Starring: Shannen Doherty, Salma Hayek, Portia DiRossi, Raquel Welch, Gretchen Mol, Tiffani Thiessen, Andrew McCarthy and Molly as "Sparkles" |
Episode Guide Season One Pilot. Shannen Doherty returns to network television in this latest series from David E. Kelley. On her first day at the Boston Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Maria Torres (Salma Hayek) clashes with the staff, offends the patients and inadvertently teaches a parrot an obscenity. But, when a homeless dog named Sparkles wanders in, the staff must work as a team to save his life. Also starring Portia DiRossi and Racquel Welch as Dr. Gwen. Canis Horribilis. When a rich client (John Larroquette) seeks the clinic's health in proving his poople, Dimples, didn't kill a neighbor's shih tzu, Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) and Dr. Grainger (Shannen Doherty) put differences aside to prove him innocent. But once they obtain immunity for Dimples, a darker truth emerges on the stand, implicating a recuperating Sparkles, who Dr. Gwen (Racquel Welch) thinks may be gay. Judge Hiller: Linda Hunt. The Cow Jumps Over the Loon. After being acquitted, Sparkles continues to struggle to regain his bark. When a talking parakeet appears to her in a waking dream and tells her she needs a man, Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) seeks the help of a quirky psychologist (Caroline Rhea). Dr Grainger (Shannen Doherty) and Dr. DiPesto (Portia Di Rossi) clash when Dr. Gwen (Racquel Welch) uses a cow to incubate her test tube baby. Trials and Tribulations. When Dr. Torres (Salma Hayeck) is put on trial for malpractice in the death of a pot-bellied pig, the clinic rallies behind her. When they hire attorney Bobby Donnell, an old friend of Sparkles, things look hopeful. But, when the judge turns out to be an old sorority sister of Dr. Gwen's (Raquel Welch), old grievances and post-menopausal sexiness threaten to derail the case. (Dylan McDermott, Camryn Manheim and Holland Taylor of The Practice guest star.) Caveat Emptor. When Sparkles witnesses a murder at a gas station, the clinic bands together to support him as he testifies. Dr. Gwen (Racquel Welch) has a mysterious gentleman caller. Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) seeks Dr. DiPesto's (Portia DiRossi) help with a lethargic lizard, but they disagree on the best treatment. Mane and Superman. Dr. Torres (Salma Hayeck) is puzzled by the odd behavior of a horse she's treating. Drs. DiPesto and Grainger (Portia DiRossi and Shannen Doherty) come to blows over Sparkles' mounting medical bills. And Dr. Gwen (Racquel Welch) faces a crisis of conscience over her new boyfriend (Michael Nouri) who thinks he's a superhero but is also the best sex of her life. Molly (the Springer Spaniel that plays Sparkles) has been upped to series regular. Sex Kittens. When Dr. Grainger (Shannen Doherty) is called before the Veterinary Review Board for continuing to wear short skirts during office hours, the office erupts in a battle over gender roles and animal treatment. Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) advocates the use of sex as a weapon while Dr. DiPesto (Portia DiRossi) prefers using her femininity to diffuse tense situations involving aggressive male dogs. Sparkles (Molly) sets out with the help of Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) to find his birth mother. The New Girl. Fresh from her stint on David E. Kelley's girls club, Gretchen Mol joins the cast as Dr. Tanya Simpkins, whose renegade antics immediately clash with the rest of the clinic. But, when Dr. Gwen's (Raquel Welch) guinea pig, Chester, is in need of immediate surgery, the doctors must work together to save him. Sparkles' search for his birth mother takes him to Appalachia, where he meets a border collie with a secret. Painted Desert. Sparkles' journey of self-discovery continues as he makes his way to a Navajo village in the desert southwest to meet with a tribal elder who may know the identity of his mother. In an outrageous subplot, Dr. Tanya Simpkin (Gretchen Mol) deals with a pair of bickering dachshunds whose owner is suing them for alienation of affection. Roof, Roof, Mr. Santa Claus. In a tribute to the holiday specials of Rankin and Bass, after Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) is hit on the head by a falling tree-topper, she imagines the cast and their furry patients as animated characters. Sparkles has only 24 hours to round up all of the animals of the forest to help him and the doctors of Boston Veterinary Clinic deliver Santa's toys. Mother and Child Reunion. In a very special episode, Dr. Simpkins (Gretchen Mol) believes the stray dog she is treating may be Sparkles' biological mother. But, when Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) suspects the pooch may be a con artist, the clinic bands together to protect Sparkles' fragile mental state. Cat Scratch Fever. While Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) tends to an emotionally drained Sparkles, the rest of the clinic deals with an unexpected kitten boom. Dr. Simpkins (Gretchen Mol) clashes with Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek) over whether to tell a woman (Brenda Strong) that her prized Calico's litter were sired not by a pedigreed stud, but a black tabby from across the street. But everything is thrown into a chaos when a tiny, adorable dog wanders in, claiming to be Sparkles' brother. Mr. Winkle guest stars. Family. As Sparkles and his brother, Butch (Mr. Winkle) bond in the kennel, Dr. Simpkins (Gretchen Mol) works furiously to prove their familial connection. Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) is being sued by the owner of a gerbil with sexual dysfunction. And Drs. Torres and Grainger (Salma Hayek and Shannen Doherty) clash over kitty litter. American Idol reject Jim Verraros begins a five week stint as a vet's assistant with a secret. The Claws Come Out. The clinic reels after a routine de-clawing goes horribly wrong and costs Dr. Grainger (Shannen Doherty) her life. Dr. DiPesto (Portia Di Rossi) finds comfort in a bottle of horse tranquilizers while Dr. Simpkins (Gretchen Mol) blames herself. Dr. Torres (Recent Oscar-nominee Salma Hayek) soon makes a startling announcement about her future with the clinic. And while Dr. Gwen moves to have the cat that attacked Grainger put down, Sparkles fights nobly to spare his life, consulting lawyer Jimmy Berludi (The Practice star Michael Badalucco) and taking the matter to court. First Do No Harm. David E. Kelley's veterinary clinic drama deals with the loss of two original cast members in this taut installment. Still grieving from the death of Dr. Grainger (Shannen Doherty) and the departure of Dr. Torres (Salma Hayek), Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) begins to interview replacement vets. Sparkles the dog is revealed to have been attending night classes and receives his License to practice but is immediately stymied by age old hatred when he is asked to operate on a cat. Meanwhile, Drs. Simpkins and DiPesto (Gretchen Mol and Portia DiRossi) try their hands at speed dating and end up fighting over the same guy (James Marsden), a sexy kitty-litter scientist. A Cold Front from the East. Tiffani Thiessen joins the cast as Dr. Amber Ventura a stripper-turned-world-renowned-canine-neurosurgeon whose holistic style clashes with Dr. DiPesto's (Portia DiRossi) more Western approach. Sparkles and Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) have a night on the town that lands them in the clink and only wacky intern Pete (American Idol's Jim Verraros) can save them. Monkey Business. Dr. Ventura (Tiffani Thiessen) welcomes an old friend from her University, a cross-dressing Chimpanzee named Barney who knows sign language and only wears Chanel. When she convinces Dr. Gwen (Raquek Welch) to hire Barney as the new receptionist, all Hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, Sparkles receives one final clue to his Mother's identity and sets out with Dr. DiPesto (Portia DiRossi) to solve the mystery. Dogfight, Part One. In the first of a two-part season finale, Sparkles finds his Mother working as a sled dog in Nome, Alaska but finds she doesn't recognize him due to a bad case of distemper. As he and Dr. DiPesto (Portia DiRossi) struggle to bring the sick pooch to Boston, Dr. Ventura (Tiffani Thiessen) unwittingly admits Sparkles deadbeat father. Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) finally makes the connection but it may be too late to stop the family reunion from turning into a nightmare. Dogfight, Part Two. In the thought-provoking conclusion to the first season, the clinic acts fast to stop the melee caused when Sparkles parents see each other for the first time since his father abandoned his mother. Dr. Gwen (Raquel Welch) receives notice of a lawsuit filed by the family of the deceased Dr. Grainger which threatens to close the clinic. Dr. Ventura (Tiffani Thiessen) tends to a traumatized Sparkles while Dr. DiPesto (Portia DiRossi) and Dr. Simpkins (Gretchen Mol) share a steamy kiss. Season Two Hello and Goodbye. The new season picks up exactly where last season left off. The meeting of Sparkles’ biological parents set off a melee in the waiting room leaving Dr. Gwen’s (Raquel Welch) life in danger. And Drs. DiPesto and Simpkins (Portia DiRossi and Gretchen Mol) were locked in the supply room, discovering a hidden attraction. After the dust settles, the doctors work together to try to save Sparkles’ mother. Unfortunately for the young pooch, his reunion with his long lost father is cut short by rabies. Dr. Gwen announces she is leaving the clinic. In walks Dr. Timothy Swenson (Andrew McCarthy) an old friend of Dr. DiPesto’s and Dr. Ventura’s (Tiffani Thiessen) ex-husband. |
