Airing on ABC in February 1985, it follows several women connected to the entertainment industry in Hollywood and capitalized on the public's taste for opulent melodramas that dominated television ratings in the 1980s.
[3] Successful Hollywood movie star Gina Germaine (Suzanne Somers) has grown tired of her sex symbol image and is desperate to become a serious actress.
Neil believes that the film could be a serious contender at the Oscars, but powerful Sanderson Studios boss Oliver Easterne (Rod Steiger) is determined to cast George Lancaster (Robert Stack), a still-loved veteran Hollywood superstar.
At a glitzy film premiere with Hollywood's royalty in attendance, George accepts an award for donating $250,000 to a hospital, much to the annoyance of his daughter Karen (Mary Crosby), who feels that her father is a hypocrite for his philanthropy while always having neglected his family.
After a meeting with Oliver Easterne, Neil travels to Palm Beach to sign George Lancaster for the male lead in Final Reunion, but instead finds Gina naked in his hotel room.
Having previously worked as a male escort, his former boss Jason Swankle (Roddy McDowall) offers him his old job back, but Buddy has sworn off prostitution since marrying the beautiful and innocent Angel (Catherine Mary Stewart).
With the film Final Reunion now officially in production, Neil is pressured to test Gina for the female lead role, but Montana feels that she is unfit and refuses to consider her.
His boss Jason sets him up in a lavish house in Malibu, which he and his wife Angel are allowed to stay at as long as he escorts wealthy women on dates.
Their days spent in luxury are cut short when Buddy refuses to spend the night with two older women, a decision that causes him to be fired and kicked out of the Malibu house.
When Neil yet again mentions Gina for the female lead, Easterne warns him about the dangers of getting involved with the actress, revealing that he meets with her for intimate reasons too and knows she's a user.
He is excited to share the news with Angel but cannot reach her as she, fed up with the poor living conditions at Buddy’s friend Randy’s (Stephen Shellen) place they are temporarily staying at, has left the apartment.
Angel has since found a job at a hairdresser owned by Koko (James ‘Gypsy’ Haake) and is told by Randy’s girlfriend Shelly (Aleisa Shirley) that Buddy is cheating on her.
Unaware that Shelly has lied to her, Angel feels heartbroken and accepts an invitation by Koko’s kind, elderly customer Mrs. Liderman (Meg Wyllie) to go with her to Ross and Elaine’s party.
After telling her that he is not married, Sadie agrees to turn Buddy into Hollywood's next big movie star on the condition that he remains unmarried so that she can promote him as a sex symbol.
Following the incident, Elaine formally leaves Ross, Deke is hospitalized, his fate uncertain and Sadie gets acquainted with her newly found son and Angel.
[5] Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales facetiously wrote, "Hollywood Wives didn't get quite the ratings ABC thought it would; so network executives now are rethinking their entire programming policy.
'"[6] Although critical reviews at the time of broadcast were generally negative, the miniseries has attained an enduring popularity for its eclectic cast and kitschy excesses such as its "Baroque, operatic climactic scenes".
[11] The final instalment's broadcast suffered from the loss of the third of four reels networked by Central ITV - the station that covers the Midlands area of England - to all but one other region, which led to seventeen minutes of the program being lost.