House of Lies
| House of Lies | |
|---|---|
 House of Lies title card |
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| Format | Comedy |
| Created by | Matthew Carnahan |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Crescendo Productions Totally Commercial Films Refugee Productions Matthew Carnahan Circus Products Showtime Networks |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Showtime |
| Original run | January 8, 2012 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
House of Lies (stylized as HOU$E OF LIE$) is an American dramatic/comedy television series created by Matthew Carnahan.[1] The show, which premiered on Showtime on January 8, 2012, is based on the book, House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time, written by Martin Kihn, a former consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. It follows a group of management consultants who stop at nothing to get business deals done, even if it calls for extremes.
On February 1, 2012, it was renewed for a second season.[2] The second season premiered January 13, 2013 at 10 pm.[3] The second season finale premiered April 7th, 2013. On January 29th, 2013, it was renewed for a third season.[4]
Contents |
Cast [edit]
Main cast [edit]
- Don Cheadle as Martin "Marty" Kaan, Leader of the Pod
- Kristen Bell as Jeannie van der Hooven, Marty's Right Hand Woman
- Ben Schwartz as Clyde Oberholt, The Marketing of the Pod
- Josh Lawson as Doug Guggenheim, The Numbers Guy of the Pod
- Dawn Olivieri as Monica Talbot, Marty's Ex-Wife, Mother of Roscoe
- Glynn Turman as Jeremiah Kaan, Marty's Father, Roscoe's Grandfather
- Donis Leonard Jr. as Roscoe Kaan, Marty and Monica's Son, who is exploring his identity
Recurring cast [edit]
Season 1 [edit]
- John Aylward as K. Warren McDale, CEO/President of Metro-Capital
- Anna Camp as Rachel Norbert, Ex-Wife of Greg
- Griffin Dunne as Marco "The Rainmaker" Pelios, President/CEO/Senior Partner at Galweather-Stern
- Megalyn Echikunwoke as April, Marty's Girlfriend
- Mo Gaffney as Principal Gita
- Greg Germann as Greg Norbert, Ex-CFO of Metro-Capital
- Richard Schiff as Harrison "Skip" Galweather, Senior Partner/Co-Founder of Galweather-Stern
Season 2 [edit]
- Bess Armstrong as Julianne Hotschragar, Interim CEO of Galweather-Stern Management Consultants
- Adam Brody as Nate, CEO/President of Adult Sex Toy Company
- Kevin Dobson as Mr. Pinkus, Casino Owner of Emerald in Las Vegas
- Lisa Edelstein as Brynn, Assistant/Political Advisor for Carl Criswell
- Mo Gaffney as Principal Gita
- Taylor Gerard Hart as Alex Dushkin, Co-Owner of Las Vegas Nightclub War
- Evan Hart as Kyle Dushkin, Co-Owner of Las Vegas Nightclub War
- Ronete Levenson as Tessa, Monica's Vegan Chef, Ex-Girlfriend
- Nia Long as Tamara, Galweather-Stern's Newest Employee/Classmate of Marty's from B School
- Eden Malyn as Zanna, The Pod's Personal Assistant
- Michael McDonald as Carl Criswell, CEO/President of US Bank
- Elimu Nelson as Kevin, Tamara's Husband
- Jenny Slate as Sarah, Doug's Wife
- Larenz Tate as Malcolm Kaan, Marty's Brother
- Mather Zickel as Michael Carlson, Casino owner of the Vibrato Casino in Las Vegas
Episodes [edit]
Setting [edit]
The show focuses on a team of management consultants from Galweather & Stearn, the #2 ranked management consultancy in the U.S., who are based in Los Angeles but take on projects across the world. Their key competitor is Kinsley, the #1 ranked management consultancy. The team comprises Marty Kaan, the Senior Partner; Jeannie van der Hooven, the Engagement Manager; and Doug Guggenheim and Clyde Oberholdt, the Associates.[5]
Critical reception [edit]
Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker, reviewing the pilot episode, thought the show's premise "sounds terrific in concept", that "Cheadle and Bell are each in their own way exceedingly charming performers with a devilish aspect to their images", and that it has debuted at a good time: "at this time in history, who doesn't want to see undeservingly wealthy people get fleeced, or at least brought low by their avarice?" But ultimately Tucker found House of Lies wanting, writing that it is actually not "all that interesting", and that its "crucial weakness is its dead language". For Tucker, "there's no novelty or freshness in House of Lies' patter or its penis-placement" (the latter comment being a reference to House of Lies' "butt-load of the sort of sexual activity one can get away with on pay-cable").[6]
In stark contrast, Matt Rouch, writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, thought that "as a pitiless, biting satire of the debauched state of American big business, it's no lie to call this one of the smartest, funniest shows of the new year", praising its being "[d]eeply cynical, garish in its rauchiness and always rudely, lewdly hilarious". It "swims in a shark tank of such appalling survival-of-the-nastiest bad behavior it could launch its own channel: Human Animal Planet". Where Tucker finds House of Lies' lines and dialogue poor, Rouch praises Don Cheadle's character's lines: Cheadle's character "often steps out of a freeze-frame to deliver scathing stylized asides to the audience, talking straight to the camera to teach us his lingo and soulless trade secrets".[7] (By contrast, Tucker found these freeze-frame asides a "visual gimmick" and complained of derivative lines: "Creator Matthew Carnahan [...] loads his new show with lines that sound borrowed from Glengarry Glen Ross ("Closing is what I do!")."[6]
Development and production [edit]
The series is executively produced by Matthew Carnahan, Jessika Borsiczky, and Stephen Hopkins, with the pilot written by Carnahan and directed by Hopkins. On December 13, 2010, House of Lies was given a pilot order.[8] On April 7, 2011, the series was given a 12 episode pick-up by Showtime.[9] The series is based on Martin Kihn's book, House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time.[10] David Nevins, president of entertainment at Showtime, announced during the 2011 Television Critics Association press tour that the show was set to premiere on January 8, 2012.[11]
Casting [edit]
Casting announcements began in December 2010, with Don Cheadle as the first actor to be cast, as Marty Kaan, "a highly successful, cut-throat consultant who is never above using any means (or anyone) necessary to get his clients the information they want". The next actor to be cast was Dawn Olivieri who plays Monica, "Marty's crazy, pill-popping ex-wife and biggest professional competition as her consulting firm is No. 1 compared to Marty's No. 2."[12] Ben Schwartz and Josh Lawson were cast next, Schwartz playing Clyde Oberholt, a member of Marty's team and his closest friend, and Lawson as Doug Guggenheim, Marty's Harvard-educated associate.[13] Last cast were Kristen Bell, who plays Jeannie van der Hooven, "a razor-sharp, Ivy-League graduate who works at Marty’s firm", Donis Leonard Jr. as Roscoe Kaan, Marty's son, and Glynn Turman as Jeremiah Kaan, Marty's psychoanalyst father.[14] Later, Richard Schiff was cast as Marty's boss.[15]
Awards [edit]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Primetime Emmy Award | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Don Cheadle | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actor TV Series - Comedy or Musical | Don Cheadle[16] | Won | |
| 2013 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Don Cheadle | Won |
References [edit]
- ^ Ng, Philiana (April 7, 2011). "Showtime Greenlights 'Homeland,' 'House of Lies'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (February 1, 2012). "Showtime Renews 'Shameless,' 'House Of Lies,' & 'Californication'". TVByTheNubmers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ^ "Californication Season 6, Shameless Season 3 And House Of Lies Season 2 Premiere Dates Set". Cinemablend.com. 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^ Seat42f. "House Of Lies Renewed". Retrieved 29 January 2013.
- ^ "Galweather & Stearn - People & Values". Galweatherstearn.com. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^ a b Tucker, Ken (January 8, 2012). "'House of Lies' premiere review: Too often, a house of pain". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ^ http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/tvguide/article/Weekend-Reviews-Downton-Abbey-House-of-Lies-2445640.php#page-1. Missing or empty
|title=(help)[dead link] - ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 13, 2010). "It's Official: Showtime Picks Up Comedy Pilot 'House of Lies' Starring Don Cheadle". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "Showtime(R) Moves Into House and Home: Network Orders 12 Half-Hours of "House of Lies", 12 One-Hour Episodes of Drama "Homeland"". The Futon Critic. April 7, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 15, 2011). "5 Things to Know About 'House of Lies'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Sellers, John (August 4, 2011). "TCA: Steve Carell Set to Produce Showtime Interview Series". Reuters. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 20, 2011). "Showtime's Comedy Pilot Starring Don Cheadle Finds A Lead". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 24, 2011). "TV CASTINGS: Ben Schwartz, Sherri Shepherd, Jeffrey Nordling Join Pilots". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 31, 2011). "Kristen Bell To Co-Star In Showtime's 'House of Lies' Comedy Pilot". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Ben Block, Alex (September 15, 2011). "Showtime's 'House of Lies' Adds Richard Schiff". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ^ "All the winners from the 2013 Golden Globes". news.com.au. January 14, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
External links [edit]
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