Director: Jake Kasdan
Starring: David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Justine Bateman
Studio/Running Time: THINKFilm, 87 min.
In The TV Set, David Duchovny plays Mike Klein, a man who sells a script based on his brother’s recent suicide to a television network run by Lenny (Sigourney Weaver), a brash neurotic who’s intent on ?uf?ng Mike’s show into a harmless counterpoint for the Reality TV that’s anchoring her fall schedule. Casting, shooting and editing The Wexford Chronicles requires extreme compromise, and Mike is forced to swim the poop chute between art and commerce. Yuck.
Unfortunately (and ironically), The TV Set also appears to have had most of its guts ripped out during production. Despite early belly laughs and some promising performances (Judy Greer as Mike’s clueless manager and Justine Bateman as his supportive wife), most of the characters are lethargically predictable. Bum editing doesn’t help Kasdan’s crippled plot, which slows to a crawl about 15 minutes in. With just a little less effort, The TV Set might’ve been perfect for the 8:30 Tuesday slot on The WB.