I’ve been watching Entourage, the new HBO series, and it’s pretty good. We have the star actor Vince and his group of hangers on, supposedly modelled on the likes of Executive Producer Mark Wahlberg’s own gang, as well as those of people like Leondardo DiCaprio. He has his brother, a not quite as successful actor, his “manager” who’s a friend from school who’s last job was overnight manager of a pizzeria, and their mate turtle. Together the gang live in a massive LA house, and attend a series of showbiz parties, while Vince’s agent, Ari, tries to do a deal for Vince’s next movie.
They spend cash like it’s going out of fashion, to the despair of Vince’s agent, and run into virginal proto-Britneys. And all the time, they’re out for a good time. Now I could have absolutely hated this series, but it’s handled well and the script is very funny.
Has a UK station signed this up yet? I’ve not heard about it, unless we hark back to that rumour that HBO were hoping that Sky One would sign an exclusive content deal (which of course wouldn’t give them complete access to HBO content since the production companies involved often get a piece of the action). Still, Sky One is still due for an unlikely upmarket rebrand. Where “Kirsty’s Home Videos” and its like fit in with this I don’t know. Incidentally, I see Kirsty Gallagher is one of the presenters on one of the Saturday evening programmes that’s even worse that Johnny and Denise on BBC1. Yes it’s Simply The Best! Charlie Brooker had it right in his Screen Burn in Saturday’s Guide (not available online sadly) when he castigated this sub-It’s a Knockout (it stretches for an hour and a half for God’s sake!), following on from the equally dire Celebrities Under Pressure. At least the evenings are quite warm at the moment, and we can get out of the house to avoid this crap.