Episodes Season Three (DVD) Review
British writers face the US studio system – that’s a real grudge match comedy.
Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly Lincoln (Tamsin Greig) are two British television writers. Coming hot from multiple BAFTA award wins for their show Lyman’s Boys they are approached by an American television executive looking to create an American version of their show for his network.
Tempted by the potential fortune from syndicated rights they agree to head stateside and before you know it these two British writers are preparing their show for an American audience. There’s only one catch – it’s too ‘British’. So the network has some notes, for example changing the lead of the show from a Patrick Stewart style British classically trained actor to someone a little more….Matt LeBlanc (as an extreme version of himself). Then as the idea of a boarding school headmaster wouldn’t really fit Matt LeBlanc why not make him a hockey coach? Then you can’t really keep the name Lyman’s Boys can you? So why not call it Pucks!
That’s network ‘retooling’ for you. Take an approached hit and give it some ‘notes’. Forced to cast LeBlanc and an actress who has has more plastic surgery than a barbie doll these two must deal with the networks ‘suggestions’ and try to make the best of a bad situation. Even their former assistant is having a thriving movie career so there’s no turning back now.
In the third season Sean and Beverly are at the end of their rope. The shows ratings are tanking and there’s a new network executive looking to change the face of broadcasting…just not too much. Working with the strongly looming chance of being cancelled everyone is looking for their next role and abandoning ship early. Being moved to Saturday night is like being unofficially cancelled and when that word comes down even Matt is jumping ship, or at least trying to. Only Pucks isn’t dead yet, even when Sean and Beverly try to kill it themselves and escape back to England.
Extras include in the first season’s release a making-of featurette and none on the second season. In the third season release there’s a blooper reel which is a nice though if a little light compared to most extras which makes the first seasons making-of bonus even more of a priority to own.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Watching Episodes is quite reminiscent of watching Entourage. There’s the office comedy about going on during shooting but there’s also half the running time focused on the strange goings on around Sean and Beverly’s lives as they try to reconcile and face Matt’s idiotic Hollywood temper tantrums and antics.
It’s playing on the cultural gap where what appears normal in the US is bizarre behavior to the British. There’s fun to be had here and it works well for the premise of two foreigners looking to cash in on the American dream. Watching from the first season is essential as it’s hard to catch up to speed otherwise. Be sure to check out the first two seasons combo boxed release out now too!
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