Quote:
Originally Posted by sho.com /forum/post/8551204
About the show:
Husband and wife writing team Sean and Beverly can't wait to bring their successful British television series across the pond to make it big in America. But in true Hollywood fashion, it quickly becomes a laughable, clichéd sitcom - starring none other than Matt LeBlanc. Matt not only messes with their beloved show, he rocks the foundation of their relationship. So now, even if they survive the absurdity of show business, will their marriage survive Matt LeBlanc? Don't miss a single episode of EPISODES.
I recorded it and will watch tonight. I didn't have high hopes for this given they put it after Californication and before a higher potential Shameless. Captive audiences are better than no audiences.
It reminded me of the movie "TV Set". The constant dour expression on the "head of comedy" was a great touch. And the situations ring so true of the corporate entertainment industry and the idiots who decide what shows you get to see. I've been saying for years that network executives don't actually watch TV and here it was weaved into the storyline.
Granted... no laugh track, so of course you had to decide for yourself what was funny. Personally, I found LOTS of the dialog and characters funny. Your sense of humor may be different.
I thought the scene where they brought in Julian to audition was very biting and amusing. He re-created his British character, just as in the British version of the show which had run for four years and won all kinds of awards. Everybody in the screening room laughed. Then he did it "American" and it died. Why? The "head of comedy" said "it wasn't funny", but they'd laughed when he did it "British".
Well, this is EXACTLY what happened to "Coupling" a few years back, when they Americanized it on NBC. Canceled after 4 episodes. It was GARBAGE!!! The original British version of the show was funny... because the British sense of humor and comic sensibility worked, in Britain. That kind of comedy done with NY'ers and American accents is just not the same show.
Personally, I feel the same way about "The Office".
Anyway, I thought this "Episodes" redux of trying to Americanize a successful British show, by putting an American actor in it instead of a British actor... well it just shows how dumb the studio honchos are. Probably would want a laugh track as well!
Anyway, I adore British comedy, and the whole premise of this show (i.e. the goal of Americanizing a British hit, and the inevitable failure thereof I'm sure) appeals very much to me.
And the studio lackeys are not overdone caricatures... in fact they are hilarious and portrayed as the lackeys they are with just the right amount of restraint, from what we've seen so far.
I thought it was witty and worth a continued look...for now. I accept this first one as mostly setup for what's to come. The humor was typically British, with dry wit and wordplay. We'll see how it goes. Doesn't hurt that its lead is Califonication.
Absolutely. I couldn't watch it, Ricky Gervais' endorsement of it notwithstanding. British humor doesn't translate simply by making it "American." Don't know what's so hard for the studios to figure out about that.
Reminds me of that Cybill Shepard sitcom a few years back which was basically the Americanization of "Absolutely Fabulous" and was so awful.
This first episode felt very incomplete. Perhaps the pilot should have been an hour to better set up the premise. I'll keep watching to see where they go (after LeBlanc is introduced) but it's on the clock for me...
Lump me into the camp that was not terribly impressed. Just didn't seem to be particularly funny at all. And any time a Maserati is wrecked, an angel sheds a tear.
Since I have no interest in the subject matter of 'Shameless', looks like Showtime's new comedies laid an egg at this house. I'll just wait for the return of 'Weeds'.
I think that this must be the type of show that requires viewer patience in order to get into it. However, seeing how it was billed as a comedy, and neither my wife nor myself even snickered once during the show, we will be skipping this one. I agree that the pilot should have been longer than this incomplete mess.
If it were a Maserati that would certainly seem appropriate, but was it? I couldn't place it, assumed it must have been some expensive car but didn't see the Maserati logo, and actually thought it was a Mustang convertible. I'll have to look again.
Quote:
Since I have no interest in the subject matter of 'Shameless', looks like Showtime's new comedies laid an egg at this house. I'll just wait for the return of 'Weeds'.
Actually, I don't really think of "Weeds" as a comedy. Only Justin Kirk's antics and storylines make me smile a bit... and even then, only occasionally. Dark comedy, maybe... very dark. Same as nominating Edie Falco for "comedy actress", which is quite a stretch (although I LOVE "Nurse Jackie", and think Merritt Weaver is the one who really deserved the award nod).
In "Episodes" however, American studio heads deciding to replace a Peter Ustinov-like character as the headmaster of a boarding school with Matt LeBlanc, well that's like imagining it would be a GOOD thing for American audiences to replace a Helen Mirren or Judy Dench character with Sarah Shahi (mmm...) or Katy Perry. Very funny premise, from the get-go.
Anyway, there are only 7 episodes total that I think were filmed for this first burst. I'm hoping it remains genuinely amusing to me (I actually more-than-smiled and out-loud laughed), and lasts longer than Lisa Kudrow's very very funny "The Comeback" which I personally felt should have been picked up and not canceled after one season.
As I say, I was not impressed. I think the suggestion that the pilot should have been an hour is spot on. Perhaps the second and third episodes will impress as I want to like the show.
I think this series would appeal to the same kind of folks who like to watch "Entourage" with the environment being network TV instead of movies. There have been books about and documentaries made about how inept Hollywood executives are.
As for British comedy an American version of "The IT Crowd" was slated a few years back for NBC but to my knowledge even the pilot never aired. That show might have translated better to the US than other stuff and they were using the one actor from the British series the other guy not Chris O'Down whose accent might really have been a problem for Americans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikey mo /forum/post/0
As I say, I was not impressed. I think the suggestion that the pilot should have been an hour is spot on. Perhaps the second and third episodes will impress as I want to like the show.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber /forum/post/19808640
If it were a Maserati that would certainly seem appropriate, but was it? I couldn't place it, assumed it must have been some expensive car but didn't see the Maserati logo, and actually thought it was a Mustang convertible. I'll have to look again.
Well, the car she was driving was indeed a Mustang GT but Matt's car was either a Maserati, one of the newer Jaguar's, or I thought, an Aston Martin, which would have been an absolute crying shame.
I thought it was ok, sometimes I don't like seeing the ending up front "seven weeks ago" because I know there is going to be conflict. I reduces the comedic effect. So far it is a fish out of water type humor, for now i'll keep watching.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Conrad /forum/post/19809317
I think this series would appeal to the same kind of folks who like to watch "Entourage" with the environment being network TV instead of movies. There have been books about and documentaries made about how inept Hollywood executives are.
Only with a much older stuffy Brit couple as opposed to a group of young friends who like to have a good time. I used to be a big fan of Entourage, before it got old and stale, and I have to say that I found the premiere of Episodes to be incredibly old and stale. I agree with others in that I think it may have worked better with an hour long premiere. I'll give it a couple more episodes, but I wasn't very interested in the premiere. I'm worried that they've already gone too far over the top with the "all hollywood executives are idiots and everybody else is a butt kisser" cliche. Hopefully they'll build out those characters more.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
AVS Forum
34M posts
1.5M members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!