V.I.P. (American TV series)

Anderson stars as Vallery Irons, a woman who accidentally saves a celebrity and then is hired by a real bodyguard agency (V.I.P. aka Vallery Irons Protection) as a famous figurehead while the rest of the agency's professionals work to solve cases. Her lack of investigation skills ends up defeating the antagonists in every episode.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-27-ca-47880-story.html|title=Lee Has Campy Sexcapade Genre Down Pat|first=JAMES|last=ENDRST|date=27 December 1999|access-date=14 August 2017|via=LA Times}}{{subscription required|date=April 2020}}

The other team members are an assortment of people of different backgrounds: a former member of the KGB, CIA, FBI, a computer expert, a former law officer, a former street boxer/martial artist and, later, a karate master/stuntman joined.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUqnCgAAQBAJ&q=Vallery+Irons+pamela+anderson&pg=PA185|title=Crime Fighting Heroes of Television: Over 10,000 Facts from 151 Shows, 1949-2001|first=Vincent|last=Terrace|date=9 October 2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786413959|access-date=14 August 2017|via=Google Books}}{{subscription required|date=April 2020}}

The series uses a mixture of action, comedy, and camp, with Anderson often poking fun at her tabloid image.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/08/arts/television-radio-a-show-so-dumb-it-s-smart.html|title=A Show So Dumb, It's Smart|date=8 October 2000|website=The New York Times|access-date=14 August 2017}}{{subscription required|date=April 2020}} In November, 2001, a video game version of V.I.P. was released on the PlayStation console.

Many first season episodes opened with cameos of famous celebrities being protected by Vallery. Among them were Stone Cold Steve Austin, Jay Leno, Charles Barkley, Jerry Springer and Alfonso Ribeiro. Loni Anderson, of no relation to Pamela Anderson, guest-starred in one episode as Vallery's mother. In season 2, Lisa Marie Varon had an uncredited appearance as a bodyguard. Kathleen Kinmont-See was a guest star in the season 4 episode "South By Southwest".

• Pamela Anderson — Vallery Irons, the glamorous figurehead
• Molly Culver — Natasha "Tasha" Dexter, Vallery Iron's lead associate, a former spy and model
• Natalie Raitano — Nicole "Nikki" Franco, the team's weapons and explosives expert
• Angelle Brooks — Maxine De La Cruz (Seasons 3–4, recurring seasons 1–2), Vallery's best friend
• Shaun Baker — Quick Williams, a former boxer and martial artist
• Dustin Nguyen — Johnny Loh (Seasons 3–4, recurring seasons 1–2), a karate master and stuntman
• Leah Lail — Kay Simmons, the team's computer expert

{{Main|List of V.I.P. episodes}}

On March 14, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season of V.I.P. on DVD in Region 1.{{cite web|title=V.I.P.|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4814|work=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060303060944/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4814|archive-date=2006-03-03}}

V.I.P. received video game adaptations from Ubi Soft, for the PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance in 2001 and 2002. An adaptation for Xbox was announced but cancelled.{{Cite web |author=I. G. N. Staff |date=2000-05-12 |title=V.I.P. |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/12/vip-3 |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=IGN |language=en}}

In 2000, Johnny Lightning released two sets of V.I.P. themed diecast cars in 1/64 scale. There were 8 different vehicles issued in total.

TV Comics! published a comic based on the series in 2000.

The series V.I.P. was co-produced with Telewizja Polsat from Poland. This is the first foreign series co-created by Telewizja Polsat, which exclusively aired the show in Poland.{{cite web|title=Polsat i Tołstoj|url=http://m.newsweek.pl/polska/polsat-i-tolstoj,12681,1,1.html|work=Newsweek}}

In 1999, the series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music. In 2002, V.I.P. was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, winning one for Outstanding Single Camera Editing.

The show premiered in syndication on September 26, 1998.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} Among the stations that carried it was the ensemble of Fox's 22 owned-and-operated stations, who signed when the show was in pre-production in December 1997.{{cite news |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title=Fox stations sign on for Lee’s ‘V.I.P.’ |url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/fox-stations-sign-on-for-lee-s-v-i-p-1116680263/ |work=Variety |date=December 11, 1997}} As of February 2009, the show can be streamed for free in the US on Internet Movie Database, Hulu, Tubi and Minisodes and full episodes are available on Crackle. In Canada, episodes are available on Netflix. Episodes in Spanish debuted on CineSony on February 14, 2014.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0134269|V.I.P.}}

{{J. F. Lawton}}

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Category:1998 American television series debuts

Category:2002 American television series endings

Category:1990s American comedy-drama television series

Category:2000s American comedy-drama television series

Category:American action television series

Category:American action comedy television series

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States

Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television

Category:Television shows set in Beverly Hills, California

Category:Works by J. F. Lawton

Category:Works about bodyguards