We've all come across them. Some of us might even be them: People who proudly claim to be Christians and attend church every Sunday, only to spend the rest of the week failing to walk the walk.
It's a character flaw that flows through GCB, a new drama that juggles satire and soapy shenanigans while seeking humour in the differences between perception and real, honest-to-God truths.
First, a word about that ludicrous title. GCB is based on Kim Gatlin's novel about catty, Bible-thumping Dallas socialites called Good Christian Bitches.
The producers of the TV show embraced that name, but ABC was afraid of offending some folks. So they changed it to "Good Christian Belles," before finally settling on the deliberately vague GCB.
Like its title, the show plays it safe. Presented with a chance to deliver some sharp commentary about religious hypocrisy and America's cultural divide, it instead seems satisfied to wallow in Desperate Housewives-style outrageousness and tries to make it all comfortably palatable for a mass audience.
GCB tells the story of Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), who, while living in Southern California, saw her marriage end in scandal and her bank account implode.
Accompanied by her two teenage children, she reluctantly returns home to Dallas to stay with her mother (Annie Potts), a woman named Gigi who lives in an opulent mansion.
But if TV has taught us anything, it's that fresh starts never go smoothly. Gigi is a "smothering nightmare" of a mum who demands that her grandchildren go to church, even if Amanda has encouraged them to find their own spirituality ("Cut the commie [rubbish]!" she snarls). As for Amanda's quest to lead an alcohol-free life, Gigi reasons that, well, "Jesus drank wine".
But Mum is the least of her worries.
Apparently, Amanda used to be a "mean girl" who made high school life a virtual hell for several female classmates. And even though Amanda has changed and her terror victims have since become prominent, churchgoing trophy wives with big hair and fabulous bling, they just can't let go of old grudges.
As Amanda laments, " 'You reap what you sow' is Texan for karma."
The little ringleader of Amanda's bitter bunch of rivals is Carlene (Kristin Chenoweth), a former ugly duckling who has transformed herself through the magic of plastic surgery. Then there's Cricket (Miriam Shor), whose boyfriend Amanda stole and later married, and Sharon Peacham (Jennifer Aspen), a fallen beauty queen whose chance at the Miss Teen Dallas crown was sabotaged by a malicious rumour Amanda started. Rounding out the group is Heather (Marisol Nichols), a high-school outsider who has become a highly successful real-estate agent.
Just as these women live somewhat in the past, so too does ABC. The network is still trying to recapture the mysterious thrills of Lost, and GCB is an obvious attempt to replicate the melodramatic guilty pleasures of Desperate Housewives, which ends later this year.
Like Desperate, it relies on a core cast of female characters, some of whom come off as cartoons. It tosses about barbed one-liners like confetti, and presents itself with a high-gloss sheen. All that's missing is a juicy little neighbourhood murder plot, but that's probably coming soon.
Judging from the pilot, you get the feeling that GCB is trying just a bit too hard - straining to be wickedly funny and not quite getting there. Still, the show does have its amusing moments.
Most of them are provided by the delightful Potts, who shines in just about everything she does.
Her Gigi is all fierce and saucy, and gets off some of the funniest lines. She's reason alone to keep watching.
• GCB premieres tonight at 8.30pm on TV2.
