Matt LeBlanc plays a satirical send-up of himself as the egotistical star that TV executives cater to. This Matt is a spoiled, manipulative adolescent who wreaks havoc on every project he's involved with, including Sean and Beverly's beloved sitcom. Still, he's not all bad and he does mean well, but his huge… ego gets in the way every time. Matt might be a big shot, but one thing is for sure, in Hollywood, you're only as good as your latest episode.
Sean is one half of the golden couple of British comedy. Easy-going and able to roll with the punches, Sean is excited by their American adventure. Even when things get difficult and the frustrating absurdities of Hollywood reveal themselves, Sean continues to enjoy the spoils of "success." He jumps at Matt’s friendly overtures, and revels in Matt’s world of amazing sports cars and private jets to Vegas. This often renders him the peacekeeper between Matt and the more pragmatic Beverly.
Along with her husband Sean, Beverly is the proud creator of a hit British television series that won numerous awards. Unlike Sean though, Beverly chafes under the Hollywood business model, where nothing is even remotely rational. Despite a certain fondness for Carol Rance, she sees Matt LeBlanc for the boob he is and longs to get back to England. And yet, the lure of tinseltown is unavoidable, and Beverly certainly enjoys a well-stocked gift bag as much as the next person, perhaps more.
Merc is a long-time television executive and producer with an enviable resume. He is also a dangerous infant. He’s willful and mercurial and has the attention span of a gnat. He greets everyone he meets – friends and strangers alike – with a hug. But he has the eyes of a killer and puts himself first over relationships. Even when Merc is down, you can never count him out.
The perennial second-in-command at the network has the unenviable task of propping up whoever her boss is at the moment. She also makes the terrible mistake of sleeping with them. All of them. But despite this self-destructive tendency, she is actually decent at her job, and there is a human being buried inside her Hollywood exterior. She becomes a much-needed friend and confidant to Beverly, and Beverly in turn tries valiantly to keep Carol focused on work and self-respect.
Morning Randolph certainly wasn't Sean and Beverly's first choice for the role of the middle-aged lesbian librarian in their sitcom -- she's blond and undeniably hot, despite being bizarrely ageless. She's been working in Hollywood longer than most everybody, and somehow manages to keep going.