The brainchild of creator and showrunner Aaron Scott-Keith, "Michael & Maddie" stars McNamee as Madison "Maddie" Taylor, a supermodel from Perth, Western Australia left penniless after her crooked agent stole $30 million from her. Her best friend, the sexy black model Olivia Hughes (played by model Dianne French), convinces her brother, the music producer Michael Hughes (Nelson), to let Maddie stay at his Los Angeles house until she can get back on her feet.
In the early episodes, Michael and Maddie are the ultimate odd couple: Michael's party-boy ways and conspicuous consumption ("Lear jets and limousines, baby!" is his motto) clash with Maddie's low-key, eco-conscious lifestyle. Yet a mutual attraction develops between the two-an attraction that their friends assume has already become physical. (A running gag involves Michael and Maddie's pals constantly checking the bedrooms and couches for evidence of recent intercourse.)
Nelson and McNamee have a natural chemistry onscreen-so natural that one can't help wondering if the chemistry also exists offscreen, as has been rumored. Even in their most contentious scenes together, it seems as though Nelson, who bears a strong resemblance to Michael B. Jordan, just can't wait to put his muscular arms around McNamee-and that the auburn-haired, blue-eyed beauty, who resembles a young Elle Macpherson, can't wait to kiss him.
The print advertising for "Michael & Maddie" refers to the lead characters as "just good mates"; the pun is not just a reference to Aussie slang but to the characters' seemingly inevitable bedroom romp. (What else is Scott-Keith leading to with the constant jokes about how Michael and Maddie have destroyed their respective ability to get dates because of their living arrangement, as well as the bits about Michael always looking a little too long at Maddie's swimsuit photos, or running into her when she's just coming out of the shower?) Scott-Keith can't possibly string things out too long before Michael and Maddie end up rolling around on one of those beds or couches.
It cannot be overstated how much the camera adores both leads. McNamee's height, pale complexion and smile are endearing to the eye, as is Nelson's powerful physical presence, his smooth dark skin reminiscent of the late actor Calvin Lockhart. They make a natural couple-and they've made the show a natural hit.
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