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When it began, the show was originally centered on the character Maya Gallo (played by Laura San Giacomo), the daughter of the magazine's publisher Jack Gallo (played by George Segal). Out of work, Maya is forced to ask for a job from her father, but she views Blush as a magazine that lies on trashier side of the journalism map and never quite learns that cleavage is 100 percent the name of the game. She tirelessly fights to cover more intelligent stories but often loses the battle, particularly to her adversary, Nina Van Horn (played by Wendie Malick), a superficial, hard-living fashionista who is obsessed with her age and her looks.
As the series developed, the focus of attention moved to Dennis Finch (played by David Spade) whose uncanny traits and off-color jokes prove riotous. “Finchy” is the office secretary. He loves porn and drools over beautiful models, but he also likes to collect action figures and ceramic kittens and attend cat shows. One Christmas-themed episode called How The Finch Stole Christmas features Finch peeking at all the gifts and stealing all the Christmas decorations in the office. As the low man on the totem pole, Finch is always quick with a biting comment and is shamelessly brown-nosing up to Jack. His most comedic moments are his remarks to the other staff members:
Nina: I like to think of my body as a temple. Dennis: Which explains why there's a line to get in on Friday nights.
Fashion editor Nina Van Horn is more interested scotch and bedding muscular men, like the office window washers, than the fate of the magazine. Not ready to grow up, she still parties all night and often returns to work with a hangover. Her constant denial of her age is the butt of many of the show’s jokes. In one episode, she mentioned that she had the telephone number of a plastic surgeon on speed dial.
Also on the staff is resident photographer, Elliot DiMauro (played by Enrico Colantoni). He's an artistic sort who is focused on impressing the ladies. Elliot gives Finch advice on how to attract pretty women, but the two are constantly pulling pranks. When Finch claims he wasn't scared by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Elliott makes a case to prove he's lying. It's Elliot's neurotic and hypersensitive tendencies, though, that make for the most side-splitting situations. At one point in the series, Elliot and Maya have a serious relationship. Within moments of Maya accepting Elliot's wedding proposal, he has a panic attack.
All characters come and go via the all-important elevator door that serves as the entrance to the Blush offices. At least once per episode, there is a pan downward on the magazine cover revealing a plot point. What to Get for The Man Who Has Everything turns into an episode about Elliot's birthday. The final episode of Just Shoot Me! aired on August 16, 2003. Though it never won an Emmy or Golden Globe, it was nominated for five Golden Globes and six Emmy awards over the years. The show continues to be a hit for fans who can now enjoy episodes on TV Land.
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