The TV Set Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The TV Set Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 27, 2020

There was once a time when Jake Kasdan was a very promising director. 1998’s “Zero Effect” was a marvelous debut, defining Kasdan’s love for strange characters and sly comedy, doing a terrific job reworking the detective movie. Kasdan would go on to oversee painful stuff like “Bad Teacher” and “Sex Tape,” and he hit the box office jackpot with “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Jumanji: The Next Level,” but, in the mid-2000s, a Jake Kasdan offering was a welcome proposition, including 2006’s “The T.V. Set.” Channeling all his frustrations and experience in the television industry, Kasdan crafts a simple but effective overview of the hellacious creative process required to make a pilot, pulling back on outright farce to linger on the misery of frustration as a single idea for a show is sent through a system designed to ruin everything interesting about it. The lived-in quality of “The T.V. Set” is remarkable, allowing Kasdan to deliver a therapeutic endeavor with some decent laughs and an engrossing understanding of industry ego and stupidity. It’s a clear vision for satire, only there appears to be extraordinarily little exaggeration in play, making the picture wonderfully direct in its honesty.

Mike (David Duchovny) is a television writer attempting to launch his new series, “The Wexler Chronicles,” a seriocomic exploration of one man’s journey from grief to family. He’s written a respected script, impressing network executive Lenny (Sigourney Weaver) and new suit Richard (Ioan Gruffudd), giving him a shot at making a pilot. Struggling with back pain and facing a growing family with his pregnant wife, Natalie (Justine Bateman), Mike is hopeful that his vision will make through the development process, resulting in a show he can spend many profitable years guiding. Instead of smooth sailing, Mike is soon subjected to numerous problems, starting with the casting of Zach (Fran Kranz), a broad actor Lenny loves but he hates, while the network begins to push back on the darker aspects of the pilot, interfering with notes and subtle power plays. Feeling overwhelmed while trying to retain some creative and personal integrity, Mike struggles to retain his original intent, barely supported by his manager, Alice (Judy Greer), and the television system that celebrates easily sellable mediocrity, including Lenny’s big reality show hit, “Slut Wars.”

There’s no major introduction contained in “The T.V. Set.” We meet Mike as he’s settling on leading actors for “The Wexler Chronicles,” hoping for T.J. (Simon Helberg) to grab the central part, while viewing Zack as a buffoon, brought in to please Lenny for a final read in front of the executives. When Zack is hired for the show, Mike’s nightmare begins, put on a path of powerlessness while trying to at least get the pilot made, permitting him a chance at prime time glory. Kasdan’s screenplay deals with characterization and domestic stakes with Natalie, but it largely concentrates on the development process for “The Wexler Chronicles,” following Mike as he experiences a slow dismantling of his dream.

Laughs are present in “The T.V. Set,” but the picture mostly traffics in uncomfortable situations, watching Mike navigate the business of Hollywood without upsetting anyone directly, protecting his show. The story moves over to the pilot shoot, with Mike watching as a terrible director (Willie Garson) and an irritable crew take control of the material, while Zack doesn’t understand how to act, giving a funeral scene a comedic spin. Of course, such a choice delights Lenny, leading to a series of compromises for Mike, who finds “The Wexler Chronicles” changed from a character study to a sitcom as little decisions change the tone of the pilot. Kasdan highlights behind-the-scenes shenanigans as well, with Zack trying to put the moves on his co-star, Laurel (Lindsay Sloane), who begins to realize what a moron he is. More serious is a subplot involving Richard’s introduction to the American way of television after years succeeding at the BBC. If there’s anything that doesn’t quite connect in “The T.V. Set,” it’s this, with Kasdan getting severe as Richard faces the loss of his family, who hate L.A., forcing him to sell-out to rise at the network. It’s a bit of unnecessary melodrama in the middle of a tight dark comedy.

The TV Set Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The T.V. Set" offers a viewing experience involving certain cinematographic limitations, with the feature shot digitally, participating in the HD movement of the mid-2000s. Detail is acceptable with some softness, presenting appreciable decorative additions inside executive rooms and domestic settings. Facial surfaces are satisfactory, with a clear view of nuanced reactions to bad news and skin particulars, including bushy facial hair. Studio settings are dimensional. Colors are adequate, with a slight reddish push throughout. Skintones lose some natural appeal at times. Costuming brings out a wide range of primaries, as does network signage and art. Greenery is lively. Delineation is acceptable.

The TV Set Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't aiming to overwhelm, focusing attention on dialogue exchanges, which retain crispness throughout, handling broad acting and muted jabs. Scoring is equally clear, with sharp instrumentation and position, expanding to the surrounds. Atmospherics are simple but effective, offering a sense of outdoor activities and room tone. Low-end isn't challenged.

The TV Set Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Jake Kasdan and executive producer Judd Apatow.

• Commentary #2 features Kasdan, producer Aaron Ryder, and actors David Duchovny and Lindsay Sloane.

• Making Of (14:10, SD) is a glossy overview of the "The T.V. Set," featuring interviews (conducted on-set) with writer/director Jake Kasdan, producer Aaron Ryder, and actors David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Fran Kranz, Phil Rosenthal, Judy Greer, and Lindsay Sloane. Kasdan shares his own experience in the world of television pilots, pouring his memories into the screenplay, giving it an unusual level of realism. Casting achievements are shared and characterization is explored. Questions of integrity in the "The T.V. Set" are pondered, and tributes are paid to Kasdan's helming abilities. Easing the used car salesman vibe for the featurette is BTS footage, which is periodically displayed.

• Deleted Scenes (3:21, SD) offer more from the closing upfront sequence, watching Zach deal with actress rejection and Mike attempt to sell the downbeat nature of his show to an entertainment reporter.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:25, HD) is included.

The TV Set Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The T.V. Set" follows "The Wexler Chronicles" through its problematic editing phase and testing, with Kasdan giving viewers a look at how shows are made and frequently destroyed. He doesn't overplay the agony, with Duchovny perfectly cast as an ailing man going through a torturous professional experience that requires him to internalize everything. Weaver is equally enjoyable as a professional phony, with Lenny a force of nature who sells the promise of creative freedom, only to insert her ideas whenever possible. "The T.V. Set" doesn't do anything more than observe the perversion of "The Wexler Chronicles," with Kasdan wisely streamlining the story to best explore the ordeal, absorbing Mike's loss of control as he tries to offer a heartfelt show in the age of "Slut Wars." The picture supplies an excellent overview of the production process, and Kasdan wisely stands out of the way, losing sustained jokiness to play up the real absurdity of the network television experience, resulting in one of his best efforts.