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Episodes (TV series)

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Episodes
File:Episodes logo.jpg
Created byDavid Crane
Jeffrey Klarik
Directed byJames Griffiths
StarringMatt LeBlanc
Stephen Mangan
Tamsin Greig
John Pankow
Kathleen Rose Perkins
Mircea Monroe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States
No. of series2
No. of episodes9 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersDavid Crane
Jeffrey Klarik
Jimmy Mulville
Production locationsHollywood
Windlesham
Camera setupSingle camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesHat Trick Productions
Crane/Klarik Productions
Original release
NetworkShowtime (US)
BBC Two/BBC HD (UK)
ReleaseJanuary 9, 2011 (2011-01-09) –
present[1]

Episodes is a British television sitcom created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik and produced by Hat Trick Productions.[2] It premiered on Showtime on January 9, 2011 at 9:30 pm[3] and began airing on BBC Two on 10 January 2011 at 10 pm.[2] The show is about a British husband-and-wife comedy writing team who travel to Hollywood to remake their successful British TV series, with disastrous results. The series has been renewed by Showtime and the BBC for a second season of nine episodes.[4][5] The first episode of the second season will air May 11, 2012 on BBC Two and July 1, 2012 on Showtime.[6][7] The show has been sold to 186 broadcasters across the world.[8]

Premise

Main article: List of Episodes episodes

After happily married couple Sean and Beverly Lincoln win yet another BAFTA Award for their successful British sitcom, Lyman’s Boys, they are persuaded to move to Hollywood and remake their series for an American audience. They are forced to cast Matt LeBlanc, who not only damages their reputation and show, but also their marriage.[2]

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Development and production

In May 2010, the BBC announced that seven episodes had been ordered and that filming had begun, with James Griffiths directing.[9] Sean and Beverly Lincoln are played by Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig, who previously co-starred in the British sitcom Green Wing (2004–2007). Beverly was originally to be portrayed by Claire Forlani, but she left the cast in April 2010 when the series was in pre-production.[10] LeBlanc was to play a "larger than life version of himself" as character Matt LeBlanc.[9] Thomas Haden Church was also to have a role in the series as Merc Lapidus, the American television executive who commissions the remake, but he left due to scheduling conflicts,[10] and was replaced by John Pankow.

Although the majority of the show was set in Los Angeles, it was mainly filmed in the UK, including the £70 million mansion Updown Court as the house of Beverley and Sean Lincoln, with inserts shot on location in L.A.[11]

Reception

The response of the American critics was mixed. Robert Bianco of USA Today called the show "easily the best new sitcom of the season",[12] while The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert said that "Each of the season’s seven half-hours is a little sliver of pleasure."[13] A Boston Herald review by Mark A. Perigard was lukewarm; he said he feared that the show would never achieve a broad audience,[14] while David Wiegand from the San Francisco Chronicle praised the performances of the actors but felt that the series simply wasn't funny.[15] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix went further declaring the show to be one of the worst TV moments of 2011.[16] The UK critics response to the airing of the first episode was broadly lukewarm while remaining optimistic.[17][18] More screentime for Matt LeBlanc was eagerly anticipated by some,[19] with The Independent's Brian Viner believing that this might improve the series.[20]

In the UK, episode one of the series premiered with an audience of 1.86 million, an audience share of 8.5%.[21] Episode two received 1.53 million viewers (7.4%), and by episode four viewing numbers were down to 1.09 million (5.3%). Episode five saw a slight rise in viewers to 1.33 million (6.6%), but numbers once again fell for episode six to 1.12 million (5.5%), and the season ended with the lowest number of viewers, 1.06 million (5.1%), tuning in for the final episode.[22]

Matt LeBlanc was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the first time since 2004 (Friends) for his role on the series. The show has been renewed for a second season of nine episodes.[23]

Matt LeBlanc won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in Episodes. The show was also nominated for Best Comedy Series.[24]

Home video releases

The first series of Episodes has been released by 2 entertain on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom.

Series Release dates
Region 1/A Region 2/B
Series 1 June 12, 2012[25] February 28, 2011[26]

References

  1. ^ http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=838:bbc-two-orders-more-episodes&catid=1:tv-media&Itemid=3
  2. ^ a b c "Press Packs: Episodes". BBC. December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  3. ^ "Biggest Sunday Ever on Showtime! Shameless, Episodes & Californication to Premiere January 9th", Showtime press release, September 22, 2010, via FutonCritic.com. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  4. ^ "BBC Two orders more Episodes". www.atvtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  5. ^ Second series of 9 episodes
  6. ^ http://www.facebook.com/EpisodesOnShowtime/posts/354926924546370
  7. ^ "Guess which show is coming back on 11 May!". BBC Comedy. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  8. ^ "'Episodes' sold to 186 countries". Digital Spy. February 16, 2011. Retrieved March 02, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ a b "Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig star in David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik's Episodes" (Press release). BBC. May 13, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Wightman, Catriona (April 29, 2010). "Church, Forlani quit Matt LeBlanc show". Digitalspy.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  11. ^ "LeBlanc's 'brave' move on to British TV", BBC News, 10 January 2011
  12. ^ Robert Bianco (January 6, 2011). "Experience great 'Episodes' of laughter, thanks to LeBlanc". USA Today. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  13. ^ Matthew Gilbert (January 7, 2011). "A clever satire about the travails of adaptation". Boston Globe. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  14. ^ Mark A. Perigard (January 6, 2011). "Big names, little roles". Boston Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  15. ^ David Wiegand (January 6, 2011). "'Episodes' review: High on ego, low on laughs". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  16. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (Dec 26, 2011). "Lumps of coal: The worst TV I watched in 2011". HitFix.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  17. ^ Sam Wollaston (January 10, 2011). "TV review: Episodes". The Guardian. Retrieved January 14, 2011. {{cite news}}: Text "Glee" ignored (help)
  18. ^ Jane Simon (January 10, 2011). "Episodes - BBC2, 10pm". The Mirror. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  19. ^ Keith Watson (January 10, 2011). "Episodes is a sharp and slick take on Britain's inferiority complex". Metro. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  20. ^ Brian Viner (January 11, 2011). "Last Night's TV - Episodes, BBC2; Shameless, Channel 4; Baking Made Easy, BBC2". The Independent. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  21. ^ "Episode 1.1". www.comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  22. ^ "Episode 1.7". www.comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  23. ^ Philiana Ng (28 February 2011). "Showtime Renews 'Shameless,' 'Episodes'". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  24. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (December 15, 2011); Matt LeBlanc won the Golden Globe "Golden Globe nominations: ‘New Girl,’ ‘Homeland,’ ‘Game of Thrones’ pick up nods". The Washington Post
  25. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Episodes-Season-1-Box-Art-Extras/16684
  26. ^ "Episodes [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2011.

External links

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