The TV Set

[Ravi]

Trailer

A hair-raising comedy of art and compromise, THE TV SET follows a idealistic writer (Duchovny) as he tries to navigate his TV pilot down the mine-laden path from script through production to the madness of prime-time scheduling – all while trying to stay true to his vision. Along the way he has to juggle the agendas of a headstrong network president (Weaver), volatile young stars, a pregnant wife and an ever-optimistic personal manager.

Drama
Rating: R
In Theatres: April 6th, 2007
Starring David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd, Justine Bateman, Willie Garson
Written and Directed by Jake Kasdan

[modage]

Fun Fact: Duchovnys character is loosely based on Judd Apatow and his dealings with the network during Freaks & Geeks.

[polkablues]

Looks good.  I want Judy Greer to play every role in every movie made from now on.

In Theatres: April 6th, 2007

In theatres last week, and this is the first time I've ever heard of the movie.  I'm assuming the phrase "In a theatre near you," would not be applicable to this film.

[Gamblour.]

The premise and the tone of the trailer feel spot on. However, some of those gags they're using don't actually seem that funny. In any case, this looks very promising, and I really love the whole idea. It's broad, and I like broad(s).

[Pubrick]

In theatres last week, and this is the first time I've ever heard of the movie.

that's the duchovny trademark.

[Ravi]

http://www.avclub.com/content/cinema/the_tv_set

The TV Set
Reviewed by Tasha Robinson
April 6th, 2007

It's all too tempting to draw a straight line between Jake Kasdan's new film The TV Set and his experience in television—particularly his failed attempt to launch a show based on his thoroughly enjoyable cult-hit movie Zero Effect. The TV Set is a trenchant, scathing film with an insider's insight, but also an insider's lack of perspective on the important parts of the story. Fortunately, it's also a well-acted and generally funny comedy that doesn't bog down in emotion even when it bogs down in its own plot.

As the film begins, writer David Duchovny is developing his green-lit pilot for The Wexler Chronicles, a partly autobiographical prime-time drama about a young lawyer dealing with his brother's suicide. Predictably, the project gets dumbed-down at every turn, with lead actor Fran Kranz mugging for laughs, network president Sigourney Weaver trying to pull the show's teeth ("Originality scares me a little. You don't want to be too original."), the pilot's director favoring artiness over comprehensibility, and so forth. Duchovny attempts to resist the compromises, but feels pressure from all angles, including his perky producer Judy Greer and his doleful pregnant wife Justine Bateman. The results are predictable, but Kasdan makes them dryly giggly, prompting viewers to laugh at Duchovny's increasingly ridiculous trials rather than getting caught up in his angst.

The TV Set could almost be a Christopher Guest bridging project—it's essentially Guest's The Big Picture for TV instead of film, though it's structured in the low-key, rambling, observational manner of Guest's later ensemble comedies. Some of the many slight Guest-like subplots are insightful, as when Franz awkwardly tries to live up to his idea of a leading-man image by hitting on his uncomfortable co-star; she in turn is image-aware enough to stay friendly for the show's sake. Others, such as an empty sideline involving Ioan Gruffudd as a depressed former BBC wunderkind, go nowhere and suck up time that could have been better spent. (Maybe Kasdan had someone particular in mind when he wrote that character; it's hard to explain his presence otherwise.) But all of the characters are struggling with industry compromise in their own ways, and even when it comes to nothing, The TV Set observes smartly, by staying sympathetic while acknowledging that on some level, they've all chosen their own rocky roads in exchange for their shots at fame.

A.V. Club Rating: B

[SiliasRuby]

http://www.avclub.com/content/cinema/the_tv_set

The TV Set
Reviewed by Tasha Robinson
April 6th, 2007

It's all too tempting to draw a straight line between Jake Kasdan's new film The TV Set and his experience in television—particularly his failed attempt to launch a show based on his thoroughly enjoyable cult-hit movie Zero Effect. The TV Set is a trenchant, scathing film with an insider's insight, but also an insider's lack of perspective on the important parts of the story. Fortunately, it's also a well-acted and generally funny comedy that doesn't bog down in emotion even when it bogs down in its own plot.

As the film begins, writer David Duchovny is developing his green-lit pilot for The Wexler Chronicles, a partly autobiographical prime-time drama about a young lawyer dealing with his brother's suicide. Predictably, the project gets dumbed-down at every turn, with lead actor Fran Kranz mugging for laughs, network president Sigourney Weaver trying to pull the show's teeth ("Originality scares me a little. You don't want to be too original."), the pilot's director favoring artiness over comprehensibility, and so forth. Duchovny attempts to resist the compromises, but feels pressure from all angles, including his perky producer Judy Greer and his doleful pregnant wife Justine Bateman. The results are predictable, but Kasdan makes them dryly giggly, prompting viewers to laugh at Duchovny's increasingly ridiculous trials rather than getting caught up in his angst.

The TV Set could almost be a Christopher Guest bridging project—it's essentially Guest's The Big Picture for TV instead of film, though it's structured in the low-key, rambling, observational manner of Guest's later ensemble comedies. Some of the many slight Guest-like subplots are insightful, as when Franz awkwardly tries to live up to his idea of a leading-man image by hitting on his uncomfortable co-star; she in turn is image-aware enough to stay friendly for the show's sake. Others, such as an empty sideline involving Ioan Gruffudd as a depressed former BBC wunderkind, go nowhere and suck up time that could have been better spent. (Maybe Kasdan had someone particular in mind when he wrote that character; it's hard to explain his presence otherwise.) But all of the characters are struggling with industry compromise in their own ways, and even when it comes to nothing, The TV Set observes smartly, by staying sympathetic while acknowledging that on some level, they've all chosen their own rocky roads in exchange for their shots at fame.

A.V. Club Rating: B

This basically sums up what I thought of the film. I saw this today and I enjoyed it throughly. Some parts were so tough to watch, those same parts were the most enjoyable. I was so happy with it. It makes me wonder what parts were taken from Freaks and Geeks.

[grand theft sparrow]

I never thought it possible to make a movie about TV that was more depressing than Network.  If only it didn't amount to just a snuff film for anyone who has ever wanted to be in the TV business.

This is another movie, like Crash and Devil Wears Prada, with individual elements so strong that no one seems to notice that it falls short in regards to the big picture.  Yes, there are good performances and good dialogue throughout but it's nothing we haven't seen before; just because Jake Kasdan knows how programming heads can fuck with the creative vision of a show and turn it into shit doesn't mean he really has anything to say about it, except "This sucks, right?"

I think maybe he made this movie to sort of vindicate Apatow and anyone else who has ever been fucked while trying to create a good show but the ending, or lack thereof, ruins everything.  There are no resolutions of any conflict except for the fate of the show, which I think was the point (or maybe it was intended to feel like it was a TV pilot itself, in which case it's too clever by half).  I'm not asking for everything to be wrapped up nicely, but if Kasdan hadn't rendered almost everything in the movie completely useless by ending it where he did, it would have at least made it a decent movie.

[Ravi]

Its good in bits and pieces.  It doesn't quite work as a film and there are no big surprises about how TV works, but the details it shows about the process are interesting.  Everyone skirts around what's really on their minds by just hinting at thing.  Duchovny's assistant cuts him off when she senses he's about to let loose.  The entire process is antithetical to originality and creativity.  Its strange/sad how it takes a bunch of highly paid, highly educated people wearing nice suits to peddle shit to people.

[picolas]

sort of spoils

yeah i thought it was an okay version of something i'd seen before. it didn't do anything original with the premise. just the story of something that might have been good turning into crap. extras does it better. ps. sigourney weaver was acting like she was in another movie.

[clerkguy23]

what's the line.... "im freakin' 90 years old, holmes!!!"... something along those lines but so much better. that guy is hilarious.