Unscripted

Executive produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, the now-cancelled Unscripted is another through-the-looking-glass series that endeavors to do for acting what the duo's similarly ill-fated K Street did for politics. We follow the one-step-forward-two-steps-back careers of struggling actors Krista Allen, Bryan Greenberg, and Jennifer Hall as they suffer the slings and arrows of humiliating auditions, professional setbacks, betrayals and treacheries, and their mercurial acting teacher, Goddard Fulton. The 10-episode series, shot documentary-style—partly scripted, partly improvised—walks a fine line between reality and fiction, with personages ranging from George Lopez to Meryl Streep appearing as themselves, but Fulton is portrayed by Frank Langella (who, in one meta moment, watches "himself" in Mel Brooks' The Twelve Chairs). Of the three actors, Greenberg is the least interesting, but with roles in the hit series One Tree Hill and the feature film Prime has the most promising career trajectory. Allen's career struggles are the most compelling as she tries to rise above a resume that includes Emmanuel films, hoping to be appreciated for her acting ability rather than her considerable sex appeal. Budding thespians may find themselves alternately inspired and disillusioned by this series that deglamorizes Hollywood, while those in the "flyover" states may feel that the problems of these three little people don't amount to a hill of beans. Optional. (D. Liebenson)