, 2001, to October 31, 2002. Created by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Danny Zuker, the series was heavily promoted as "from the guys who brought you American Pie".
Synopsis
The series is centered on the lives of two twentysomething friends, British stud Euan Pierce and play-it-safe American Mike Platt, after they move into the posh Hadley Building on New York's Centre Street. Rounding out the cast are Mike's girlfriend Liz Lombardi, their wacky friend and Vietnamese restaurant owner Chau Presley, and secretly sensitive gangsta rapper Status Quo.Characters
Main
- Euan Pierce - A womanizing graduate of Oxford University, suave Brit Euan works as an investment banker and is reckless with money, as seen in the lavish apartment he shares with Mike, which includes of all things, a $2,000 airplane propeller. Among the skeletons in his closet are his "fruity" middle name and the fact that he used to riverdance. He is loosely based on Chris Weitz's university friend and subsequent roommate Euan Rellie.
- Mike Platt - Unlike his Oxford roommate Euan, Mike is hardly financially stable, and for most of the series he works for a non-profit organization, writing letters on behalf of political prisoners, protesting overfishing of the delicious Chilean sea bass, and performing other deeds that he cares little about, as he chose the job because it was close to his apartment. Mike went on to a short-lived career at a video game company before working as the sound guy for porn films, and later into unemployment. Mike dated Liz for over a year, and his attempts to break up with her during the first episode of the second season were thwarted when she dumped him first. Before Eddie Kaye Thomas was cast as Mike, both Will Friedle and Josh Radnor were attached to the role at one time.
- Liz Lombardi - Mike's girlfriend for over a year, Liz was frequently seen trying to get Mike to better himself and take more control of his life.
- Chau Presley - Chau is Mike and Euan's Vietnamese restaurateur friend. His restaurant is called Qui Nhon. Some of his wacky antics consists of accidentally burning Mike's apartment, making money betting at illegal cock fights, and dating a homeless girl who showed signs of being insane. He is the most free-spirited of the group. He is frequently looking for new schemes to attract the ladies, some of which work, and some of which don't. His excuses and explanations are frequently outlandish. He once claimed that Euan had a bedspread made of puppies in order to woo a contestant on The Real World away from him.
- Nathan Cole, a.k.a. Status Quo - A Grammy-Award-winning rapper often accompanied by his "posse people" MC French and DJ Cheddar. He lets down his tough facade around his friends. He secretly enjoys cooking, owned a fastidiously groomed standard poodle named D'Artagnan, is close friends with Martha Stewart and once briefly dated Cher. He had a long-time crush on Liz, but they refrained from pursuing a relationship, realizing that they couldn't risk their friendship and Scrabble games.
Supporting
- Dr. Barry Wasserman - Appears in "The Unkindest Cut" and "P.P. Doc II: The Examination Continues." Wasserman is a urologist who inexplicably has a large cult following. Dedicated to his work, he calls his car "The Penismobile", and he frequently has to explain to people that he's not joking. He is allegedly the urologist of choice for P.Diddy, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, which makes him irresistible to women. Wasserman moved into the Hadley building after his wife committed suicide. He frequently makes jokes about his dead wife that no one finds funny but him.
- Jordan - Introduced as a sort of female counterpart to Chau, Jordan is Liz's friend, who, according to Euan, has no social filter. Jordan says whatever is on her mind with no concern for the people around her, which creates several embarrassing situations, especially in restaurants. She and Chau briefly dated, before an argument about who was hotter - Owen Wilson or Luke Wilson ended their relationship. She works as an assistant to Dr. Wasserman. Jordan refuses to use slang words for the notion of "sexual intercourse", instead referring to it as such or otherwise as coitus.
Guest stars