LA Screenings Part III - Sony
In the past, during May Screenings, we typically only got to screen TV Shows that were made for TV. Looks like times are changing now that the definition of TV has changed, and what transpired were three pilots made by Sony for Amazon. While they have been available online for sometime in the United States, the rest of the world wasn't privileged enough to see such great product. If you do have an Amazon Instant Streaming account I definitely recommend checking out the pilots online. For the rest of the world, your just gonna have to wait.
Transparent (Amazon Original)
The most original drama I have seen in years. While only 30 minutes, it plays out like an hour long drama (in a good way). With a fantastic cast featuring Jeffrey Tambor (Mort), Gaby Hoffman(Ali), Jay Duplass (Josh), Amy Landecker (Sarah) and Judith Light (Mom) this ensemble cast plays a close nit family from a divorced home. The kids are all grown up with problems of their own and as Mort puts it so eloquently "I don't know how it is that I raised three people who cannot see beyond themselves". Mort has a secret he needs to share that will change their family dynamic forever. Its stylish, unique and well written.
Mozart In The Jungle (Amazon Original)
Another 30 min drama that will leave you wanting more. Mozart's backdrop is The New York Symphony which is undergoing huge changes as they transition from an old school conductor to a new hip, young, brilliant composer. Some people embrace the change while others hate it, but for Hailey, a young oboist it means her big break is coming. The style is very much like Gossip Girl centred around the NYC classical music scene with more edge. So i guess its not really like Gossip Girl at all. Either way you will like it.
The After (Amazon Original)
Chris Carter (The X-Files) is back at the helm with this 1 hour drama. Set in Los Angeles at the onset of a disaster that leaves the city with no power, no water and no answers. The cast is composed of a group of characters from different walks of life that get trapped in an elevator and must work with each other to survive. They have nothing in common except for the fact they all share the same birthday. As they maneuver throughout the city they must use each other to survive the chaos and lawlessness around them, while seeking answers as to what exactly is happening to the world.
Marry Me
For fans of the cancelled sitcom Happy Endings, David Caspe is back with his new comedy starring his real life wife Casey Wilson. This fun quirky 30 minute single camera comedy is cute and has the same comedic style that you loved in Happy Endings. Casey Wilson plays Annie the girlfriend of Jake (Ken Marino) who after 6 years of dating just wants to get married. Ken finally pops the question in a very amazing and cringe worthy scene. The premise of the show is to watch as they go from engaged to planning a wedding with flashbacks from the past and how they met and evolved as a couple. Smart and charismatic.
HBO's The Leftovers - REVIEW
The Leftovers
Premier Date: June 29th 2014
Time Slot: 10pm ET
Network: HBO
Damon Lindelof (LOST) and Tom Perrotta have created a masterpiece for HBO. The premise is that in one day (October 14th), 2% of the worlds population disappears without a trace. What is "leftover" is a world in chaos with nothing more than unanswered questions and a rise in cult activity.
The story really starts off 3 years after the event from the perspective of a small town. How do they go on with their lives without having any answers to where their husbands, wives, and children have gone? Its a story of living without any closure.
The lead character Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) plays a police chief who's wife has left him for a local cult, a son who has left to follow and protect a "profit", a troubled daughter in high school who can barely keep it together and a father who is in a psych ward.
Because there is a 3 year gap from the event to present day, where the story takes place, you are always left with questions in the same vein as Lost. You want to know how each character has turned out the way they do. Each episode unveils a new puzzle piece while moving the story forward.
The direction for the first two episodes is from Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights). You can feel the grittiness in the cinematography and it creates an eery voyeuristic edge that make it feel more intimate.
The first episode which runs long at 1hr and 15min is a great setup for what is to come. It draws you in but leaves you with more questions and wanting more. I was fortunate enough to binge through 3 episodes, but i am still craving the next instalment.
Stay up to date with all the reviews and follow me on twitter @therealdanpage
LA Screenings Part II - NBC Universal
Its always a treat going to Universal City to visit the lot and screen some great TV. With a mix of Network and Cable shows it provided for an amazing balance of good comedy and great drama.
Allegiance
The Russians are back! Always great to see a sleek 1 hour drama set in the USA where the KGB is still well and alive trying to infiltrate the government. This show centres around Alex, a young, ambitious CIA analyst who specializes in Russian affairs tasked with a job to infiltrate the KGB sleeper cell that has a plan to bring America to its knees. Oh, and did i forget to mention that his parents and sister are Russian Spy's being woken up to help carry out the task.
Unfortunately there is no trailer to share, but once there is I will be sure to post it.
Bad Judge
Dr. Addison Montgomery is back in a very different role. From executive producers Will Farrell and Adam McKay comes a comedy about a smart young judge that plays by her own rules in life. With her reputation as one of LA's most respected criminal court judges, Rebecca Wright is unorthodox in and definitely out of the courtroom. This judge plays in a band and ends up mentoring a troubled, bullied 8 year old orphan boy forming a special bond. I don't want to make any references to the movie Bad Santa, but i can't help making a small comparison.
Mission Control
The second TV show this season by executive producers Adam McKay and Will Ferrell is another 30 minute single camera comedy set in 1960's NASA. Kristen Ritter plays a brilliant aerospace engineer that leads a team of scientists set to explore space. The only issue here is that its the 1960's and she is a women amongst a team of men that don't take her seriously. The jokes are very much akin to Anchorman. You will either love it or hate it, but it's definitely worth checking out. Trailer to come...
Satisfaction
One of the best and most original dramas I have seen all year. Its a big statement, but once you watch Satisfaction, you will want to keep watching. I don't want to give too much away but its hard to summarize without spoilers. So feel free to look away now!
Ok you're still here. Investment banker Neil Truman is having a midlife crisis and has gone off the deep end, a la Jerry Maguire. He decides that what he does for a living has no meaning and wants to seek more insight as to the purpose of life. He has been all consumed with work and has let his relationship with his wife slip. Grace, who finds that she needs more out of life decides to seek the company of a male escort. As all good dramas unfold it wouldn't be fun if Neil didn't find out about it. And he does!
State of Affairs
Katherine Heigl is back on the small screen as she plays one of the CIA's top analysts tasked with compiling and delivering the President's Daily Briefing. This list is comprised of the most vital security issues that threaten the USA compiled by her brilliant team. Besides the political minefield that she has in her daily job, she also has a close personal relationship with the President as she was engaged to The Presidents' now deceased son. She is now on a mission to find the killer while at the same time protecting her country.
12 Monkeys
I have to confess that while I did not actually screen this one on the lot, I was provided access to 12 Monkeys through their screener site and decided it was worth the review. 12 Monkeys is based on the 1995 film about time travel and changing the present by altering the past. While sometimes tackling time travel is ambitious and sometimes confusing, 12 Monkeys hits it dead on! Set in the future, a time traveller must go back in time to present day to eradicate the source of a deadly virus plague that wipes out most of mankind.
Sadly, there is no trailer up right now, but stay tuned and we will make sure it appears here!
Tune in soon for the third instalment where i take you behind the curtain at Sony.