History YMMV / CentralParkWest

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Even though the show was heavily touted for its "risque" material, the implied sex and suggestive content (''CPW'''s main selling point) looks downright tame compared to other primetime soap operas that came soon after, like ''Series/DesperateHousewives'' and ''Series/TheOC''.

* MagnificentBitch: Rachel, the conniving editor of ''Communique'', who shows up and upends the culture of the magazine by getting into conflict with Stephanie (and Carrie), trying to seduce Peter, taking Gil for herself and later [[YourCheatingHeart cheating on him]] with Adam Brock's son, Tyler.

* ExecutiveMeddling: An advertising campaign that was equal parts over-the-top, crass and juvenile, scheduling against anniversary episodes of the two biggest primetime soap operas on network television, insane production costs for each episode, a {{Retool}} that eliminated half the cast just when the show was starting to develop a long-term arc, and the show being pulled halfway through its first season (with several episodes unaired) before returning...''CPW'' is perhaps one of the most important examples from the 90's on how '''not''' to run a show.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Even though the show was heavily touted for its "risque" material, the implied sex and suggestive content (''CPW'''s main selling point) looks downright tame compared to modern primetime soap operas like ''Series/DesperateHousewives'' and ''Series/TheOC''.

* BrokenBase: Whether or not the second-season {{Retool}} is better than the first season. Some enjoy it for introducing Adam Brock (who becomes the most proactive character in the narrative), his relationship with his snarky ex-wife, the StealthParody elements and the fact that the plot started to gel better after getting rid of periphery characters. Others trash the retool because it comes off as a clone of ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'', changes two characters into AxCrazy stalkers, and generally doesn't do much besides further Carrie and Adam's respective storylines.

* MagnificentBastard: Allan Rush, the Fairchild siblings' stepfather, and the publisher of Communique.

* ExecutiveMeddling: An advertising campaign that was equal parts over-the-top, crass and juvenile, scheduling against anniversary episodes of the two biggest primetime soap operas on network television, insane production costs for each episode, a {{Retool}} that eliminated half the cast just when the show was starting to develop a long-term arc, and the cancellation of the show halfway through its second season (with many episodes unaired)...''CPW'' is perhaps one of the most important examples from the 90's on how '''not''' to run a show.

* {{Narm}}: Rachel's "afro hat" in "The History of Gil and Rachel". The character wears a comically-oversized black feathered hat during two serious moments, including Peter rejecting her AnguishedDeclarationOfLove and her confrontation with Gil after DrowningMySorrows. It's hard to take anything she says seriously when she looks like a circus performer.

%% * EvilIsSexy

* BaseBreaker: Whether or not the second-season {{Retool}} is better than the first season. Some enjoy it for introducing Adam Brock (who becomes the most proactive character in the narrative), his relationship with his snarky ex-wife, the StealthParody elements and the fact that the plot started to gel better after getting rid of periphery characters. Others trash the retool because it comes off as a clone of ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'', changes two characters into AxCrazy stalkers, and generally doesn't do much besides further Carrie and Adam's respective storylines.
* EvilIsSexy

* GuiltyPleasure: And how!

* RomanticPlotTumor: The relationship between Peter Fairchild (one of the main characters) and * {{Narm}}: Rachel's "afro hat" in "The History of Gil and Rachel". The character wears a comically-oversized black feathered hat during two serious moments, including Peter rejecting her AnguishedDeclarationOfLove and her confrontation with Gil after DrowningMySorrows. It's hard to take anything she says seriously when she looks like a circus performer.his girlfriend Alex (a writer at ''Communique'') takes up more and more screentime during the first season, and ends with her accidentally stabbing herself and Peter having to flee the country early in the second season.

* FridayNightDeathSlot: Played straight and subverted. The show aired on Wednesday nights and couldn't find its footing (keep in mind that this is the same timeslot Series/{{Lost}} would make a killing in when it premiered less than a decade later), so it was moved to Saturday evenings for the duration of its second-season run, where the ratings plummeted.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Two decades later, it still hasn't been released on DVD. Episodes can still be found on Website/YouTube, however.

* RomanticPlotTumor: The relationship between Peter Fairchild (one of the main characters) and his girlfriend Alex (a writer at ''Communique'') takes up more and more screentime during the first season, and ends with her accidentally stabbing herself and Peter having to flee the country early in the second season.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: In addition to airing the first two episodes opposite hour-long anniversary shows of ''BeverlyHills90210'' and ''Series/MelrosePlace'', the network switched the theme of the show in the second season from "the glitzy world of socialites and magazine publishing seen through the eyes of Gen-X'ers" to "''Series/{{Dynasty}}'' in New York".

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: 15-plus years later, it still hasn't been released on DVD.

* HotterAndSexier: Inverted. The show ''started'' out as this, and regressed to a milder soap opera-esque drama. (In fact, the character's clothing styles markedly change during the jump from the first to second season.)

* LargeHam: After being attacked by her ex-lover Mark in a hospital room, Carrie runs into the lobby screaming at the orderlies to find him. Her dialogue devolves into this:
--> '''Carrie''': That man attacked me in my room! Don't let him get away! No, that's not him! Mark attacked me in my room and...there...there...(shrill screaming) '''YOURENOTDOINGANYTHINGAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!'''

* TheMasochismTango: Rachel and Gil (Peter Fairchild's best friend). The way they're written, the two characters are supposed to be totally at odds with each other, yet they keep playing emotional and sexual games with each other over the course of the series.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: In addition to airing the first two episodes opposite hour-long anniversary shows of ''Series/{{Beverly Hills 90210}}'' and ''Series/MelrosePlace'', the network switched the theme of the show in the second season from "the glitzy world of socialites and magazine publishing seen through the eyes of Gen-X'ers" to "''Series/{{Dynasty}}'' in New York".

* FridayNightDeathSlot: Played straight and subverted. The show aired on Wednesday nights and couldn't find its footing (keep in mind that this is the same timeslot {{Lost}} would make a killing in when it premiered less than a decade later), so it was moved to Saturday evenings for the duration of its second-season run, where the ratings plummeted.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: In addition to airing the first two episodes opposite hour-long anniversary shows of ''BeverlyHills90210'' and ''MelrosePlace'', the network switched the theme of the show in the second season from "the glitzy world of socialites and magazine publishing seen through the eyes of Gen-X'ers" to "''{{Dynasty}}'' in New York".
* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Even though the show was heavily touted for its "risque" material, the implied sex and suggestive content (''CPW'''s main selling point) looks downright tame compared to modern primetime soap operas like ''DesperateHousewives'' and ''TheOC''.

* HypeBacklash: Viewers actually stayed away from the show because of its massive advertising campaign.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[DoctorWho Captain Jack]] works as a lawyer. Amanda Peet (''The Whole Nine Yards'') and [[PrisonBreak Robert Knepper]] also made guest appearances, years before they became famous.