Beverly Hills Bordello was a softcore half-hour television series that ran on cable from 1996 to 1998 for two seasons consisting of 29 episodes in total. . There were some VHS collections released but not many on DVD, but I personally still have a lot of episodes that I recorded on tape. Anyway, the premise of the show was that a woman named Veronica Winston was running a brothel out of a large mansion in Beverly Hills. Many actors who were or would become softcore veterans appeared in the series, both as prostitutes and clients. Several actors appeared in multiple episodes playing different characters, as this was an anthology series where each episode stood on its own.

For the first season, Veronica Winston was played by Nicole Gian, then Gabriella Hall and a few episodes by Monique Parent. Before appearing in that role, both Gabriella and Monique had appeared on the show as clients. Shauna O’Brien appeared on the show both as a client and as a prostitute, Nikki Fritz appeared in 2 episodes as a prostitute in episodes that aired back to back, but her character was named Jocelyn in one and Paige in the other. Lauren Hays also appeared a few times. Those are just the names I recall off the top of my head.

It was an enjoyable series, the sex scenes were always very “romantic” in the way they were shot, with lots of kissing and caressing and soft music playing. I’d love to get the whole series on a DVD box set if possible. Anyway, I noticed that a seller on iOffer had this set of 2 DVDs, with 3 episodes each on it, for sale (2 from season 1, and 4 from season 2), so I thought I’d review those episodes, most of which I already have on tape.

DISC 1/TABOO
written and directed by Jon Burroughs.

Cheryl Dent plays a woman named Jennifer who works in an office and when the episode begins she’s daydreaming about having sex with her coworker, Mikki (Denise Samson), she’s snapped out of the fantasy by her boss James (Doug Jeffery) who asks her about some account she’s working on and notices that she’s been “distracted” lately. He offers to take her to dinner, but she declines. That night at home Cheryl looks up the Beverly Hills Bordello website and logs on.

This was something only showcased in a few episodes in later seasons, where customers would interact with the brothel only through the website, where they could talk to prostitutes about their sexual fantasies.

Through the website, Cheryl connects to a woman named Ally (Elina Madison) and tells her about her attraction to Mikki. Cheryl and Ally talk via a private chatroom and we’re shown a visual representation of the women together talking face to face. Cheryl and Ally are sitting naked in a luxurious bedroom, where Ally asks Cheryl what her fantasy is, and Cheryl commands Ally to masturbate in front of her, while Cheryl watches.

Later, back at her office, Mikki comes on to Cheryl, saying she’s noticed Cheryl checking her out, and from behind she starts unbuttoning Cheryl’s shirt, revealing her bare breasts, but Cheryl chickens out and leaves before it can go any further.
Back in the fantasy room with Ally, the two women are lying naked each other as Ally tries to help Cheryl understand what’s holding her back.

Back at the office, Cheryl avoids Mikki, and when James asks Cheryl to dinner again, she accepts. During dinner at his place, James says he’s fallen in love with Cheryl and he takes her to bed to have sex. During the sex, Cheryl starts fantasizing about Mikki again, and the scene continues by switching back and forth between Cheryl being with James and then with Mikki. Finally, James stops, noting that Cheryl doesn’t seem to be into him, and they call it off.

Back at the office, Cheryl propositions Mikki, handing her a note to meet her at her place that night. Mikki accepts, and the final scene is of Cheryl and Mikki finally having sex for real in Cheryl’s bedroom.

ADULTERY….CYBER STYLE
written and directed by Jon Burroughs.

Annie and Steven (played by Amy Lindsay and Ed Johnson) are a seemingly happily married couple. The opening scene is of the two of them having sex in their bedroom. Afterward, they go to the house of their friends, another married couple, Marilyn and Mark (Summer Knight and Christopher John Kapanke) to celebrate Mark’s birthday. As a gag gift, Marilyn and Mark give Steven a card for a free subscription to the Beverly Hills Bordello website, The four of them gather around the computer and log on, where they join Diane (Kimberly Blair) in a fantasy chatroom. Again, we then see the events as if everyone is in a room together. Diane gets naked and then encourages the others to do so, they each take turns stripping and laughing like it’s all a game. They play spin the bottle and Annie has to kiss Mark. And then Diane encourages Steven and Marilyn to have sex while she, Annie, and Mark watch. Afterward, the couple logs off and split, thinking it was all fun little “cybersex.”

But the next day Annie and Mark log back on and join each other in the fantasy room and they have sex.
We get a brief scene of the 4 couples having dinner together in real life, with Annie and Mark giving each other subtle looks, and then at night while their spouses are asleep they’re back in the chatroom having sex again.

Even though they originally swear to just keep it as a fantasy, we soon see them meeting together at Annie and Steve’s house, while their spouses are at work, to have sex in real life. They’re both nervous but really tempted. As they start to kiss, Mark’s pager goes off (remember those?), it’s from Marilyn. They try to ignore it and keep going then there’s a knock on the door. Mark quickly hides under the bed while Annie gets the door, but it’s just the paperboy. When he’s gone she and Mark get on the bed and try to get started, but the phone rings and it’s Steven leaving a message on the answering machine (remember those?), saying he loves Annie and will see her tonight. This makes Mark and Annie both stop, they can’t go through with it.
The final scene is them back in the fantasy room having sex, determined to keep it there and not real.

Even at the time I thought that was an unusual ending, you’d expect they’d stop altogether and just focus on their spouses, but by continuing the “cyber affair” it still leaves things potentially dangerous for them.

WISH LIST
Written and directed by Robert Angelo

This is one episode that I don’t seem to have recorded. At least I can’t find it. So just going by the summary I’ve read online, plus my own memory, I know that Monique Parent and Frank Harper play a married couple, Michelle and Dan. For his birthday, Michelle gives Dan a free pass to the Beverly Hills Bordello. He goes there and is set up with a woman named Sarah (Elina Madison again) and they have sex, while Michelle watches. Afterward, it’s decided that fair is fair, so Dan must allow Michelle to sleep with another man. Veronica (Nicole Gian) sets them up with one of her regular customers, Jacques (Tony Spinosa), who has sex with Michelle while Dan watches. I assume that Dan and Michelle decided to go back to being monogamous after this. Monique Parent is great in everything I’ve seen her in, so I’m sure this was a fantastic episode.

DISC 2/BACHELOR PARTY
Written by Artie Kemper, Directed by Jon Burroughs

Ted and Tamara (Dutch Flaherty and Lexy Greer) are engaged. They’re happy and in the opening scene after getting sweaty with some aerobic exercise Ted strips Tamara out of her leotard and goes down on her in their bedroom. Afterward, they talk about Ted’s bachelor party, which his friends have planned for the next night. Tamara is a little uncomfortable about the idea, but Ted assures her that he’s not going to do anything wrong because he loves her so much.

The next night, the party is arranged at the Beverly Hills Bordello. Ted shows up with his friends Bob (Robert Carin) and Louis (Vincent Lappas) and three other guys who are unnamed, where Veronica (played by Gabriella Hall) greets them and introduces the women, a group of whom all come out in belly-dancing outfits and dance for the guys. The women are wearing veils most of the time, so it’s hard to see who they are.

One guy is taken to a room where one of the women sits him in a chair and gives him a blowjob and then they have sex. Then in another room, two of the women (Sage Kirkpatrick and J.J. Mantia) strip naked and have sex with each other on a bed while the other guys watch.

Then Veronica announces a special attraction, a woman named Delilah, who comes out to do a special belly dance just for Ted. She takes him to one of the bedrooms and takes off her veil revealing herself to be Tamara, and she and Ted have sex.

THINGS YOUR WIFE WON’T DO
Written and directed by Jon Burroughs

Bill (Chris Johnston) and Mary (Avalon Anders) are in their bedroom, celebrating 7 years of marriage. They’re both in their underwear and she’s sitting in a chair, and Bill starts to go down on her. He has a scarf that he tries to use to tie her leg to the chair, but Mary stops. She’s not into experimenting with bondage, although Bill admits he’s gotten a little bored with their sex life. So they just go to be unsatisfied. The next day Bill commiserates at work with his coworker Jack (Chris Caldovino), who gives him a card for the Beverly Hills Bordello.

Bill goes and meets Veronica (Gabriella Hall) who sends him to Vanessa (De’Ann Power). In her room. Vanessa lets Bill tie her hands to the bedposts, while she’s standing, and put a blindfold on her, so he can then have sex with her from behind.
The next night while in bed with Mary, she apologizes for the other night, and admits that she’s been kind of bored with their sex life too. So Bill takes her with him to the bordello so she can watch while he has sex with another prostitute (this one played by Honey Lauren).

Back at home, Mary admits to being turned on and now wants to try it herself. Bill of course thinks that means she wants to have sex with another woman, which he thinks is awesome, but she says no she wants to be with another man. Bill isn’t happy with that but, much like in WISH LIST, feels like he has no choice, since he’s done it.

So, they go back to the bordello, where Veronica sets her up with Sergio (Chris Villa), and he and Mary have sex while Bill watches (and directs, he tells Sergio what to do to Mary and how to touch her). Afterward, we see Bill and Mary back in bed together, seemingly happy with each other again.

JANET & THE PROFESSOR
Written by George Ayvas, Directed by Jon Burroughs

This episode opens with Dennis (Bruce Lurie) at the bordello having sex with Dorothy (Jamaica Charley). Then we see Janet (Kim Yates) interviewing with Veronica (Gabriella Hall). Janet is a struggling college student, who wants to come work at the bordello to earn money to pay her tuition. Veronica is reluctant because Janet has no experience in this line of work, and she usually prefers to only hire seasoned pros. But after a brief tour, where we get a second scene of Dennis and Dorothy having sex, Janet convinces Veronica to give her a test. There’s one guy who comes in many times but is always too nervous to go through with it. Veronica introduces him to Janet, and she manages to convince him to go upstairs and have sex (although we don’t see it), so Janet gets hired.

The big twist is that Dennis is actually one of Janet’s college professors. And when they happen to bump into each other at the bordello, it’s an awkward meeting. Janet suggests they have sex, Dennis initially hesitates but then agrees, so they go up to her room.

But things get awkward again when they return to school. They both try to keep things professional, but we see Dennis looking jealous when he sees her talking to a male student. When Janet goes back to the bordello she gets disappointed when she has a customer but it turns out to be some other guy, not Dennis.

Finally, Dennis does go back to the bordello to see Janet. They talk about their mutual interest in each other and then have sex again.

A great collection of episodes, all well-directed with some hot sex scenes. This isn’t the complete collection that I’d like, but I highly recommend this. Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

UPDATE: that is no longer available on iOffer, but Jason Majercik is selling BEVERLY HILLS BORDELLO season 1 and season 2 for $19.99 each. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list