There was never even any question that Apple's new iMac has "star quality." Those colors, those curves, that come-hither look-- Hollywood was destined to hear the call. And so it came to pass that an iMac, scarcely two weeks after its runway debut, landed a brief cameo appearance in a commercial for "Spin City." Its impact was so dramatic that it pulled in a continuing role as "Mimi's Computer" on "Drew Carey." And since then, TV offers for the iMac have just been pouring in. Faithful viewer Matthew Guerrieri notes a ZDNet article which lists all of the shows on which the iMac is scheduled to make an appearance this fall.

In addition to the previously mentioned "Drew Carey," other ABC shows expected to include iMac roles include "Dharma and Greg," "Home Improvement," and "Boy Meets World." NBC will show off the iMac on three of its lesser hits, "Caroline in the City," "Working," and "Veronica's Closet." Who understands the mechanics of lurid sex appeal better than Fox, who is going to use iMacs in "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place"? And the WB plans to showcase the iMac in its "Big Three Angstathon:" "Felicity," the new hit about a young woman's college angst; "Dawson's Creek," the continuing hit about high school hormonal angst; and our own personal favorite, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the veteran smash about an ex-cheerleader and her "oops, I fell in love with a vampire but had to stab him with a big sword and send him to Hell" angst.

But iMacs aren't the only pieces of cool new Apple equipment making appearances on TV these days. Other cool spottings we've made in the past few days of casual viewing include a PowerBook G3 (complete with upside-down crystal Apple logo) on "Dharma and Greg," and a sleek, translucent blue Apple Studio Display shown prominently on "Veronica's Closet." Not that Apple's products haven't always been the premiere choice for product placement-- they pretty much have-- but we have to assume that Hollywood types are going especially nuts for Apple's newfound flair for distinctive and sexy industrial design. After all, would you want to stick a Power Mac 4400 in your TV show? 'Nuff said.