This very entertaining movie was released on April 6, 2007 by Think Film and is available in movie theatres that focus on non-blockbuster movies (or indie movies). In Philadelphia, it's showing at the group of theaters under the name RITZ (Ritz 5). The TV Set was directed and written by Jake Kasdan and offers an inside look at the way network studios develop and produce their shows. This light comedy stars David Duchovny as Mike Klein, a script writer, who in the beginning successfully sells a major network on his idea for a hit TV show. Klein really cares about seeing his vision of the show brought to life. His story is fresh, catchy and he has a lot of hopes for its success. He even takes great care to find the right actors for the roles of the main male and female characters in his story. Unfortunately, as it usually is the case, bringing his vision to the TV screen isn't as easy (and creatively rewarding) as he first imagined it would be. The demanding president of the network (skillfully played by Sigourney Weaver) doesn't agree with Klein's choice of actors, and, on a second look, she doesn't find the story all that "sellable". She forces Klein to make many changes in all the areas where she sees possible improvements, and Klein must watch his story slowly die a little piece at a time in the hands of this ruthless network predator, or should we say alien?! He reaches a weak point where he is reconsidering his options and almost decides not to cooperate, thinking that no show is better than the pasquinade a network would turn his story into. But his decision making is suddenly affected by concern for his wife, who is pregnant with their second child, and she doesn't think that her husband can afford to withdrawal from such a lucrative offer. She's a reminder of the financial reality and doesn't want to miss this opportunity even if it means emotional damage to her husband's ego. So Klein, now willing to fulfill her wishes and protect his family's security, starts making changes, a lot of changes dictated by the network, from changing even the name of the show to rewriting the plot completely.
The TV Set is a quirky and intelligently funny movie that can become nerve-wracking at times. It offers great insight into the behind-the-scenes battles of the TV business and the formation of our favorite shows. If anyone ever wondered how these shows are created and how did they get to see the light of day, especially given the large number that are rejected, this is a cool movie to see. Its depiction of the inside battles among writers, actors, producers, directors and anyone else involved in production process is fascinating. It also pinpoints the danger of economic influences on the quality of what we will watch on TV as the networks seek ratings and often the creative vision is lost in the process. A great example, in the movie, is when the network's executives are celebrating the success of a cheesy reality show called "Slut Wars". In addition, the fact that the president (Weaver) is testing TV pilots on her 14-year-old daughter and is actually influenced by her opinions is just a bit too much, and it left me wondering how far from the truth this really is. Although the movie doesn't really favor either of the characters, and it rather shows that a lot of stuff is affected by unexpected turns, such as bad mood, family or health problems and bad acting performances, it is only natural that a viewer will feel a certain sympathetic inclination for the writer, Mike Klein (Duchovny). His ambition to navigate this tricky part of the corporate field of the network and attempt to figure out what aspects of his show he is willing to compromise are always disrupted by unexpected forces, and the viewer can't help but to feel sorry for him. On the other hand, the president of the network is the epitome of a capitalist devil in the TV world. Weaver gave a supreme performance in this role, and it is one of the reasons why this is a must-see movie for this month.
The TV Set is a quirky and intelligently funny movie that can become nerve-wracking at times. It offers great insight into the behind-the-scenes battles of the TV business and the formation of our favorite shows. If anyone ever wondered how these shows are created and how did they get to see the light of day, especially given the large number that are rejected, this is a cool movie to see. Its depiction of the inside battles among writers, actors, producers, directors and anyone else involved in production process is fascinating. It also pinpoints the danger of economic influences on the quality of what we will watch on TV as the networks seek ratings and often the creative vision is lost in the process. A great example, in the movie, is when the network's executives are celebrating the success of a cheesy reality show called "Slut Wars". In addition, the fact that the president (Weaver) is testing TV pilots on her 14-year-old daughter and is actually influenced by her opinions is just a bit too much, and it left me wondering how far from the truth this really is. Although the movie doesn't really favor either of the characters, and it rather shows that a lot of stuff is affected by unexpected turns, such as bad mood, family or health problems and bad acting performances, it is only natural that a viewer will feel a certain sympathetic inclination for the writer, Mike Klein (Duchovny). His ambition to navigate this tricky part of the corporate field of the network and attempt to figure out what aspects of his show he is willing to compromise are always disrupted by unexpected forces, and the viewer can't help but to feel sorry for him. On the other hand, the president of the network is the epitome of a capitalist devil in the TV world. Weaver gave a supreme performance in this role, and it is one of the reasons why this is a must-see movie for this month.
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