Maybe it was the complete change of pace from an excellent SFU episode, but I found myself wanting to change channels multiple times. I did hold on till the end, but just barely. I certainly hope there is more character development to come. Only thing we have so far is some minor conflict between his manager buddy and his agent. Everything/everybody else seems like they’re just there (but maybe that’s the point). I’ll give it a little time, but so far I’m not impressed.
Yeah, at first glance this looks like if it’s going to work at all it’ll have to be one of those Howard Stern things: you hate it, but you just want to see what happens next. I’ll check out another episode, but I didn’t like any of the characters, and I can’t see how they’re going to hold my interest with the childish antics of a bunch of whining idiots and starfuckers.
I thought it was hilarious (Jeremy Piven was fantastic), though I can see how it might get old after a while.
From this first ep, I get the feeling they might be developing a show-to-show plotline for the whole season rather than telling stand-alone stories. I’ll be curious to see if the Colin Farrell thing pays off down the road, say in a few weeks when news starts coming off the Matterhorn set that it’s either a disaster (which means pizza boy has good instincts and good advice) or a masterpiece in waiting (which means pizza boy’s a goat). If they’re putting together a big complicated story with a season-ending payoff, then it could be a lot of fun. If it’s just hangin’-out-with-the-jagoffs without a clear narrative direction, well… not so much.
That said, I’m definitely gonna get tired of the one loudmouth leech pretty quick, unless something changes.
We’ll see.
(Did I mention Jeremy Piven was fantastic?)
Jeremy Piven will go a long way to keeping me tuning in each week. As Mike and the 'Bots would say on MST3K, “He’s always good!” So long as we’re never expected to feel sympathy for these clowns I think I can stop from being totally turned off by their general asshole-ery.
Other than Cervaise’s repeated comments that Piven was fantastic (with which I could not agree more. CURSE YOU ABC for cancelling Cupid!!!), I disagree completely. I thought the episode was smart, funny, interesting, clever, and original. It reminded me a lot of Swingers, but with more substance to the characters. I’ll definitely be watching the show from here on out.
flickster, if you’re bored, you’re bored. There certainly wasn’t a ton of action or suspense, but that’s not what the show is about. It was only 30 minutes of the show, and expecting in-depth character development in a 30 minute comedy is outlandish. But they were still able to give a very good view of each of the characters. Of course at this point the characters are rough drafts, but I really liked Eric (the manager) and Vince (bubbleheaded star). Although Drama (Dillon) and Turtle (leech-boy) were played mostly for laughs, they are still send-ups of actual people who seem to infest Los Angeles.
commasense: if you don’t like the characters, you don’t like them. I’d say give them more of a chance, but I honestly don’t see what you don’t like about them. Eric is a smart, genuine guy who cares deeply about Vince and may be in way over his head in Hollywood. He’s by far, my favorite of the bunch, because he is the outsider in the show. He’s the guy who is most grounded, yet still genuinely concerned about his friends. Vince, although he is a bubblehead, is, on the surface, completely likable. He’s not deep, or thoughful, but underneath his good looks, he cares enough about his friends to support them. Contrary to your view, I think a good majority of people who watched it are rooting for him to succeed. Different strokes and all that, but I think you’re selling the show short by calling all the characters whiny idiots.
All in all, I think it is a good, funny show, that has the potential to be fantastic. It’s miles ahead of any other new garbage they call shows on the television now.
My favorite line (paraphrasing):
Eric: Could you get laid without relying on Vince (the star)? That’s the question.
Turtle: Do I give a shit? That’s the answer.
Not only that, he’s smart enough to recognize that Eric’s the most intelligent and perceptive of the bunch, and the only one with his head even remotely screwed on straight, and hence considers him the go-to guy for advice and decision-making. Over and over: “Why should I read the script? You did. Tell me what you think. You want me to fire my agent? Sure.” He does it in a really offhand way, so as not to offend the other two, but he does it consistently. Maybe Vince is smarter than he looks.
One wonders which of Mark Wahlberg’s friends Eric is supposed to represent. 
All I can say is, DAMN! Vince is a hottie! (Well, not as hot as Collin Farrell, but still extremely hot.)
I liked it. I liked Jeremy Piven (One of the funniest lines for me was Piven saying “Hug it out, bitch” in the teasers for next week).
I thought the Pizza boy character gives the show a needed sympathetic ecnter and I liked that Kevin Dillon is willing to spoof himself a little bit by playing the lesser known brother of a big movie star.
I think the show has potential. It’s low key, but I think it could end up being sneaky good in the long haul. And like Hamlet said, it’s still miles ahead of the typical sitcom tripe you see on the networks. What network would ever show the stars of a sitcom casually doing bong hits or banging Hollywood groupies?
It’s not yet on the level of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” or “Larry Sanders” but it’s watchable and edgy.
“Da Ali G Show” is sort of amusing too. I had never watched it before last night. I’m amazed that his marks can’t figure out that he’s hoaxing them.
Yeah I saw that for the first time last night too. It was pretty damn funny, I loved his characters. I am sure that Sam Donaldson knew he wasn’t for real… however, I don’t think the gentlemen wine drinkers knew, or the police he interviewed. Anyway, he is hilarious.
Oh I almost forgot, the funniest part was when he was the gay Austrian fashion reporter Bruno, who sat down with a pastor who “saves” gay people. That was hilarious!!!
Ali G…meh…I found him disappointing.
I liked it but why is it when actors play themselves in these types of shows (Mark Whalberg, Ali Landry (who is super hot in case anyone was wondering)) they play themselves as complete jackasses?