The TV Set
The TV Set is a 2006 comedy-drama film directed by Jake Kasdan and starring David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd, and Judy Greer. The screenplay concerns an idealistic writer attempting to bring his vision for a TV show to fruition on the small screen.
| The TV Set | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jake Kasdan |
| Produced by | Jake Kasdan Aaron Ryder Judd Apatow |
| Written by | Jake Kasdan |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Michael Andrews |
| Cinematography | Uta Briesewitz |
| Edited by | Tara Timpone |
| Distributed by | THINKFilm |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $265,198 |
Synopsis
Idealistic scriptwriter Mike Klein (Duchovny) tries to navigate his TV pilot through the mine-laden path of casting, production, and the madness of prime-time scheduling—all while trying to stay true to his vision. Along the way he has to juggle the agendas of headstrong network president Lenny (Weaver), volatile young stars, his pregnant wife Natalie (Bateman), and an ever-optimistic personal manager Alice (Greer), while suffering very serious back pain.
Cast
- David Duchovny as Mike Klein
- Sigourney Weaver as Lenny
- Ioan Gruffudd as Richard McCallister
- Judy Greer as Alice
- Fran Kranz as Zack Harper
- Lindsay Sloane as Laurel Simon
- Justine Bateman as Natalie Klein
- Lucy Davis as Chloe McCallister
- Philip Rosenthal as Cooper
- Matt Price as Berg
- Willie Garson as Brian
- M. C. Gainey as Hutch
- Simon Helberg as TJ Goldman
- Kaitlin Doubleday as Jesse Filmore
- Philip Baker Hall as Vernon Maxwell
- Allison Scagliotti as Bethany
- Jonathan Silverman as himself (cameo)
- Seth Green as himself, Slut Wars Host (uncredited)
Production and vision
The film's writer/director Jake Kasdan had originally intended Ben Stiller for the role of Lenny, however Kasdan cast Weaver for the role, which changed his idea of what the character should be.[1] Kasdan does not regard the film as satire, as he sees nothing exaggerated in its depiction of bringing a pilot to production.[1]
Releases
The film was first screened on the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, 2006. Following almost a year of festival screenings, it was released in cinemas on April 6, 2007. A DVD edition was released through 20th Century Fox on September 25, 2007. It features commentary tracks, a "making of" featurette and a deleted scene.[2]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 65% based on reviews from 77 critics, with an average score of 6.28/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Offering both broad and insider jokes, The TV Set is a sharp satire that will please both the average moviegoers and pop culture aficionados."[3]
See also
- The Big Picture, a film following a similar theme
- Episodes, a TV series following a similar theme
- State and Main, an award-winning comedy film about an obstacle-fraught film production
References
- Nick Dawson. "The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, The TV Set". Filmmaker Magazine.
- "The TV Set release dates". IMDb.
- "The TV Set (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2020.