The TV Set

An anemic comedy that aims a peashooter at a very large target, Jake Kasdan's The TV Set is a weak satire of television programming that provides little more than the occasional mild chuckle. The plot follows the gradual emasculation of serious writer-producer Mike's (David Duchovny) pilot for a highbrow series, due to the shameless machinations of network president Lenny (Sigourney Weaver)—a champion of such pop favorites as Slut Wars—who believes that the proposed dramedy is too smart and depressing to find an audience. Lenny is instrumental in recasting, adding broad sitcom touches (as well as some jiggles), and even revising (with the help of focus groups, of course) the title to He's So Crazy! The crux of the picture centers on Mike's artistic dilemma: with the financial responsibilities of a family, does he go along with the changes or stick to his guns and watch his show die in development hell? Mike is backed by the network's new head of programming Richard (Ioan Gruffudd), a transplanted Brit with a reputation for quality who's uncomfortably caught between his boss and his instincts. Unfortunately, the backstabbing sleaziness of the entertainment industry depicted here isn't exactly virgin territory; in fact, Network made the same points much better 30 years ago. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include two audio commentaries (the first by writer-director Jake Kasdan, costars David Duchovny and Lindsay Sloane, and producer Aaron Ryder; the second by Kasdan and executive producer Judd Apatow), a 14-minute “making-of” featurette, a deleted scene (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing satire.] (F. Swietek)