9.0/1012 votesLoading...#1 - Hurricane
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/16/2001
From Showtime: When his band's guitar tech drunkenly passes out backstage, Chris hires Jimmy Vane, an amazing guitar player who used to front a band called the Hurricanes, to replace him. It turns out Jimmy's had a few rough years since Chris last heard him play - substance abuse problems and some time in jail for petty theft - but he swears he's clean now and he does know guitars. Things are okay at first, but soon Chris senses that Jimmy resents his success and Hershel isn't too happy when Jimmy steals the spotlight after being invited on stage to play with Silvertone. Hershel isn't the only one with a rival. Yola is surprised to discover that her formerly chunky college pal Meg, has slimmed down considerably and now uses her newly luscious body to provide inspiration for great songwriters - in short, guys like Chris. Meanwhile, Anson finds his own form of feminine - if somewhat ghoulish - inspiration in Lisa, the makeup girl at the funeral parlor where he's landed a moonlighting
Director: Scott Smith
Writer: N/A
- 9.0/107 votesLoading...
#2 - Farm Boys
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 6/4/2002
From Showtime: On a flight to Nashville to sing a duet with Emmy Lou Harris, Chris and the gang are forced to crash land in a wheat field in the middle of nowhere. They come upon an isolated by picturesque farmhouse and are warmly greeted by Evie and her husband Del, who recognize Chris right away. But despite their apparent good will, Chris and the others begin to suspect that Evie and her family are hiding something and have no intention of helping them to get home. As Yola settles into the guest room, she notices the odd behavior of Evie's son, Teddy, and how he is always sneaking up into the attic. More curious than afraid, she is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and is amazed by what she discovers. Meanwhile, Anson has a dilemma. He's very attracted to Evie's daughter Inger, but he made a promise to God to give up girls if they survived the plane crash. Now he's having to resist all her seductive advances and the temptation is making him miserable.
Director: Kevin Inch
Writer: N/A
- 9.0/106 votesLoading...
#3 - Home of the Brave
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 6/11/2002
From Showtime: Chris accepts an invitation to sing the national anthem at the San Francisco Giants next game. Then Roly recounts Chris's previous attempt at the anthem, when he botched both the lyrics and the notorious high note. Chris remembers too, and the embarrassment and humiliation that went with it. But he's determined to face his fears and try again. When Chris wakes up the next morning with laryngitis and is ordered, by his doctor, to refrain from all talking and singing, Kenney's sure he's faking it. But Chris is a resourceful guy in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Yola is worried she may have unintentionally offended Nicki Wooster, the new president of Manacle Records, who has a prosthetic leg. Wanting to apologize, and 'get a leg up on the situation,' she only manages to make things worse. Anson gets the brush-off from Bianca, a lovely, powerfully built new waitress at Bimbo's. Later, Anson convinces Kenney and Roly to attend their friend C.J's bachelor party. Just as Kenney
Director: Jorge Montesi
Writer: N/A
- 8.9/108 votesLoading...
#4 - Lost and Found
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 6/11/2001
From Showtime: After a month in the studio, Chris and the band have finally finished recording the title song for the new David Lynch movie. The next day, the studio burns down, taking with it the master recordings of the new song. Good thing Chris burned a CD version and brought it home. Now, if only he could find it. He tears his place apart and his cousin Ordell, who's also got a track on the same CD, stops by with a dowser, but the CD remains missing. As the clock ticks down to the deadline, it looks like they'll have to record it again. But can they do in four hours what it took four weeks to do the first time? As the tension rises, Anson is wondering if his new girlfriend Deedee is responsible for the CD's disappearance. After all, she is an obsessive collector who's already got Dave Matthews' old Snapple bottle and Flea's toothbrush, not to mention Alanis' barrette. Yola, meanwhile, is exploring her creative side in a pottery class run by a charismatic and hunky ceramics
Director: Charles Winkler
Writer: Joe Bosso
- 8.8/108 votesLoading...
#5 - A Little Help From My Friends
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 2/12/2004
Chris is in for quite a jolt when Gloria Estefan arrives in San Francisco to perform with him and the band. During rehearsals she showers the guys with compliments, impressing them with her kindness and lack of pretense. Though initially flattering and supportive, the real reason for her visit is soon revealed, though not before the seeds of rebellion have been sown between Chris and the band. To make matters worse, Chris, who always shuns caffeine, is tricked into drinking Gloria's special blend of Cuban coffee, and now can't seem to function without it. Yola, meanwhile, has her hands full dealing with a pizza company that has illegally used one of Chris' songs in their advertising spots. As she works to prepare Chris for his deposition, she notices his erratic, caffeine-induced behavior, and suspects it may be linked to Gloria. By the time she arrives to take him for his all-important deposition several days later, her worst fears are realized... Chris' Cuban coffee addiction ha
Director: Milan Cheylov
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.7/107 votesLoading...
#6 - Crimes and Punishment
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/26/2001
From Showtime: In an attempt to win favor with his new love interest and duet partner, movie star Minnie Driver, Chris agrees to take care of her English sheepdog, Otto. Unfortunately, Chris forgets Otto's special food. Before he knows it, the pet rabbit, Mr. Whiskers, who belongs to the little girl next door, lies dead and covered in dirt, apparently a victim of the hungry and oversized dog. Desperate, Chris tries to cover for Otto, washing the dirt from the bunny's fur and blow-drying him to make it look as though Mr. Whiskers died of natural causes. Meanwhile, Chris's manager Yola and his keyboard player Anson are having their own troubles. Yola's got problems in the boardroom when her hot-shot colleague Cody makes her feel old and out of touch. Anson's problems are in the bedroom. His latest girlfriend Carol, is hot, but she's deeply religious and she's wracked by guilt whenever they make love. Anson finds her innocence and tortured spirituality strangely arousing, until he too get
Director: Max Tash
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.6/106 votesLoading...
#7 - Family Ties
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/2002
From Showtime: On the rebound from Stephanie, Chris breaks an unwritten band rule and starts dating a young singer/songwriter named Olivia. All though he finds her efforts at songwriting painful, she's very sexy, and her father owns forty acres of the best surfing beach in California. But their new relationship takes a direct hit while attending a ceremony at the San Francisco Zoo, where Chris' record company has adopted an animal in his name. To his embarrassment, ‘Isaak,' an ornery old chimp with no toilet training and great aim, doesn't seem to think much of Chris' taste in women. Yola suffers a different kind of humiliation when she discovers her mom's new love interest, Brad, is a guy she previously dated, and dumped. Mom's convinced she has finally found true love, but Yola suggests that Brad is actually trying to get even, and she's determined to beat him at his own game. Meanwhile, Anson's manliness is put to the test when he starts dating the Zoo's herpetologist. But her
Director: David Warry-Smith
Writer: Scott Kaufer
- 8.3/107 votesLoading...
#8 - Braveheart
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 3/25/2004
Chris, wanting to impress Yola with his intellect, agrees to appear on the TV game show ""Pop Whiz.""
Director: Kevin Inch
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/108 votesLoading...
#9 - Fantasia
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/19/2001
From Showtime: When Anson is arrested for unpaid parking tickets, Chris catches the eye of the lovely Bonnie, one of the arresting officers. Bonnie gives Chris her number and later, when they go out on a date, Chris finds himself strangely aroused by her stories of life on the beat. But Bonnie has a dark side and Chris soon has second thoughts about pursuing the beauty with the badge. Meanwhile, Yola is experiencing her own strange attraction for Dr. Morse, the handsome sleep specialist she's seeing for her insomnia. And Anson, assigned to community service for 37 unpaid parking tickets, is thrilled to find himself rubbing elbows with Bret Michaels, the bad boy lead singer of Poison.
Director: Max Tash
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/109 votesLoading...
#10 - Our Place
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 6/25/2001
From Showtime: Chris is thrown for a loop when Rhonda, the winner of a radio station's 'Win a Date with Chris Isaak' contest seems to be a man in a dress. When Rhonda shows up backstage at Bimbo's just before Chris and the band are to play a live radio broadcast, Chris suspects that he/she is part of a practical joke, but as they get acquainted, Chris discovers that Rhonda is a real fan, both of his music and of vintage rockabilly. At least Rhonda's certainly better company than his old flame Tanya, the DJ who is hosting the broadcast and who keeps asking strangely personal questions during the interview segments. To further complicate matters, Chris' guest star on the broadcast, Sheryl Crow, still hasn't arrived. Yola tries to manage the crisis without completely neglecting her new boyfriend, Sam, who has given up a chance to see Kathleen Battle in ""Porgy and Bess"" to come to the show. Anson, meanwhile, invites his classical music snob father to the show and discovers a secret from
Director: Scott Smith
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.2/106 votesLoading...
#11 - Chris Isaak Day
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 1/20/2002
From Showtime: Chris is flattered when the mayor of his hometown of Stockton, California, wants to rename a street, ‘Chris Isaak Avenue.' But his journalist girlfriend Stephanie, teases him about how much he enjoys the attention that being a celebrity brings. Chris disagrees, and propels them into their first lover's tiff. However, the trip to Stockton links Chris' past to the present, and opens his eyes to what's truly important. Yola complains to Chris that she's fed up dating self-absorbed weasels from the music industry. He offers to introduce her to Ted Thomas, a fireman from his hometown. Yola is hesitant until she sees the hunky firefighter posing half-naked in a Stockton Engine Company Forty-Nine fund raising calendar. Unhappily, after a few dates, she comes to realize that Ted's got a few celebrity issues of his own – even if they're only in his head. Anson has celebrity issues, too. When his latest squeeze, Tanya complains that the Planet Hollywood jacket Anson gave he
Director: Max Tash
Writer: Scott Kaufer
- 8.1/108 votesLoading...
#12 - The Devil Made Me Do It
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 1/13/2002
From Showtime: Chris, convinced he has finally found the right woman, suggests that rock journalist Steffie Furst move some of her things into his place. For Chris, this is a big step, perhaps too big a step. Complicating matters is his growing resentment of the generous attention Steffie pays to the subject of her latest magazine assignment, the good-looking Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind.) But Kenney turns that jealousy into suspicion when he suggests that Steffie might be writing a covert and intimate article about Chris, instead. Yola is caught off guard when she finds out how serious Chris really is about Steffie. She overcompensates by striking up an awkward friendship with her. But when she accidentally sets Steffie's silk jacket on fire and later runs into her with her car, Yola wonders if her subconscious is trying to tell her something. Meanwhile, a shapely young female walking down the street catches Anson's eye and he sets out in dogged pursuit. But when he catches
Director: Max Tash
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.1/108 votesLoading...
#13 - Wrong Number
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 1/27/2002
From Showtime: As Valentine's Day approaches, a love-struck Chris suggests to Stephanie that they live together. She accepts, but as the hunt for a house begins, the battle lines are drawn. Chris and Stephanie, it turns out, have very different ideas of what constitutes a dream house. Meanwhile, a desperate woman leaves messages for her estranged lover on Chris' answering machine by mistake. This sounds like real love, but Chris senses the relationship is doomed unless he can track the unknown woman down. Yola's new roommate, Tess has a thing about clothes – she doesn't like wearing them. Yola tries to get inspired by Tess' natural spirit, but can't overcome her inhibitions. Finding his inspiration in Penthouse Forum, Anson takes a job with Jiffy Parcel Service hoping to deliver lingerie packages to hot, lonely housewives. But the only sexy woman he meets has an agenda that's definitely against company policy.
Director: Kevin Inch
Writer: N/A
- 8.0/1011 votesLoading...
#14 - Freud's Dilemma
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/12/2001
From Showtime: Chris finds himself dumped by his girlfriend and questions what women really want. On a location shoot for a music video, he is reminded of his ex-girlfriend by Nedra, an attractive, but rigid production accountant on his music video shoot. Nedra seems to have absolutely no interest in Chris when he tries to talk to her, but then every night she does a strip-tease in the hotel room across the alley from his, apparently oblivious to him. Unnerved, Chris consults his psychologist mother (who plays herself in a cameo,) but Dr. Isaak will only tell him to come to terms with his own libido. Further complicating matters is actress Bai Ling, who co-stars in the video with Chris. She arrives on set with a head full of insecurities and a jealous kick boxer boyfriend. Not that anyone else in the band is doing any better with affairs of the heart. Anson's romance with Jodie, a young horsewoman, fizzles when he finds himself intimidated by the thought that she'll compare him t
Director: Rob Thompson
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.0/107 votesLoading...
#15 - Dancin'
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 5/14/2001
From Showtime: Chris has never been much of a dancer, but when he catches a glimpse of Jenna, the beautiful woman who runs the dance class Hershel and Roly have been attending, he signs up. Unfortunately, instead of getting to know Jenna better, he's partnered with Irene, a severe and unpleasant woman in her 50's who works as a therapist. When Jenna gives him a few quick tips after class, Chris has Fred Astaire fantasies, but those vanish when she asks if, as a favor to her, he would accompany Irene to her daughter's wedding. Chris reluctantly agrees, only to learn later that Irene is really a dominatrix named ""Mistress Livia."" And Chris isn't the only one who finds himself in a world of kink. When Cody persuades Yola to mentor Lauren, a friend of his from Harvard, he neglects to mention they're sleeping together. Not only that, Yola must listen as Lauren describes, in explicit detail, all of Cody's exotic sexual trick, none of which he employed when he slept with her. Meanwhile,
Director: Charles Winkler
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 8.0/108 votesLoading...
#16 - Storytime
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 6/18/2001
From Showtime: When Chris tears his hamstring surfing and is confined to a wheelchair, Yola hires a physical therapist to help nurse him back to health. The therapist, a beautiful Chinese woman named Debbie Fung catches Chris' eye, but when he makes a play for her, she ignores him. Maybe it's the rejection, maybe it's the scary old movies he's been watching, but Chris starts to notice that there's something strange about Debbie. First, she won't tell him where she's from. Then he walks in on her while she's practicing Kung Fu. When he discovers another Chinese woman lurking in his garage, Chris is convinced something sinister is going on. To add to the intrigue, Anson gets wind of the fortune that, according to urban legend, is buried in the secret tunnels under Bimbo's. He heads down to look for it and when Kenney comes along to get his keys back from Anson, the two of them are trapped in the subterranean passages. Hershel, meanwhile, has an idea for a movie, but can't get anyo
Director: Milan Cheylov
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 7.8/106 votesLoading...
#17 - The Real Me
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 4/9/2001
From Showtime: Chris is initially thrilled when cousin Ordell shows up in town with his new band. His excitement turns to dismay when he discovers that Ordell's new band, Blue Hotel, is a Chris Isaak tribute band. If it was anyone else, Chris would raise hell, but he still feels guilty about his role in a lawn-dart accident that cost Ordell a toe years before. Ordell borrows Chris's clothes and dates his old girlfriends. When Ordell records a cheesy commercial for a fried chicken outlet using one of Chris's songs, Chris finally has to speak up. Meanwhile, Chris's band members are both intrigued and appalled by their alter-egos in the tribute band. Anson bonds instantly with Deke, his wild-man counterpart in Blue Hotel. And Roly has his eye on the woman who plays Hershel in the band; much to Hershel's consternation. Yola tries to sort everything out, all while struggling with her love-hate relationship with Cody, the young and cocky new manager at the agency.
Director: Rob Thompson
Writer: Joe Bosso
- 7.8/108 votesLoading...
#18 - T & A
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 4/23/2001
From Showtime: Chris's public image takes a weird turn when his old girlfriend, comic Caroline Rhea, tells ""The Daily Scoop"" tabloid that Chris was shy about showing his butt when they had sex. Chris tries to set the record straight, but it only gets worse. When he shows Rhea his backside by mooning her over the video phone, she posts the image on the Internet -- turning Chris' behind into a cause celebre. Chris confronts the tabloid reporter, a middle-aged man named Tricia, who promises to fix things, only to manufacture a picture of Chris dressed up like a stereotypical gay leatherman. Anson, meanwhile, hits up Chris for $2,000 to pay for his girlfriend's medical treatment, neglecting to mention that the treatment is breast enhancement surgery. And Yola, eager to outshine her rival Cody at a birthday party for Leon, the head of the agency, tells a few white lies to score the loan of an $8,000 dress from a high-end boutique.
Director: Victoria Hochberg
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/107 votesLoading...
#19 - In the Name of Love
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 1/6/2002
Chris helps a journalist writing a biography of Roy Orbison. Yola dates a canine psychologist. Kenney and Anson double date.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/107 votesLoading...
#20 - Candidate
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 1/15/2004
Chris's sense of civic duty is aroused when his favorite free parking spot at the public beach he frequents is suddenly designated a red zone. Chris vows to fight for the public's civil liberties and, with the support of Michelle Branch and his band, decides to run for parking commissioner – much to Yola's chagrin... Meanwhile, Yola's maternal instincts are awakened when she volunteers to look after Megan, her six-year-old stepsister, for a week. Though anxious to put her parenting skills to the test, she soon finds that the job is hardly the walk in the park she thought it would be. Anson comes into a bit of money and suddenly finds himself in a constant state of worry over what to do with it. When the guys in the band bombard him with unsolicited advice on how to protect his cash, he's consumed with worry and indecision, until he comes up with his own stellar solution.
Director: Mike Rohl
Writer: Scott Kaufer
- 7.7/1010 votesLoading...
#21 - Behind the Isaak
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 7/2/2001
From Showtime: When VH1's ""Behind the Music"" arrives to do a segment on Chris, the record company sends over Dana, a woman who works in publicity. Knowing that ""Behind the Music"" loves tragedies and stars with feet of clay, Dana is determined to dig up all the dirt on Chris. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much dirt to dig into. Then Chris meets up with Maria, a photographer who dumped him nine years earlier and who now has an eight-year-old daughter, Chloe. He starts to notice that he has a lot in common with Chloe – they both love to surf, they like old music, they both hate broccoli – and, after doing the math, he comes to the inevitable conclusion that he must be the little girl's father. But what if Dana finds out? Dana, meanwhile, is getting busy with Anson, whose slovenly habits and sleazy style seem to be a strange sort of turn-on for the classy executive. And Yola is wracked with guilt after her complaints cost Gwen, a deaf-and-blind masseuse, her job.
Director: Jorge Montesi
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/108 votesLoading...
#22 - It's the Music, Stupid
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 4/2/2001
From Showtime: For a long time, Chris has been stalked by Kim, a mousy fan who is so obsessed with him that she camps outside his house and tries to win him over with homemade banana bread. She suddenly disappears, leaving behind only a red tennis shoe. Chris is at first relieved, but then, he begins to worry and hires Ray,a musician-turned-private detective to track her down. And Kim's disappearance isn't the only mystery. At an auction of celebrity memorabilia, Chris gets into a bidding war with Joe Walsh over a guitar owned by Elvis' sideman Scotty Moore, only to be beaten out by an anonymous phone bidder. Yola is determined to find out who got the guitar, so much so that she sabotages a blossoming relationship with Denver Lane, the antique expert and auctioneer who oversaw the sale. Anson, meanwhile, is doing some sabotaging of his own. When his father Merrill, a demanding figure who doesn't approve of his music, asks him and his sister Marissa, to play a piece by Brahms at their
Director: Milan Cheylov
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 7.1/108 votesLoading...
#23 - Rat in the House
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 3/10/2002
From Showtime: While Chris and an attractive woman snuggle together watching a late night movie on TV, a brown rat sporting a long tail, comes into view and sends his date scurrying from the house. In the days that follow, he becomes frantic as every feeble attempt to catch it fails to rid him of his uninvited houseguest. Chris soon suspects there may be more than one rat to deal with when Yola introduces him to her latest romantic interest, Josh, a handsome, worldly, good-at-everything guy. She invites Josh to be her houseguest but Chris, ever protective, is sure he is leeching off her trusting nature, and her wallet. Yola believes she's found Mr. Perfect and resents Chris' interference, until she sees her beautiful apartment turning into a rat's nest. Meanwhile, Anson hurts himself in Kung Fu class, rendering his right hand useless for at least two weeks. Annoyed that Anson would be so careless, Chris instructs Yola to find an interim keyboard player. When Chris hires Damien, a
Director: N/A
Writer: Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider
- 7.0/107 votesLoading...
#24 - Mr. Isaak's Opus
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 4/30/2001
From Showtime: Inspired by his surfing pal Doc, a doctor who spends his vacations helping the poor in Latin America, Chris decides he should play a charity gig, not for the usual publicity boost, but for the good of his soul. After Chris rejects several high-profile gigs, Yola tells him about a local Catholic school where Father Ken McCurdy, an old high school friend, is helping to organize a benefit concert to raise money for a new band room. Chris agrees to play the benefit and then brings the band along to meet the kids and play a few tunes. Meanwhile, Yola's friend Vivian is donating her eggs to an infertile couple and the female hormones she's taking are making her weepy. Yola's hormones are likewise in high gear, especially when she discovers that Father Ken, whom she thought was gay, is anything but, and has things on his mind that would make the Virgin Mary blush. Anson's got hormone issues as well, namely that despite his best efforts at debauchery, he apparently hasn't mad
Director: Richard Martin
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/107 votesLoading...
#25 - Driven
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 3/3/2002
From Showtime: When a wayward bean fragment from a new coffee grinder scratches Yola's eye, she must wear an eye patch for a week. To her surprise, the restricted vision gives Yola a better view of her shallow behavior and she vows to become a nicer person by doing good deeds. Yola begins the transformation by selling Chris' decrepit Nova and getting him a fabulous new car. Chris is elated by the gesture, but as the novelty of the moon roof, dual climate control, and GPS wear off, Chris starts to long for the charm and practicality of his beloved Nova and conspires with Yola to get it back. Meanwhile, Anson is devastated when his buddy, Phil is crushed to death by a vending machine while trying to steal a soda. Mourning his friend's wasted potential, he searches for a way to add more meaning to his life. After much deliberation, Anson decides to set a go-cart world record for the most laps around a track in 24 hours without stopping. And with Kenney and Roly's help he may just do
Director: Brenton Spencer
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of The Chris Isaak Show
Every episode of The Chris Isaak Show ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Chris Isaak Show!
Follows a fictionalized version of the life of American rock musician Chris Isaak. The show portrays Isaak and his band members as everyday people with...
Genre:Comedy
Network:Showtime
Best Episodes Summary
"Hurricane" is the best rated episode of "The Chris Isaak Show". It scored 9/10 based on 12 votes. Directed by Scott Smith and written by N/A, it aired on 4/16/2001. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Farm Boys".