Wild Palms (1993– )

A multi-national corporation attempts to take over America while small pockets of resistance hold out against rampant technology.

Stars:

James Belushi, Dana Delany, Robert Loggia

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
James Belushi	...	Harry Wyckoff (5 episodes, 1993)
Dana Delany	...	Grace Wyckoff (5 episodes, 1993)
Robert Loggia	...	Sen. Anton Kreutzer (5 episodes, 1993)
Kim Cattrall	...	Paige Katz (5 episodes, 1993)
Angie Dickinson	...	Josie Ito (5 episodes, 1993)
Ernie Hudson	...	Tommy Lazlo (5 episodes, 1993)
Bebe Neuwirth	...	Tabba Schwartzkopf (5 episodes, 1993)
Nick Mancuso	...	Tully Woiwode (5 episodes, 1993)
David Warner	...	Eli Levitt (5 episodes, 1993)
Ben Savage	...	Coty Wyckoff (5 episodes, 1993)
Bob Gunton	...	Dr. Tobias Schenkl (5 episodes, 1993)
Aaron Michael Metchik	...	Peter (5 episodes, 1993)
Robert Morse	...	Chap Starfall (3 episodes, 1993)
Brad Dourif	...	Chickie Levitt (3 episodes, 1993)
Charles Rocket	...	Stitch (3 episodes, 1993)
François Chau	...	Hiro (3 episodes, 1993)

Storyline

LA in the near future, Harry Wykoff accepts a job as presidents of a gigantic TV company. Het is confronted with a total new technology called "The New Reality" where three-dimensional TV animated pictures are projected in living rooms all around the world. Harry launches to the top of the company with his career but once there he is caught in a web of intrigues, betrayal and murder. A game of life and death begins...

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Plot Keywords:

corporation | scientology | conspiracy | based on comic book | rhinoceros | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vad pálmák

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Greengrass Productions, Ixtlan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

300 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Friends' "prayer, "O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;/ The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won" is the first two lines of Walt Whitman's "O Captain My Captain" while the Synthiotics prayer "The wind is old and still at play / While I must hurry upon my way,/ For I am running to Paradise" is from W.B Yeats "Running to Paradise."

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Goofs

The rear-view mirror in Harry's corvette appears and disappears from scene to scene.

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Quotes

Tabba Schwartzkopf: [upon requesting the use of Grace's boutique bathroom] I am a terrible, terrible person, yes I am
Grace Wyckoff: But you break like a little girl.

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Connections

Referenced in Mise-en-abyme (2006)

User Reviews

'What a strange world. So dramatic, so predatory.' - 'We're like two old generals.'

It's a pity it wasn't released 5 years earlier: the mood created by cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Phenomenon, Cool Runnings) is so eighties-like, the great Michael Mann (L.A. Takedown, Manhunter, The Insider) must like it, if only visually: it's very clean and cool. Except Mann usually adds some really excessive displayals of power with lots of shooting (Miami Vice) and lots of music. Wild Palms is far more subtle. The great score was created by legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence). The chosen hit songs (Where the streets have no name, Hello I must be going) just add slightly to the mood and you really have to pay attention to the songtexts. And notice the subtle fashion statements, like the sober collars? There are 5 episodes directed by 4 directors, one of which is Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark, Point Break, Strange Days): Strange Days (1995) is a nice movie about more or less the same subject but without the aesthetics and the good acting. James Belushi is great, Robert Loggia and Angie Dickinson must be the devil themselves.

Wild Palms may feel like 'Dynasty - the play - set in the future' about families in multimedia instead of oil. The story IS about media monopolies and law-suits (MS anyone? - Church Windows): there seems to be no credible independent justice system anymore in this future. There are family intrigues, but definitely never really feels like a soap opera. However, one of the flaws of Wild Palms is that you can see that it is made for tv because you can see where the commercials are supposed to be. Wild Palms is quite lengthy, but I just couldn't wait for the next episode to be broadcasted seven days later. I wouldn't recommend trying to watch all episodes at once, because the pace is rather low. Cut it down to 180 minutes and you can show it in a theater (although Warhol's 'Empire' wasn't cut down a minute...). Definitely more interesting than 'JFK' and 'Nixon' together.

9/10