I’ve recently discovered Eddie Izzard. Minnie Driver has been on the radar for quite some time, though 
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Their show premiers tonight on FX.
I’ve been pretty impressed with FX original programming. Rescue Me is one of my favorite shows, and Over There was watchable for longer than I thought it would be before it was cancelled. I’ll even resort to merely pretending I’m sleeping while my wife watches Nip/Tuck.
I’m really looking forward to The Riches.
I yield the floor…
Ooo. Eddie Izzard’s show. Thanks for the reminder.
I’ve been a fan of his for years. Saw both of his last tours in the U.S., Circle and Sexie. Everything he does, I’ll at least give it a shot.
I’m going to give it a shot. I was very impressed with Thief.
Looks good, I’ll have to check it out. I love Eddie Izzard!
I liked FX’s other show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” too.
i’m the first dissenting vote?
not aware of Mr. Izzard’s work, so that adds no points for me. there aren’t that many shows i’d watch just because of who’s starring in them, anyway.
the premise itself, though, is just so oogie, i would actively flee from any viewing.
Dangit, I’d hadn’t considered oogie…
It’d be neat if they worked in some jabs at McMansions in general*, and more so if this family of crooks had a better sense of taste than the original occupants (and went about de-“Trump”-ing it, toning it down, or injecting a tasteful amount of color, etc.).
*For ex., if the Irish travellers discovered that a McManse, with its voluminous spaces and open, two-story entry atrium, is just a massive headache to keep comfortably warm during the winter. Ditto for property taxes, etc. The show’s final episode could be the family tossing in the towel and going back to their more modestly-scaled living standard, of an ordinary house requiring less “work” (con jobs) to keep and maintain, not to mention less housework and yardwork…
I’m definitely interested in seeing how this pans out, as I’m a fan of Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver. The concept, while a bit distasteful, should be interesting to see; I’m curious as to whether it’ll make me hate the show or be fascinated.
That starts tonight? If only there had been some reminder, say for example promos running every twelve seconds on FX…
Very much the fan of Izzard’s standup, can’t recall really anything about any actual acting of his I’ve seen. Minnie Driver has annoyed me ever since “Good Will Hunting” although the couple of episodes of “Will & Grace” I’ve seen with her in them have mitigated that somewhat. FX’s original programming has been hit-and-miss with me (hate “Always Sunny,” loved the prematurely killed “Starved,” started off not enjoying “Dirt” but it’s grown on me just enough to keep watching for now, came to Nip/Tuck late but enjoyed last season) so that in itself isn’t a draw or a hindrance.
To the OP: congratulations on your recent discovery. Izzardism is the religion to which I’m most devout. To the Izzard-uninitiated (lachesis), I can only offer a quote from the man himself regarding his references to The Great Escape being lost upon those who haven’t seen it … “if you haven’t seen it, then you probably haven’t lived.”
One of my greatest regrets (though not entirely my fault) was not being a ticketholder for either of his U.S. tours, but I surely will remedy that if and when he tours again. Despite the absence of the British accent and colorful travesti executíf attire (leading me to believe that some aspects of his humor just won’t be the same), I will still surely be tuning in.
Oh goodie, I was hoping there was a thread here for this, cuz I’m too busy to start one 
I hate television and only very rarely watch it, but I love Eddie to pieces and I think Minnie Driver is great. I cannot WAIT to see this. The pilot episode has been shown on YouTube or MSN or something for days, and I’ve been steadfastly avoiding it so that I’m not “spoiled” for tonight’s official premiere.
There’s a buttload of reviews here - most seem favorable, though I’m a little nervous - one review says the pilot is excellent and subsequent episodes are uneven at best; another review says the pilot is all over the map but subsequent eps show far more consistency.
Eddie-fangirl laugh of the day:
The character of the younger son is a transvestite. I can’t wait to see how Eddie’s character deals with that!
Oogie? Why exactly?
I’ll definitely watch the pilot (which I’ve read good things about) and see how it goes from there…
Hmm, nobody opining yet? I’ll go first.
Like I said earlier, I’m a devout fan of all things Izzard and I doubt the man would ever star in (much less serve as Executive Producer for) a project he didn’t believe in and connect with. He’s always had a funny fascination with the ways of America and has made lampooning our culture part of his career. He did, after all, end his Dress To Kill special with a closing line on the American Dream, saying that we are unique in the world because we have one. To be born in the gutter, grow up, get all the money in the world and stick it in your ears and go PPPPPPPTT! This show is definitely playing off of that.
The pilot was certainly more dramatic than I expected, but I don’t think the show will linger on it especially. They want to hook the audience with the tragic flaws of this family because despite all the circumstances they find themselves in, they manage to stick together. How many of the people of means who they will end up surrounding themselves with could ever say the same? Looks to be an adventure in dark humor at a cultural crossroads in American classism. It’s sure to be an uphill battle that will come crashing down eventually, but expect Eddie to lampoon American vanity and greed with aplomb before it’s all over. 
What’s even funnier is that Eddie says he didn’t even know about that before he signed up.
you don’t find it creepy/ghoulish to profit from and revel in the goods obtained because of the deaths of others you’re not even related to? (whole families at that, if the promos were reflecting the premise properly)
Sure, that’s why it’s drama.
So, I watched the pilot last night, and guffawed a few times in the first few minutes of the episode where Eddie was a pretender at the HS reunion.
He really starts going on and on as if he’s back on stage doing his own routine for a bit at the reunion, and it’s a semi-familiar scene for those of us who grew to love him through his stand-up routine.
However, it gets pretty serious (and occasionally violent) pretty quickly afterward. They do emphasize the brutality of the “concept” when it occurs; the only person who isn’t entirely phased by it is Wayne (Izzard), who appears to capitalize on every opportunity he can grasp at. I have to wonder, however, at how contrived it is that he seems to be a bit of a pro at everything. Seriously, how many people (who probably don’t play golf) can play their way through a full game of golf and win against “regulars” who play on a near-daily basis?
I think I may watch next week’s episode as well; this one has left me wanting to know more.
Hmm, my post seems to have been lost. bummer
I had said that I liked the show, but wonder if any dopers have some insight as to who the travelers are? What’s the connection about sleeping in a bed and waking up with no soul? And if that’s the case, why’s the kid making a bed in the pool?
How was Wayne so good at golf? A game I assume he had never played. (Didn’t pick up on the euphemisms his neighbor used)
Both Izzard and Driver are instantly charismatic which fits for the characters, and both can pull off the dramatic (the crash scene comes instantly to mind) so I have high hopes we can go long enough to see it unfold.
Wayne had to have played some golf – maybe a lot of golf. I’m not clear about whether he was always a Traveller or if he married into it. If he’s always been a con man, he probably taught himself the things you need to know to rub shoulders with the people you’re conning. So he’ll know finances and which fork to use, and maybe golf too.
There’s an allusion to this in one of the interviews over on Cake Or Death (an Izzard fansite). Izzard said it was originally thought that Wayne would be a “fish out of water” on the golf course, but it was decided that the character should be just naturally good at it, surprising himself as well as others.
I wasn’t bothered by him being good at golf, you know what bugged me, though? Izzard is short, and from the scenes we saw he’s considerably shorter than the actor who played the “real” Doug Rich - and aren’t golf clubs sold at different sizes for people of different heights?