Scientology is often a sore subject in Hollywood. While it has its famous poster boy in Tom Cruise, some people are violently opposed to the church because of its allegedly shady dealings.
Several celebrities have stood with the church through it all. Others have left and spoken about their times in it. However, one popular early 2000s TV series had somewhat of a Scientology convention with multiple Scientologists starring in it.
‘My Name is Earl’ was about redemption
My Name is Earl follows a small-time thief who makes a long list of all the wrongs he has done. He seeks out anyone he has ever hurt to make amends. Earl gets the idea of turning his life around after getting hit by a car while celebrating his lottery ticket win.
He loses the ticket after the accident, but once he makes good on his promise to be a better person,...
Several celebrities have stood with the church through it all. Others have left and spoken about their times in it. However, one popular early 2000s TV series had somewhat of a Scientology convention with multiple Scientologists starring in it.
‘My Name is Earl’ was about redemption
My Name is Earl follows a small-time thief who makes a long list of all the wrongs he has done. He seeks out anyone he has ever hurt to make amends. Earl gets the idea of turning his life around after getting hit by a car while celebrating his lottery ticket win.
He loses the ticket after the accident, but once he makes good on his promise to be a better person,...
- 2/26/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The NAACP Image Award-nominated film “Memory Builds the Monument” was acquired by Paramount for continuous airings on BET throughout Black History Month. The documentary short, which spotlights the vibrant community of Black artists in the Historic 5th Ward of Houston, Texas, will also be available for streaming on BET+ starting Feb. 1.
The 11-minute film centers around the Houston-based concert venue Club Matinee, which was founded in 1936 amid rampant segregation and racially-driven violence. The musical hotbed became known for hosting legends like Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, Little Richard and B.B. King in the early stages of their careers. Simultaneously, director Isaac Yowman uses the short as a vehicle to explore the sociopolitical hardships faced by African Americans living in the South during the civil rights movement.
Yowman, who also doubles as a Grammy-nominated music producer, partnered with nonprofits like Fifth Ward Crc and...
The 11-minute film centers around the Houston-based concert venue Club Matinee, which was founded in 1936 amid rampant segregation and racially-driven violence. The musical hotbed became known for hosting legends like Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, Little Richard and B.B. King in the early stages of their careers. Simultaneously, director Isaac Yowman uses the short as a vehicle to explore the sociopolitical hardships faced by African Americans living in the South during the civil rights movement.
Yowman, who also doubles as a Grammy-nominated music producer, partnered with nonprofits like Fifth Ward Crc and...
- 1/31/2023
- by Julia MacCary, Katie Reul and Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
The Television Academy named four new members to its board of directors on Monday.
The new members include “Access Hollywood” host Scott Evans, Village Roadshow Entertainment group executive vice president of television Alix Jaffe, Madison Media Management chariman and CEO Paula Williams Madison and Babette Perry, a partner at Innovative Artists’ Broadcast Division, to its board of directors.
Evans, Jaffe, Madison and Perry have been elected to serve three-year terms, effective immediately.
Also Read:
Television Academy Appoints Casey Bloys, Gloria Calderón Kellett to 2023 Executive Committee
Additionally, four officers have been re-elected to the board for two-year terms.
They include Foundation chair, Banijay chairman of the Americas and Endemol Shine Holdings president and CEO Cris Abrego; treasurer and A+E Networks executive vice president of global content sales Deborah Bradley; secretary and Billie Greer Consulting public policy advisor Billie Greer; and vice chair and Bunim/Murray co-founder and executive consultant Jonathan Murray.
The new members include “Access Hollywood” host Scott Evans, Village Roadshow Entertainment group executive vice president of television Alix Jaffe, Madison Media Management chariman and CEO Paula Williams Madison and Babette Perry, a partner at Innovative Artists’ Broadcast Division, to its board of directors.
Evans, Jaffe, Madison and Perry have been elected to serve three-year terms, effective immediately.
Also Read:
Television Academy Appoints Casey Bloys, Gloria Calderón Kellett to 2023 Executive Committee
Additionally, four officers have been re-elected to the board for two-year terms.
They include Foundation chair, Banijay chairman of the Americas and Endemol Shine Holdings president and CEO Cris Abrego; treasurer and A+E Networks executive vice president of global content sales Deborah Bradley; secretary and Billie Greer Consulting public policy advisor Billie Greer; and vice chair and Bunim/Murray co-founder and executive consultant Jonathan Murray.
- 1/30/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Greg Garcia may be an unknown name to many. Still, the name of the series My Name Is Earl may change that for most, as the series was top-rated while airing new episodes. Still, the creator of the series brought his talent beyond the first popular series the writer had with his name promptly attached. Greg Garcia from My Name Is Earl and beyond has showcased his constantly changing comedic prowess and genius in his series in different ways. While Greg Garcia’s most popular series may still be My Name Is Earl, the other series we’ve discussed below show Garcia’s
All of Greg Garcia’s Series, Detailed...
All of Greg Garcia’s Series, Detailed...
- 1/2/2023
- by Connor Dillon
- TVovermind.com
If you've seen Rose McIver or Utkarsh Ambudkar on Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, or various other stops on the press circuit lately, it's because they are now the stars of a big TV show in Ghosts.
Adapted from a British TV show by Joe Port, many viewers might not have had a lot of hope for the show considering the mixed history of British TV spin-offs and the fact that it was dumped onto network TV rather than an edgier network.
However, the show was network television's highest-rated new comedy last year.
It has also continued to build its audience after its first season success: Variety reported that Ghosts was the network's top comedy on both live viewing and the Paramount Plus streaming site, and the show has helped lift the slate of CBS sitcoms above the competition.
But why has this show broken through from such a disadvantaged start?...
Adapted from a British TV show by Joe Port, many viewers might not have had a lot of hope for the show considering the mixed history of British TV spin-offs and the fact that it was dumped onto network TV rather than an edgier network.
However, the show was network television's highest-rated new comedy last year.
It has also continued to build its audience after its first season success: Variety reported that Ghosts was the network's top comedy on both live viewing and the Paramount Plus streaming site, and the show has helped lift the slate of CBS sitcoms above the competition.
But why has this show broken through from such a disadvantaged start?...
- 12/1/2022
- by Orrin Konheim
- TVfanatic
Exclusive: Garret Dillahunt (Sprung) has joined the third and final season of Netflix’s acclaimed dark comedy series Dead to Me, debuting on the platform on November 17, as a recurring guest star.
With its first season in 2019, Dead to Me introduced viewers to the recently widowed Laguna Beach real estate agent Jen (Christina Applegate) as well as Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini), a free spirit with a shocking secret who came to befriend her via a support group. By the end of the show’s first run (*Spoilers ahead*), we learned that it was Judy who killed Jen’s husband Ted in a hit-and-run, with Jen later killing Judy’s ex-fiancé, Steve (James Marsden). It seemed near the end of Season 2 that Jen and Judy’s concerns as to the consequences of their crimes might soon be put to rest, given Detective Perez’s (Diana-Maria Riva) decision to take pity on them.
With its first season in 2019, Dead to Me introduced viewers to the recently widowed Laguna Beach real estate agent Jen (Christina Applegate) as well as Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini), a free spirit with a shocking secret who came to befriend her via a support group. By the end of the show’s first run (*Spoilers ahead*), we learned that it was Judy who killed Jen’s husband Ted in a hit-and-run, with Jen later killing Judy’s ex-fiancé, Steve (James Marsden). It seemed near the end of Season 2 that Jen and Judy’s concerns as to the consequences of their crimes might soon be put to rest, given Detective Perez’s (Diana-Maria Riva) decision to take pity on them.
- 10/20/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
This week’s 20 Questions on Deadline guest is Martha Plimpton.
Currently starring in new Freevee comedy series Sprung, Plimpton plays Barb, mother to a convict released early due to Covid, and the show takes a look at the early days of the pandemic and all the societal idiosyncrasies that showed up during lockdown.
Plimpton has acted since childhood, starring in such iconic films as The Goonies, Parenthood and Running on Empty and shows like ER and The Good Wife, for which she won an Emmy. Last year she won an Independent Spirit Award for her role in Fran Kranz’s film Mass.
Plimpton says of Sprung, “The intention is not to mock anyone, it’s just to find a little bit of humor in the absurdity of everything that we thought we had to do, and that we did do, like hoarding toilet paper and selling it for 20 a roll.
Currently starring in new Freevee comedy series Sprung, Plimpton plays Barb, mother to a convict released early due to Covid, and the show takes a look at the early days of the pandemic and all the societal idiosyncrasies that showed up during lockdown.
Plimpton has acted since childhood, starring in such iconic films as The Goonies, Parenthood and Running on Empty and shows like ER and The Good Wife, for which she won an Emmy. Last year she won an Independent Spirit Award for her role in Fran Kranz’s film Mass.
Plimpton says of Sprung, “The intention is not to mock anyone, it’s just to find a little bit of humor in the absurdity of everything that we thought we had to do, and that we did do, like hoarding toilet paper and selling it for 20 a roll.
- 9/2/2022
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Garret Dillahunt (Sprung) is the newest addition to Prime Video’s film A Million Miles Away, starring Narcos: Mexico‘s Michael Peña, which is in production in Mexico City.
The film directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella is based on the inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, who defied insurmountable odds to become the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. From six years old, he toiled in the fields between Michoacán and Stockton, California — dreaming of traveling the night skies on a rocket ship. Through his family’s support and his unrelenting determination, pushing through 11 rejections from NASA, Jose’s story is a tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish an impossible dream.
A Million Miles Away‘s ensemble also includes Rosa Salazar, Bobby Soto, Julio César Cedillo, Veronica Falcón, Sarayu Blue and Eric Johnson, as well as Jordan Dean, Ashley Ciarra, Michelle Krusiec, Emma Fassler, Michael Adler,...
The film directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella is based on the inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, who defied insurmountable odds to become the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. From six years old, he toiled in the fields between Michoacán and Stockton, California — dreaming of traveling the night skies on a rocket ship. Through his family’s support and his unrelenting determination, pushing through 11 rejections from NASA, Jose’s story is a tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish an impossible dream.
A Million Miles Away‘s ensemble also includes Rosa Salazar, Bobby Soto, Julio César Cedillo, Veronica Falcón, Sarayu Blue and Eric Johnson, as well as Jordan Dean, Ashley Ciarra, Michelle Krusiec, Emma Fassler, Michael Adler,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sprung, a quirky comedy, follows formerly incarcerated Jack who is determined to make up for his lost years by using his powers for good as he enters back into the world at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Phillip Garcia, who plays Rooster, Clare Gillies, who plays Wiggles and James Earl, who plays Melvin, recently sat for a conversation with uInterview founder Erik Meers where they discussed their favorite moments this season.
“A good [show creator] Greg Garcia comedy always has some good fart jokes,” Garcia said. “There are definitely a few Rooster fart jokes and they happen in moments where you’re not really expecting it and they kind of come out of nowhere. That’s kind of what a fart does!”
“People act like they don’t fart no more! You still fart, people!” Earl cut in jokingly.
“I just farted right now!” Garcia quipped.
“Rooster and I have a...
Phillip Garcia, who plays Rooster, Clare Gillies, who plays Wiggles and James Earl, who plays Melvin, recently sat for a conversation with uInterview founder Erik Meers where they discussed their favorite moments this season.
“A good [show creator] Greg Garcia comedy always has some good fart jokes,” Garcia said. “There are definitely a few Rooster fart jokes and they happen in moments where you’re not really expecting it and they kind of come out of nowhere. That’s kind of what a fart does!”
“People act like they don’t fart no more! You still fart, people!” Earl cut in jokingly.
“I just farted right now!” Garcia quipped.
“Rooster and I have a...
- 8/27/2022
- by Rose Carter
- Uinterview
America is full of inequalities, and most of them have been amplified since Covid-19 arrived. Oxfam reports that 99 percent of the world’s income fell in 2020, while the Earth’s 10 richest men saw their fortunes more than double. Underpaid essential workers toiled while white collar workers bought dumb shit online and worked at home in sweatpants, and 70 (70! It’s a lot!) congresspeople were caught dumping stocks before the rest of America really learned how bad Covid was about to get. It’s a fucked up system, and sometimes, it seems like there’s really no legit way out of it.
All of that is certainly considered in “Sprung,” the new Amazon Freevee series from “Yes, Dear,” “My Name Is Earl,” and “Raising Hope” creator Greg Garcia. The show’s 10 episodes follow three ex-cons released early because of Covid, who are promptly (and unceremoniously) dropped into society. Jack (Garret Dillahunt) spent...
All of that is certainly considered in “Sprung,” the new Amazon Freevee series from “Yes, Dear,” “My Name Is Earl,” and “Raising Hope” creator Greg Garcia. The show’s 10 episodes follow three ex-cons released early because of Covid, who are promptly (and unceremoniously) dropped into society. Jack (Garret Dillahunt) spent...
- 8/19/2022
- by Marah Eakin
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for She Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Spin Me Round and Look Both Ways.
Ted Lasso FYC event
Apple TV+ hosted another FYC campaign event with some of the Ted Lasso cast on Saturday at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
M.J. Delaney, Sam Richardson, James Lance, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, Nick Mohammed and Brett Goldstein
Sprung premiere
The cast and creator of Amazon Freevee’s original comedy series Sprung gathered on Sunday for the premiere event hosted at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Creator Greg Garcia, along with stars Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera, James Earl and Clare Gillies were in attendance to celebrate the series’ launch.
Garret Dillahunt, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera,...
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for She Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Spin Me Round and Look Both Ways.
Ted Lasso FYC event
Apple TV+ hosted another FYC campaign event with some of the Ted Lasso cast on Saturday at The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
M.J. Delaney, Sam Richardson, James Lance, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, Nick Mohammed and Brett Goldstein
Sprung premiere
The cast and creator of Amazon Freevee’s original comedy series Sprung gathered on Sunday for the premiere event hosted at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Creator Greg Garcia, along with stars Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera, James Earl and Clare Gillies were in attendance to celebrate the series’ launch.
Garret Dillahunt, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera,...
- 8/19/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sprung, a quirky comedy, follows formerly incarcerated Jack who is determined to make up for his lost years by using his powers for good as he enters back into the world at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Acclaimed show creator Greg Garcia, who is best known for his work on My Name is Earl and Raising Hope, recently sat down with uInterview found Erik Meers to discuss reuniting with Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt on set.
“At the time I wrote it, Martha wasn’t available,” Garcia shared. “She was under contract somewhere else. Garrett was somebody I specifically wrote this for and he’s an executive producer on the show. People read and and were like, ‘Oh! You wrote this role for Martha,’ and I would have to say, ‘No, Martha isn’t available.’ Martha joined us later in the process and so I guess it turned out...
Acclaimed show creator Greg Garcia, who is best known for his work on My Name is Earl and Raising Hope, recently sat down with uInterview found Erik Meers to discuss reuniting with Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt on set.
“At the time I wrote it, Martha wasn’t available,” Garcia shared. “She was under contract somewhere else. Garrett was somebody I specifically wrote this for and he’s an executive producer on the show. People read and and were like, ‘Oh! You wrote this role for Martha,’ and I would have to say, ‘No, Martha isn’t available.’ Martha joined us later in the process and so I guess it turned out...
- 8/17/2022
- by Rose Carter
- Uinterview
Click here to read the full article.
In the sixth episode of Greg Garcia’s new Freevee comedy Sprung, two characters, while seemingly stealing a truck of valuable art, have a conversation about the Jimmy Buffett musical Escape to Margaritaville. The episode ends with the playing of a full song from said musical; it’s the sort of creative choice that would seem utterly random if you didn’t know that Garcia co-wrote Escape to Margaritaville.
Garcia wrote and directed every episode of Sprung and Garcia is the Rosetta Stone through which almost every second of Sprung can be understood or interpreted. Trying to figure out where you recognize a random supporting actor from? Chances are good that you remember them from a Garcia show. Scratching your head about why a comic cadence, pop-culture reference or piece of kitschy production design feels familiar? Odds are that it’s similar to something from a Garcia show.
In the sixth episode of Greg Garcia’s new Freevee comedy Sprung, two characters, while seemingly stealing a truck of valuable art, have a conversation about the Jimmy Buffett musical Escape to Margaritaville. The episode ends with the playing of a full song from said musical; it’s the sort of creative choice that would seem utterly random if you didn’t know that Garcia co-wrote Escape to Margaritaville.
Garcia wrote and directed every episode of Sprung and Garcia is the Rosetta Stone through which almost every second of Sprung can be understood or interpreted. Trying to figure out where you recognize a random supporting actor from? Chances are good that you remember them from a Garcia show. Scratching your head about why a comic cadence, pop-culture reference or piece of kitschy production design feels familiar? Odds are that it’s similar to something from a Garcia show.
- 8/17/2022
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Garret Dillahunt has the simplest and purest explanation for reuniting with his “Raising Hope” co-star Martha Plimpton and creator and executive producer Greg Garcia on new show “Sprung”: He just wanted to have fun.
“I called [Greg] in the summer of the lockdown, wanting to have some fun again because it had been a while, and I remembered the last time I had such fun was with Greg,” Dillahunt told Variety at the premiere of the genre-bending comedy on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service. “I called him. I said, ‘Buddy, life’s too short – we’ve got to have fun. If I’m not having fun, what’s the point? Let’s do something.’”
That something turned out to be “Sprung,” a fresh, unconventional post-pandemic tale built around a group of prison inmates serving sentences for low-level offenses who are suddenly freed during Covid-19 due to overcrowding concerns. Nominally led...
“I called [Greg] in the summer of the lockdown, wanting to have some fun again because it had been a while, and I remembered the last time I had such fun was with Greg,” Dillahunt told Variety at the premiere of the genre-bending comedy on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service. “I called him. I said, ‘Buddy, life’s too short – we’ve got to have fun. If I’m not having fun, what’s the point? Let’s do something.’”
That something turned out to be “Sprung,” a fresh, unconventional post-pandemic tale built around a group of prison inmates serving sentences for low-level offenses who are suddenly freed during Covid-19 due to overcrowding concerns. Nominally led...
- 8/17/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Variety Film + TV
A 26-year prison sentence over marijuana and the Covid pandemic might not sound like the right backdrop for a sitcom. Still, Greg Garcia found them to be the perfect elements to bring together for his new program, Sprung. The Amazon Freevee comedy tells the tale of former inmate Jack (Garret Dillahunt) who gets released from his state co-ed prison early and is determined to use his newfound time for good while leading a band of misfits trying to survive in today’s world. Actually, they’re trying to survive in 2020, specifically. “I wrote Sprung around March of 2020,” Garcia tells TV Insider. “We set the show in that time period because that’s when I wrote it. I had wanted to work with Garret [Dillahunt, who also starred in Raising Hope] again. I had this idea of him playing someone who came out of prison after being held unjustly for a long time for marijuana. ...
- 8/17/2022
- TV Insider
Click here to read the full article.
Late August is typically the dog days for TV premieres, and indeed it’s a relatively light week for series and season debuts. What the Aug. 17-23 period lacks in quantity, however, it makes up for by having two of the more anticipated shows of the year so far in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the latest Marvel show on Disney+.
Below is The Hollywood Reporter‘s rundown of premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. It would be next to impossible to watch everything, but let THR point the way to worthy options for the coming week. All times are Et/Pt unless noted.
The Big Show
It’s been three-plus years since Game of Thrones ended (with no small amount of griping from fans) — and more than that since HBO began looking for...
Late August is typically the dog days for TV premieres, and indeed it’s a relatively light week for series and season debuts. What the Aug. 17-23 period lacks in quantity, however, it makes up for by having two of the more anticipated shows of the year so far in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the latest Marvel show on Disney+.
Below is The Hollywood Reporter‘s rundown of premieres, returns and specials over the next seven days. It would be next to impossible to watch everything, but let THR point the way to worthy options for the coming week. All times are Et/Pt unless noted.
The Big Show
It’s been three-plus years since Game of Thrones ended (with no small amount of griping from fans) — and more than that since HBO began looking for...
- 8/17/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sprung, a quirky comedy from the acclaimed Raising Hope creator Greg Garcia, follows formerly incarcerated Jack who is determined to make up for his lost years by using his powers for good as he enters back into the world at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Garret Dillahunt, who plays Jack, recently sat down with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss reuniting with Martha Plimpton.
“We spent four seasons together on Raising Hope for the best years of my life on television,” he said. “That ended 2014, so it was a little while ago. I remained close with Martha, always wanted to work with her, but never really got or took the chance. A lot of people thought we were too indelible as those two characters and no one would be able to separate us from that. I’m glad we didn’t listen to those fears, because I think they’re unfounded.
Garret Dillahunt, who plays Jack, recently sat down with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss reuniting with Martha Plimpton.
“We spent four seasons together on Raising Hope for the best years of my life on television,” he said. “That ended 2014, so it was a little while ago. I remained close with Martha, always wanted to work with her, but never really got or took the chance. A lot of people thought we were too indelible as those two characters and no one would be able to separate us from that. I’m glad we didn’t listen to those fears, because I think they’re unfounded.
- 8/15/2022
- by Rose Carter
- Uinterview
No one gets out of jail free in Greg Garcia’s quirky, heartfelt comedy Sprung, about underdog inmates granted early release from a state co-ed prison at the pandemic’s onset. Bonus: It reunites Hope leads Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton. Dillahunt plays smart, earnest Jack, jailed 26 years on a trumped-up drug charge and now bunking with dim-but-loyal Rooster (Phillip Garcia) at the not-so-big house of the guy’s daft criminal mom Barb (Plimpton). Another roomie: Jack’s would-be lockup girlfriend Gloria (Shakira Barrera). Barb demands they join her crime family, but Jack balks. “He makes a deal that he’ll help if they rob people doing bad things during the pandemic,” says Dillahunt. Their main target: an insider stock trader and congresswoman (Kate Walsh). Says Greg Garcia, “They’ve all been kicked aside by society. They slowly become a family — and they’re going after ‘the man.’” Sprung, Series Premiere,...
- 8/14/2022
- TV Insider
Sprung is coming soon to Amazon Freevee. The free streaming service has set a premiere date for the new comedy series from Greg Garcia. Starring Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton (who both starred in Garcia's Raising Hope series), Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera, James Earl, and Clare Gillies, the show follows an “unlikely group of formerly incarcerated people who band together to use their criminal expertise for good.”
Read More…...
Read More…...
- 7/9/2022
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Sometimes the right crew, with the right skills, is all you need to do some good in the world. At least, that’s what the trailer for Greg Garcia’s upcoming Amazon Freevee comedy Sprung tells us. When non-violent inmates are released from prison due to Covid, Jack (Garret Dillahunt) is just one of several facing a dilemma with a shelter-in-place order: Where is he going to live? Rooster (Phillip Garcia) offers up his mother Barb’s (Martha Plimpton) house. But, as she warns those she takes in, “You’re living under my roof, you’ll have to earn your keep. You can join my crew.” Jack argues, “I just spent 26 years in prison and I’m not going back.” He soon changes his tune, but he refuses to rob anyone unless they did something bad. Watch the trailer below to see the crew at work and becoming a family,...
- 7/7/2022
- TV Insider
Amazon’s free streaming service IMDb TV relaunched as Amazon Freevee in April and the service’s heads of content programming, Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, say the name change isn’t just about letting people know the content is free. The rebrand also highlights how Freevee has “freedom from time slots” and “freedom for creators to tell stories,” Pirozzi told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View. Amazon Freevee, part of a wave of free ad-supported TV services, hit the ground running with a May launch of “Bosch: Legacy,” a sequel to the hit Amazon Prime series “Bosch,” and has a number of big-name projects coming up, including Greg Garcia’s “Sprung,” starring Garret Dillahunt and Martha Plimpton; Clea DuVall’s “High School” series, based on the bestselling book by singers Tegan and Sara Quin; and the half-hour real-time cop drama “On Call” from the company behind “Law & Order,...
- 7/1/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Amazon Freevee is bringing back “American Rust” for Season 2 following the show’s cancellation at Showtime.
“American Rust,” based on the Philipp Meyer novel of the same name, stars Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney. The show aired one season on Showtime in late 2021 before it was canceled in January 2022.
“’American Rust’ is exactly the type of gritty and engaging storytelling Amazon Freevee audiences love, and we could not be more excited to bring this prestige series to our customers, free of charge,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming at Amazon Freevee. “We can’t wait to dive in with Boat Rocker and Dan Futterman to continue the story that intrigued audiences during the first season, and to see the evolution of characters so expertly portrayed by Jeff and Maura in this next chapter.”
The series takes place in a Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania...
“American Rust,” based on the Philipp Meyer novel of the same name, stars Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney. The show aired one season on Showtime in late 2021 before it was canceled in January 2022.
“’American Rust’ is exactly the type of gritty and engaging storytelling Amazon Freevee audiences love, and we could not be more excited to bring this prestige series to our customers, free of charge,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming at Amazon Freevee. “We can’t wait to dive in with Boat Rocker and Dan Futterman to continue the story that intrigued audiences during the first season, and to see the evolution of characters so expertly portrayed by Jeff and Maura in this next chapter.”
The series takes place in a Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania...
- 6/9/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Garret Dillahunt will lead the ensemble cast
IMDb TV has ordered a comedy series from Greg Garcia, “Sprung” starring Garret Dillahunt.
The series centers on an unlikely group of formerly incarcerated people who band together to use their criminal expertise for good. It is from Amazon Studios.
Here is the logline from IMDb TV: “‘Sprung’ follows Jack (Dillahunt), a convicted criminal who is determined to change course and reclaim his lost years after serving more than two decades in prison. With no place to live post-release, and a global pandemic bringing the world to a virtual standstill, Jack moves in with his former cellmate Rooster (Phillip Garcia), Rooster’s mom Barb (Illeana Douglas), and Jack’s former prison girlfriend Gloria. Bound by their marred past and unusual living circumstances, they decide to start righting some of society’s wrongs, targeting those people selfishly taking advantage of others during the pandemic.
IMDb TV has ordered a comedy series from Greg Garcia, “Sprung” starring Garret Dillahunt.
The series centers on an unlikely group of formerly incarcerated people who band together to use their criminal expertise for good. It is from Amazon Studios.
Here is the logline from IMDb TV: “‘Sprung’ follows Jack (Dillahunt), a convicted criminal who is determined to change course and reclaim his lost years after serving more than two decades in prison. With no place to live post-release, and a global pandemic bringing the world to a virtual standstill, Jack moves in with his former cellmate Rooster (Phillip Garcia), Rooster’s mom Barb (Illeana Douglas), and Jack’s former prison girlfriend Gloria. Bound by their marred past and unusual living circumstances, they decide to start righting some of society’s wrongs, targeting those people selfishly taking advantage of others during the pandemic.
- 4/28/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
After a 10-year hiatus, Laura Bell Bundy, a Tony-nominated actress, is back on stage (despite a broken toe from rehearsals), singing and dancing in the world premiere production of The Honeymooners. The musical, based on the 1950s CBS TV show, is playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, through Oct. 29. In it, Bundy plays Trixie, a former burlesque dancer married to Ed Norton (Michael Mastro), who wants to get back into show business.
“Even though she loves her husband so much, it’s not enough for her to stay in the house and be a housewife. I think [writers Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss] felt that message resonated with women of 2017,” she tells Et, explaining that the character is not stuck in a time warp of the show’s 1950s conventions.
Originally from Kentucky, Bundy, known for originating such roles on Broadway as Amber Von Tussel in Hairspray and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, first got her start...
“Even though she loves her husband so much, it’s not enough for her to stay in the house and be a housewife. I think [writers Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss] felt that message resonated with women of 2017,” she tells Et, explaining that the character is not stuck in a time warp of the show’s 1950s conventions.
Originally from Kentucky, Bundy, known for originating such roles on Broadway as Amber Von Tussel in Hairspray and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, first got her start...
- 10/17/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Some people might have forgotten that Mike O’Malley, who played Kurt Hummel’s dad and made you cry with his fatherly talks during six seasons of Glee, used to be a Nickelodeon game show host.
“I took the job very seriously,” O’Malley tells Et about hosting the ‘90s sports competition series Guts, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. O’Malley, 50, was 24 years old when he landed the job. “I looked at the part like I was playing the role of an older brother. Like a cool camp counselor. I loved working with the kids.”
Each episode filmed on Stage 21 at Universal Studios Florida featured three teenage athletes competing against each other in four "extreme" versions of athletic events. In the final round, they raced up a “mountain” called the Aggro Crag, later renamed to Mega Crag. The show aired on Nickelodeon during a tween programming block that also included Legends of the Hidden Temple and Nick...
“I took the job very seriously,” O’Malley tells Et about hosting the ‘90s sports competition series Guts, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. O’Malley, 50, was 24 years old when he landed the job. “I looked at the part like I was playing the role of an older brother. Like a cool camp counselor. I loved working with the kids.”
Each episode filmed on Stage 21 at Universal Studios Florida featured three teenage athletes competing against each other in four "extreme" versions of athletic events. In the final round, they raced up a “mountain” called the Aggro Crag, later renamed to Mega Crag. The show aired on Nickelodeon during a tween programming block that also included Legends of the Hidden Temple and Nick...
- 10/3/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
It’s a good day for fans of TBS’ recent slate of high-concept sitcoms, with Variety reporting that Wrecked, The Guest Book, and People Of Earth have all received new seasons from the cable network. Wrecked and People are both being renewed for third seasons, while Greg Garcia’s Guest Book will be back for its second,…
Read more...
Read more...
- 9/14/2017
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
CBS is dipping into hot political territory, but trying to make it funny.
The network is developing a comedy from The Millers creator Greg Garcia, according to Variety. Welcome to Maine is about an immigrant and his daughter who move to the northern state and must share the same workplace as a
...
Read More >...
The network is developing a comedy from The Millers creator Greg Garcia, according to Variety. Welcome to Maine is about an immigrant and his daughter who move to the northern state and must share the same workplace as a
...
Read More >...
- 9/5/2017
- by Megan Vick
- TVGuide - Breaking News
CBS is developing a series with “My Name Is Earl” creator Greg Garcia that could prove to be quite timely. The multi-camera project from CBS Television Studios is called “Welcome to Maine.” It centers on a ninth-generation Maine family interacting with a recent immigrant and his daughter once they share the same workplace in a small rural town. Austen Earl (“The Millers”) is writing the pilot and executive produces. Garcia and Alix Jaffe are also executive producers. Also Read: Disney Boss Bob Iger on Daca Sunset: 'Cruel and Misguided' Garcia created the TBS anthology comedy series “The Guest Book,” which debuted last month.
- 9/5/2017
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Wrap
As the debate on immigration has been pushed to the forefront by the policies of the current Trump administration, CBS has put in development Welcome To Maine, a multi-camera family workplace comedy that tackles the hot-button issue. It hails from Austen Earl (The Great Indoors) as well as My Name is Earl, Raising Hope and The Millers creator Greg Garcia and his CBS TV Studios-based Amigos de Garcia Productions. Written by Earl, Welcome To Maine centers on a…...
- 9/5/2017
- Deadline TV
- 8/31/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
It's been nearly 10 years since Jaime Pressly said goodbye to My Name Is Earl, but the show still seems to be following her around.
Et caught up with the 40-year-old actress on Wednesday, where she opened up about reuniting with Earl creator Greg Garcia on this week's episode of The Guest Book -- but revealed that she expects her upcoming birth to be more like an episode of My Name Is Earl.
Related: Jaime Pressly Is Pregnant With Twins, Admits It Was a 'Complete Shock'
"We literally just walked out of the doctor from getting an ultrasound, and one of the pictures was slightly distorted and I went, 'Uh oh, when we deliver, it might be a My Name Is Earl episode, because I don't know whose baby that is!'" cracked Pressly, who announced in June that she's expecting twin boys with her longtime boyfriend, Hamzi Hijazi. "We were dying laughing."
"His face was...
Et caught up with the 40-year-old actress on Wednesday, where she opened up about reuniting with Earl creator Greg Garcia on this week's episode of The Guest Book -- but revealed that she expects her upcoming birth to be more like an episode of My Name Is Earl.
Related: Jaime Pressly Is Pregnant With Twins, Admits It Was a 'Complete Shock'
"We literally just walked out of the doctor from getting an ultrasound, and one of the pictures was slightly distorted and I went, 'Uh oh, when we deliver, it might be a My Name Is Earl episode, because I don't know whose baby that is!'" cracked Pressly, who announced in June that she's expecting twin boys with her longtime boyfriend, Hamzi Hijazi. "We were dying laughing."
"His face was...
- 8/18/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
"Anybody who has ever worked with Greg [Garcia], all he has to do is call them up and they say yes before they even hear what he needs, because he's one of the greatest men in this business," Jaime Pressly told Et over the phone on Tuesday -- and she really meant it.
The actress reunites with the My Name Is Earl creator on Thursday's episode of his new TBS anthology series, The Guest Book, where she plays a character that she describes as "a little bit" of her Earl character, Joy Turner.
Exclusive: 'My Name is Earl' Creator Greg Garcia Leaves Behind a Real Piece of Inspiration for 'The Guest Book'
"This girl that I play [on The Guest Book] is trying so hard to forget her past and start over and be this new and improved version of herself and have a real relationship for once, and she really doesn't know how to do that. I...
The actress reunites with the My Name Is Earl creator on Thursday's episode of his new TBS anthology series, The Guest Book, where she plays a character that she describes as "a little bit" of her Earl character, Joy Turner.
Exclusive: 'My Name is Earl' Creator Greg Garcia Leaves Behind a Real Piece of Inspiration for 'The Guest Book'
"This girl that I play [on The Guest Book] is trying so hard to forget her past and start over and be this new and improved version of herself and have a real relationship for once, and she really doesn't know how to do that. I...
- 8/16/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Read MoreLAST Week’S Episode: How Squeaky Clean Kellie Martin Wound Up on Greg Garcia’s Quirky Cable Comedy ‘The Guest Book’ — Turn It On Podcast
“Veep” star Tony Hale admits it’s a little strange to turn on CNN these days.
As much as the writers on “Veep” go to “such extremes,” Hale said he’ll then watch the news. “What? That was supposed to be a plot line, that wasn’t supposed to be actually happening!”
Welcome to 2017, when the awful characters on “Veep” seem more competent than our real-life leaders. At least on “Veep,” Hale noted, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer knows how to fake it.
“The wild thing is Selina behind the scenes is a nightmare,” Hale said. “But when the cameras are on, she turns it on. Some people in the news, they’re not even worried about game face. She turns it on and off...
“Veep” star Tony Hale admits it’s a little strange to turn on CNN these days.
As much as the writers on “Veep” go to “such extremes,” Hale said he’ll then watch the news. “What? That was supposed to be a plot line, that wasn’t supposed to be actually happening!”
Welcome to 2017, when the awful characters on “Veep” seem more competent than our real-life leaders. At least on “Veep,” Hale noted, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer knows how to fake it.
“The wild thing is Selina behind the scenes is a nightmare,” Hale said. “But when the cameras are on, she turns it on. Some people in the news, they’re not even worried about game face. She turns it on and off...
- 8/11/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
With the overwhelming amounts of television currently on the air (not to mention all the great series of the past), some producers and stars are making a new, stress-free pitch to potential viewers.
The message, as relayed by the talent behind several shows recently showcased at the Television Critics Association press tour: It’s simple, and as opposed to “a [number varies]-hour-long movie,” it’s as stand-alone as possible.
Mark Duplass, when describing “Room 104,” the new anthology series he’s producing for HBO, was most explicit about making the show a “casual, daily” experience. “You pop in, you watch one episode, have some sex with that episode. Then you don’t even have to come back for another three episodes,” he said.
“We’re the Tinder of television,” partner and brother Jay Duplass added. “You swipe left, swipe right.”
Read More:‘Room 104’: Mark and Jay Duplass Miss ‘Togetherness...
The message, as relayed by the talent behind several shows recently showcased at the Television Critics Association press tour: It’s simple, and as opposed to “a [number varies]-hour-long movie,” it’s as stand-alone as possible.
Mark Duplass, when describing “Room 104,” the new anthology series he’s producing for HBO, was most explicit about making the show a “casual, daily” experience. “You pop in, you watch one episode, have some sex with that episode. Then you don’t even have to come back for another three episodes,” he said.
“We’re the Tinder of television,” partner and brother Jay Duplass added. “You swipe left, swipe right.”
Read More:‘Room 104’: Mark and Jay Duplass Miss ‘Togetherness...
- 8/10/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
Greg Garcia is back at it -- this time with The Guest Book, an anthology series centered around a cabin in the woods that different guests visit each week. Though the guest stars (like Jaime Pressly, Jenna Fischer and Michael Rapaport) are consistently hilarious, the story lines only seem to get more outrageous -- a testament to Garcia's incredible imagination and guts to actually write these stories in real guest books in cabins around the country.
Each episode of the 10-part TBS series is based on a real story that Garcia wrote as a way to cure his writer's block while working on My Name Is Earl -- and left to "freak out the next guest." Here, Garcia includes and excerpt from "Entry Eleven," a real story he left behind in a guest book on vacation.
– – – –
This was an entry that I wrote when I was in Pismo Beach which is about three hours north of Los...
Each episode of the 10-part TBS series is based on a real story that Garcia wrote as a way to cure his writer's block while working on My Name Is Earl -- and left to "freak out the next guest." Here, Garcia includes and excerpt from "Entry Eleven," a real story he left behind in a guest book on vacation.
– – – –
This was an entry that I wrote when I was in Pismo Beach which is about three hours north of Los...
- 8/10/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
The new TBS series “The Guest Book” with the August 3, 2017 premiere date is a change for the “My Name is Earl” producer and writer Greg Garcia. He’s a comedy writer to the bone, but his new anthology comedy is a break away from what we have come to expect from him. The show airs with high expectations that it will deliver big on the funnies, but his new approach is something that is even more tantalizing. Here are five things about the series “The Guest Book” that you didn’t know. 1. It’s a re-branding of TBS comedies This
New TBS Show “The Guest Book” – Five Things You Didn’t Know...
New TBS Show “The Guest Book” – Five Things You Didn’t Know...
- 8/6/2017
- by Dana Hanson-Firestone
- TVovermind.com
Summer movie season isn’t entirely over yet, but the shadow of the fall is already here. That’s because we now know the bulk of the lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival, in addition to the films slated to play in Venice. While 2017 has already been loaded with a variety of festival favorites, unexpected commercial hits and Oscar hopefuls, the rest of the calendar year is filled with new material.
Read MoreTIFF’s Platform Selection: How the Festival’s Buzziest Slate is Pivoting After Launching ‘Moonlight’
In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson recover from their vacations by talking through a very dense set of possibilities. They also touch on reactions to “The Dark Tower,” and why it not be as bad as many reviews have suggested.
Screen Talk is available on iTunes.
You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your...
Read MoreTIFF’s Platform Selection: How the Festival’s Buzziest Slate is Pivoting After Launching ‘Moonlight’
In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson recover from their vacations by talking through a very dense set of possibilities. They also touch on reactions to “The Dark Tower,” and why it not be as bad as many reviews have suggested.
Screen Talk is available on iTunes.
You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your...
- 8/4/2017
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Network: TBS. Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: August 3, 2017 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Kellie Martin, Charles Robinson, Aloma Wright, Carly Jibson, Lou Wilson, Garret Dillahunt, Laura Bell Bundy, and Eddie Steeples. TV show description: An anthology-style comedy from Greg Garcia, The Guest Book TV show centers on the vacationers who stay in Froggy Cottage, in the small town of Mount Trace. While the house and townie characters remain the same, each episode follows new guests. The series' concept came from Garcia's penchant for writing fictitious tales in rental cabins guest books, in hopes of spooking future customers. Read More…...
- 8/4/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The premise of the new comedy “The Guest Book” is an exciting one: a quiet, unassuming cottage at a cozy mountain getaway plays host to a number of weekend travelers with something to work out or something to hide. Each of them relate their wacky adventures in the room’s guest book, using a few pages to write a confession, an alibi or a farewell. It’s the kind of “if these walls could talk” setup that makes you wonder why TV hasn’t taken advantage of hotel-adjacent stories more often.
There’s a certain flexibility that comes with getting to reinvent a show’s character list every episode. Like its new motel counterpart “Room 104,” each episode of the first season of “The Guest Book” focuses on a different set of occupants: These vacationers range from scientists to quarreling spouses to parents with misplaced preoccupations.
Read MoreHow Squeaky Clean Kellie Martin Wound Up on Greg Garcia’s Quirky Cable Comedy ‘The Guest Book’ — Turn It On Podcast
But the problem with cycling so many of these performers in and out of the world of the show is that creator Greg Garcia has essentially made 10 different pilots. Rather than treating these individual chapters like short stories, there’s an unspoken effort to squeeze a season’s worth of quirks and angst into a twenty-minute window.
Over the course of his work on “My Name is Earl” and “Raising Hope,” Greg Garcia shepherded shows that presented unconventional family dynamics and disjointed inner circles of friendship. But, despite their collective shortcomings, the offbeat characters of those series worked together to create something built on love, appreciation, and understanding. To see so many episodes of “The Guest Book” tinged with cynicism and frustration seems like a misstep that doesn’t play to his strengths as a writer and observer of human tendencies. The humor here often seems forced, both in its writing and the physicality of the performances it asks of its actors.
It’s all the more frustrating when some episodes seem to strike the ideal tone that the others strive for. Episodes 4 and 5 are probably the strongest efforts of this first season, the latter of which stars Jenna Fischer as a scientist uncovering some unexpected memories of an Alzheimer’s patient left in her care. Some of those developments are legitimately shocking, but it doesn’t have the same manufactured chaos that plagues so many of the other installments.
“The Guest Book” boasts an impressive roster of guest stars, including Michaela Watkins, Danny Pudi, Lauren Lapkus, Stockard Channing Tommy Dewey, and Michael Rappaport. But the actors who have worked in previous Garcia shows seem to be the only natural fits for this new venture. Jamie Pressly, a bright spot on “My Name is Earl,” instantly finds the heart a character that in lesser hands could have been an episode-length punchline. Same goes for Shannon Woodward, who finds some an extra emotional layer in a character that could easily be a fodder for sight gags.
And although many of the recurring side players in the town surrounding the cottage are little more than means for advancing the handful of season-long throughlines, Garret Dillahunt is an exception. As Andrew, a local doctor whose marital foibles and parenting misadventures pop up across the season, Dillahunt gets another much-deserved chance to show off his comic chops. The shifting dynamic between Andrew and Kellie Martin’s Officer Kimberly hints at an alternate foundation for the show that might not be as formally innovative, but would make for a more satisfying series.
Read MoreThe 20 Best TV Comedies of the 21st Century, Ranked
The stealth stars of “The Guest Book” might just be Arjay Smith and John Milhiser as two office co-workers who serve as the show’s “Previously On” Greek chorus. Reorienting audiences at the start of each episode, their changing 15-second banter is one of the show’s best bits of character development. That they make such an impression in short snippets is a testament to Garcia’s ability to find some fun developments with a repeatable framework, but it also emphasizes that the constant cast list churn of check-ins and check-outs is rarely the part of this show that’s most engaging.
With a handful of drug-fueled benders and neuroses-driven montages, “The Guest Book” gets the chance to match its changing cast list with a few visual switch-ups. Some split-screen episode bookends and some inventive camera placements keep the cottage from getting too familiar. But those occasional touches can’t replace the fact that the show lives and dies on the strength of its episode-to-episode stories. A few of them are entertaining enough, but a show that’s still in search of its strengths still keeps it from being a reliable trip worth taking every week.
Grade: C+
“The Guest Book” airs Thursday nights at 10 p.m. on TBS.
Sign UpStay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here. Related stories'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee' Aired a Positive Segment About Donald Trump, World Still Confirmed to Be Spinning -- WatchHow Squeaky Clean Kellie Martin Wound Up on Greg Garcia's Quirky Cable Comedy 'The Guest Book' -- Turn It On Podcast'Manhunt: Unabomber' Review: Discovery's First Scripted Drama Intrigues as It Evokes Empathy in a Madman...
There’s a certain flexibility that comes with getting to reinvent a show’s character list every episode. Like its new motel counterpart “Room 104,” each episode of the first season of “The Guest Book” focuses on a different set of occupants: These vacationers range from scientists to quarreling spouses to parents with misplaced preoccupations.
Read MoreHow Squeaky Clean Kellie Martin Wound Up on Greg Garcia’s Quirky Cable Comedy ‘The Guest Book’ — Turn It On Podcast
But the problem with cycling so many of these performers in and out of the world of the show is that creator Greg Garcia has essentially made 10 different pilots. Rather than treating these individual chapters like short stories, there’s an unspoken effort to squeeze a season’s worth of quirks and angst into a twenty-minute window.
Over the course of his work on “My Name is Earl” and “Raising Hope,” Greg Garcia shepherded shows that presented unconventional family dynamics and disjointed inner circles of friendship. But, despite their collective shortcomings, the offbeat characters of those series worked together to create something built on love, appreciation, and understanding. To see so many episodes of “The Guest Book” tinged with cynicism and frustration seems like a misstep that doesn’t play to his strengths as a writer and observer of human tendencies. The humor here often seems forced, both in its writing and the physicality of the performances it asks of its actors.
It’s all the more frustrating when some episodes seem to strike the ideal tone that the others strive for. Episodes 4 and 5 are probably the strongest efforts of this first season, the latter of which stars Jenna Fischer as a scientist uncovering some unexpected memories of an Alzheimer’s patient left in her care. Some of those developments are legitimately shocking, but it doesn’t have the same manufactured chaos that plagues so many of the other installments.
“The Guest Book” boasts an impressive roster of guest stars, including Michaela Watkins, Danny Pudi, Lauren Lapkus, Stockard Channing Tommy Dewey, and Michael Rappaport. But the actors who have worked in previous Garcia shows seem to be the only natural fits for this new venture. Jamie Pressly, a bright spot on “My Name is Earl,” instantly finds the heart a character that in lesser hands could have been an episode-length punchline. Same goes for Shannon Woodward, who finds some an extra emotional layer in a character that could easily be a fodder for sight gags.
And although many of the recurring side players in the town surrounding the cottage are little more than means for advancing the handful of season-long throughlines, Garret Dillahunt is an exception. As Andrew, a local doctor whose marital foibles and parenting misadventures pop up across the season, Dillahunt gets another much-deserved chance to show off his comic chops. The shifting dynamic between Andrew and Kellie Martin’s Officer Kimberly hints at an alternate foundation for the show that might not be as formally innovative, but would make for a more satisfying series.
Read MoreThe 20 Best TV Comedies of the 21st Century, Ranked
The stealth stars of “The Guest Book” might just be Arjay Smith and John Milhiser as two office co-workers who serve as the show’s “Previously On” Greek chorus. Reorienting audiences at the start of each episode, their changing 15-second banter is one of the show’s best bits of character development. That they make such an impression in short snippets is a testament to Garcia’s ability to find some fun developments with a repeatable framework, but it also emphasizes that the constant cast list churn of check-ins and check-outs is rarely the part of this show that’s most engaging.
With a handful of drug-fueled benders and neuroses-driven montages, “The Guest Book” gets the chance to match its changing cast list with a few visual switch-ups. Some split-screen episode bookends and some inventive camera placements keep the cottage from getting too familiar. But those occasional touches can’t replace the fact that the show lives and dies on the strength of its episode-to-episode stories. A few of them are entertaining enough, but a show that’s still in search of its strengths still keeps it from being a reliable trip worth taking every week.
Grade: C+
“The Guest Book” airs Thursday nights at 10 p.m. on TBS.
Sign UpStay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here. Related stories'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee' Aired a Positive Segment About Donald Trump, World Still Confirmed to Be Spinning -- WatchHow Squeaky Clean Kellie Martin Wound Up on Greg Garcia's Quirky Cable Comedy 'The Guest Book' -- Turn It On Podcast'Manhunt: Unabomber' Review: Discovery's First Scripted Drama Intrigues as It Evokes Empathy in a Madman...
- 8/3/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Read MoreLAST Week’S Episode: Matt Groening and ‘The Simpsons’ Producers on 30 Years, Beating ‘Gunsmoke’ and Taking On Trump — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
The idea behind “The Guest Book” has become almost the stuff of TV legend by now. It all started when Greg Garcia — the Emmy-winning creator behind hits like “My Name Is Earl” and “Raising Hope” – began writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins. What was originally meant as a creative exercise, and also as a side benefit to freak out the next renters, quickly became something more.
“I saw a guest book and began to read it,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m going to write a story in this guest book that blows peoples minds!'”
Eventually, he became addicted to the idea, and would even rent houses just to write in the guest book – “which my wife thought was insane,...
The idea behind “The Guest Book” has become almost the stuff of TV legend by now. It all started when Greg Garcia — the Emmy-winning creator behind hits like “My Name Is Earl” and “Raising Hope” – began writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins. What was originally meant as a creative exercise, and also as a side benefit to freak out the next renters, quickly became something more.
“I saw a guest book and began to read it,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m going to write a story in this guest book that blows peoples minds!'”
Eventually, he became addicted to the idea, and would even rent houses just to write in the guest book – “which my wife thought was insane,...
- 8/2/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
The Guest Book has its release date. The new series will land in August, and two trailers have been released. The series, which comes from Greg Garcia, will feature Kellie Martin, Laura Bell Bundy, and others as a part of the cast.Read More…...
- 6/23/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Tip “T.I.” Harris has his eye on Atlanta’s Most Wanted at Fox.
The actor-rapper will star in and executive-produce the police procedural, which just got a script commitment plus penalty from the network, our sister site Deadline reports.
RelatedMark-Paul Gosselaar to Star in Fox’s Vampire Drama Pilot The Passage
The drama project — from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and writer Rodney Barnes (The Boondocks) — follows Marcus Armstrong (Harris), the son of an infamous Atlanta criminal who is recruited to be a part of a new vice squad that tackles the city’s growing criminal elements. Marcus’ involvement in the...
The actor-rapper will star in and executive-produce the police procedural, which just got a script commitment plus penalty from the network, our sister site Deadline reports.
RelatedMark-Paul Gosselaar to Star in Fox’s Vampire Drama Pilot The Passage
The drama project — from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and writer Rodney Barnes (The Boondocks) — follows Marcus Armstrong (Harris), the son of an infamous Atlanta criminal who is recruited to be a part of a new vice squad that tackles the city’s growing criminal elements. Marcus’ involvement in the...
- 6/20/2017
- TVLine.com
The Duplass Brothers are checking in at HBO again this summer. The premium channel has set 11 Pm Friday, July 28, for the series premiere of Room 104, an anthology comedy set in a single room of an average American motel that tells a different story of the assorted characters who pass through it in each episode. The anthology comedy genre was hot when HBO greenlighted the series last summer. Around the same time, TBS gave a series order to Greg Garcia's half-hour Guest Boo…...
- 5/10/2017
- Deadline TV
My Name Is Earl and Raising Hope aren't coming back to television but their creator, Greg Garcia, is. His new comedy series, called The Guest List, is set to premiere this August on TBS. The cable channel has announced that The Guest List will star Kellie Martin, Charlie Robinson, Carly Jibson, and Lou Wilson. Aloma Wright, Garret Dillahunt, Laura Bell Bundy, and Eddie Steeples will recur in the first season.Guest stars are set to include Danny Pudi, Jenna Fischer, Tommy Dewey, Lauren Lapkus, Michaela Watkins, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Michael Rapaport, Kate Micucci, Jaime Pressly, Stockard Channing, Andrew J. West, John Ortiz, David Zayas, Shannon Woodward, Margo Martindale, and Stephnie Weir.Read More…...
- 1/15/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Bad boys, bad boys: TBS has picked up 10 episodes of Louis C.K. and Albert Brooks’ new animated comedy “The Cops,” which had previously been set up at FX.
Louis C.K. and Brooks will voice the show’s lead characters, “Lou” and “Al,” two Los Angeles patrolmen “trying their best to protect and serve, sometimes failing at both. Ride with them as they patrol one of the biggest cities in the world, then go home with them and be glad you’re not married to either.”
The show will premiere in 2018; the two will also executive produce along with Greg Daniels, Dino Stamatopoulos, Dave Becky and Howard Klein.
Read More: Louis C.K. & Albert Brooks Co-Writing & Starring In Animated Pilot For FX
FX Productions will continue to produce the show, along with Turner’s Studio T and Louis C.K.’s Pig Newton.
“We have made the bold decision to put Louis C.K.,...
Louis C.K. and Brooks will voice the show’s lead characters, “Lou” and “Al,” two Los Angeles patrolmen “trying their best to protect and serve, sometimes failing at both. Ride with them as they patrol one of the biggest cities in the world, then go home with them and be glad you’re not married to either.”
The show will premiere in 2018; the two will also executive produce along with Greg Daniels, Dino Stamatopoulos, Dave Becky and Howard Klein.
Read More: Louis C.K. & Albert Brooks Co-Writing & Starring In Animated Pilot For FX
FX Productions will continue to produce the show, along with Turner’s Studio T and Louis C.K.’s Pig Newton.
“We have made the bold decision to put Louis C.K.,...
- 1/14/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Greg Garcia’s “Guest Book” is filling up quite nicely. The new 10-episode TBS comedy anthology series from the “My Name Is Earl” creator will premiere in August, with a cast that includes Kellie Martin as Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Additionally, Charlie Robinson is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Aloma Wright. Carly Jibson is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank,...
- 1/14/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
TBS’s The Guest Book, a new anthology-style comedy series from writer and exec producer Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl) has locked its first-season regular and guest casts. The series, set to premiere in August, will feature Kellie Martin (Army Wives) as Officer Kimberly Leahy of the small mountain town of Mount Trace; Charlie Robinson as Wilfrid, an easygoing manager of rental cottages; Aloma Wright, recurring as Wilfrid’s wife; Carly Jibson as the strong-willed manager of…...
- 1/14/2017
- Deadline TV
La Jolla Playhouse, nationally-renowned for the development of new work, announces four world-premiere productions for the 20172018 season, including the previously-announced Escape to Margaritaville MayJune, featuring the songs of legendary singer-songwriter-author Jimmy Buffett and an original story by co-book writers Greg Garcia 'My Name Is Earl' and Mike O'Malley 'Survivor's Remorse,' 'Shameless', directed by La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley Come From Away, Memphis.
- 11/18/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Maureen McCormick has been tapped for guest-starring role on Greg Garcia’s upcoming comedy series The Guest Book, set to premiere in 2017 on TBS. Written and executive produced by Garcia, the series is based on his experience writing strange stories in vacation guest books for future renters to read. The show will feature a main cast with each episode revolving around the new guest renters in town. McCormick’s role will be incorporated into the story line of guests…...
- 11/17/2016
- Deadline TV
One of my favorite things as a kid was whenever different television series would do holiday-themed episodes, especially when it came time to celebrate Halloween in October. A lot of great shows over the years have done an great job of embracing our favorite holiday, and if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, here’s a collection of Halloween-themed TV specials currently available on Netflix Instant that should help get you guys ready for All Hallows’ Eve.
One Note: There are a handful of entries here that aren’t necessarily Halloween episodes, but they are still shows I love revisiting every October as they perfectly embody the spirit of the season.
American Dad (Season 6, Episode 3)
Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls: Stan's plan to out-do the neighbor's fancy haunted house backfires when Roger releases the serial killers he was borrowing from the CIA. Meanwhile, Steve faces Toshi's revenge when...
One Note: There are a handful of entries here that aren’t necessarily Halloween episodes, but they are still shows I love revisiting every October as they perfectly embody the spirit of the season.
American Dad (Season 6, Episode 3)
Best Little Horror House in Langley Falls: Stan's plan to out-do the neighbor's fancy haunted house backfires when Roger releases the serial killers he was borrowing from the CIA. Meanwhile, Steve faces Toshi's revenge when...
- 10/7/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
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