The TV Set (2006)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Jake Kasdan

Writer (WGA):

Jake Kasdan (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A place where dreams are canceled

Plot:

The story of a TV pilot as it goes through the Network TV process of casting, production and finally airing.

Plot Keywords:

Assistant | Husband Wife Relationship | Producer | Beard | Funeral

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Mike Klein
Sigourney Weaver	...	Lenny
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Richard McCallister
Judy Greer	...	Alice
Fran Kranz	...	Zach Harper
Lindsay Sloane	...	Laurel Simon
Justine Bateman	...	Natalie Klein
Lucy Davis	...	Chloe McCallister
Willie Garson	...	Brian
M.C. Gainey	...	Hutch
Wendle Josepher	...	A.D.
Philip Rosenthal	...	Exec. #1 / Cooper (as Phil Rosenthal)
David Doty	...	Exec. #2 / Rose
Matt Price	...	Exec. #3 / Berg
Simon Helberg	...	TJ Goldman

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Beverly Center - 8500 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

TV Set Holding Company, The

Trivia:

Sigourney Weaver's character was written as a man. It wasn't until late in pre-production that it was decided that the role of could actually be a woman instead. Still, no line was re-written for the gender change. Even the name Lenny was kept.

Quotes:

Mike: If I don't worry about the content in my show, then I'm part of the problem. I'm making the world more mediocre!
Alice: I think that you're overstating the situation just a little bit.
Mike: But you've never seen "Taxi Driver"!
Alice: I am going to rent "The Taxi Driver", okay?

Movie Connections:

References "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Dreams

Fast paced, hilarious film

I saw this at the Traverse City Film Festival and it was one of my favorite films there.

David Duchovny has written a great script for a new TV show and the studio wants to make the pilot. Unfortunately, before it airs, they want to make some changes to his script. The film follows the script as it goes from one hand to another before it gets turned into the perfect TV sitcom.

The cast is excellent. David Duchovny does a great job as the lead, we all relate to him because we all want to see something new, not just the same clichéd sitcom premise. The TV show cast is great, from the opening moments in the film when they audition for the parts, all of their scenes are perfect. And Sigourney Weaver steals the show playing the evil network boss, every time she's on the screen it's impossible not to laugh.

Jake Kasdan was at the screening and told us afterward that most of the stuff shown in the film has happened to him before on several pilots he's worked on. It's sad that things like this still take place, that so many shows keep dumbing down and are afraid to be different. Hopefully TV executives will take a look at this film and get some ideas.

By the way, be sure to stay for the closing credits.

9 / 10