A struggling American writer and a fellow American expatriate begin a sordid affair among the chaos and discord of 1940 Paris, France on the brink of World War II.

A disillusioned young writer living in New York City turns to drugs and drinking to block out the memories of his dead mother and estranged wife.

A gallery of characters in Brooklyn in the 1950s are crushed by their surroundings and selves: a union strike leader discovers he is gay; a prostitute falls in love with one of her clients; a family cannot cope with the fact that their daughter is illegitimately pregnant.

While investigating his own blackmailing, a young politician uncovers his family's deep secrets.

An arrogant Malibu tycoon frantically tries to locate the files of a murdered psychotherapist before his enemies get their hands on them and destroy him in this failed pilot from the creators of "Dynasty."