The TV Set (2006)

The story of a TV pilot as it goes through the Network TV process of casting, production and finally airing.

Director:

Jake Kasdan

Writer:

Jake Kasdan

Stars:

David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Mike Klein
Sigourney Weaver	...	Lenny
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Richard McCallister
Judy Greer	...	Alice
Fran Kranz	...	Zach Harper
Lindsay Sloane	...	Laurel Simon
Justine Bateman	...	Natalie Klein
Lucy Davis	...	Chloe McCallister
Willie Garson	...	Brian
M.C. Gainey	...	Hutch
Wendle Josepher	...	A.D.
Philip Rosenthal	...	Exec. #1 / Cooper (as Phil Rosenthal)
David Doty	...	Exec. #2 / Rose
Matt Price	...	Exec. #3 / Berg
Simon Helberg	...	TJ Goldman

Storyline

A television network is making a pilot of Mike's quirky comedy based on the aftermath of his brother's suicide. As the network suits ask for change after change, and as Mike struggles with compromise, there are strains on families, execs who show rushes to their children, leads who feel each other out, and assistants who put a smile on everything. Can an honest show get made in the world of reality TV chasing an audience of teen-aged boys?

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Plot Keywords:

assistant | husband wife relationship | producer | beard | funeral | 

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Taglines:

A place where dreams are canceled

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Call Me Crazy

Filming Locations:

Beverly Center - 8500 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$34,531 (USA) (6 April 2007)

Gross:

$265,550 (USA) (13 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TV Set Holding Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this movie, Sigourney Weaver plays a television network president. Weaver's father, Sylvester ("Pat") Weaver, was for many years president of NBC; the writer and director of TV Set, The (2006), Jake Kasdan, was a producer and writer on "Freaks and Geeks" (1999), which aired on NBC (albeit many years after Pat Weaver's retirement).

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Quotes

Lenny: [to a colleague whose spouse has moved out] Spouses are not necessarily a fixture of the schedule.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits an elimination round from the fictional reality show "Slut Wars" plays, featuring Seth Green as the host.

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Connections

References CSI: Miami (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Television Set"
Written and Performed by Joel Plaskett
Courtesy of Songs for the Gang

User Reviews

Interesting concept, boring execution

I thought this film was okay, but not great.

Certainly, it is a topic that can be mined for great comedy and social commentary. How does Hollywood, which has so many talented people in it, churn out such crap to put into our living rooms every night?

I think the producers here try to give us a behind the curtain look at that, but they don't really hit it with the edge that they could hit it with.

The plot is that Duchovny's character is a writer who creates a show about a lawyer who is touched by the death of his brother by suicide, and slowly watches as his original concept is bastardized by network executives. Network meddling turns a neat idea into a farce. First, they put in an actor the creator doesn't want, and his inadequacy ruins much of the chemistry. Then they change the premise, and finally the title.

The movie ends abruptly as the main character watches a clip for a show that looks nothing like his original idea.

It works on some levels, but on others, it kind of falls flat.

Sigourny Weaver is brilliant. Duchovny just doesn't work well in this role. You are supposed to get the idea of a man who makes Faustian bargains to get his vision on the air, and then has his vision destroyed. Duchovny's character never really expresses his passion for his original concept, so you don't care all that much when Weaver's character steamrollers him.

I find this interesting, because no doubt they cast Duchovny because of his name recognition. The premise is how a TV show can be ruined by bad casting when this movie was ruined by bad casting.