The TV Set
Jake Kasdan (Orange County, The Zero Effect) wrote and directed this little movie, which disappeared in theatres despite its gimme cast and major production team. Executive produced by comedy wunderkind Judd Apatow, Kasdan’s little movie has the feel of so much of their shared body of work: a fun time being had by all involved that also turns out to be really excellent. It’s about a TV writer (David Duchovny, a natural comic actor) who is trying to get his dream project made by Panda, the 4th major TV network. Panda is run by Lenny (Sigourney Weaver) and Richard (Ioan Gruffudd), the latter recently transplanted from doing genius work at BBC and brought to Panda to bring his “class thing” to the network. Duchovny’s show, The Wexler Chronicles, is a risky, personal project, the kind we don’t hear much about but tends to be typified by the groundbreaking work done by the sorts of single-camera comedies/dramedies that last a season or so and then vanish with their piles of accolades and no ratings. (For more on that, see Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, Profit, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip…)
Kasdan is smart - we don’t see too much of the show, so we really never know how good or funny or risky or anything it really is. We know why the studios are concerned, and we know why (as the production moves along the conveyer belt of compromise and soul-sucking) Duchovny is concerned, but for all we know, it’s crap. It doesn’t even matter - what’s important in The TV Set is watching the process of how art and commerce wrestle behind the scenes in a network; how personal integrity at every level of a project is at risk, and how the networks think. Studio 60 also dealt with the complexities of television politics, specifically as it relates to their flagship show. The TV Set is grinding dozens and hundreds of show through this process at the same time as Wexler Chronicles, but we are only concerned with this show. It’s interesting and funny and agonizing and illuminating to know what happens before you get that first annoying animated promo for a new show.
The acting in this movie is superb, all around - what a cast! Zack (Fran Kanz) has the burden of being a sympathetic character, clueless actor, and playing the role he is assigned. Laurel (Lindsay Stone) has to do all that and look hot and be politic at the same time. Duchovny brings all his mojo to bear, and Weaver is right behind him, with a crazed smile. I first thought she was named Leni after Leni Riefenstal, ha ha, but apparently her character was originally written for a man and not changed one iota for Weaver.
Scenes of people in clear disagreement worded in that horrible Hollywood false-agreeing way are delicious to watch for the craft of them as well as the content, don’t you think? Amusingly, the folks who are in Duchovny’s character’s camp were all people who at one time or another were associated with risky shows that got on the air after fierce battles against the studios.
It’s not news that studios are trying to make money by reaching the greatest audience ever, and are about as concerned with making great art as polar bears are about good wireless coverage. It’s not news that the process generally makes a lot of crap product come out the pipe. Amusingly, one of the guys responsible for Everybody Loves Raymond plays an executive in this movie. The film concludes abruptly, but it is an interesting and gently funny ride along the way.
MPAA Rating R for language
Release date 4/6/07 limited: video November 2007
Time in minutes 88
Director Jake Kasdan
Studio ThinkFilm
