The Lot (TV series)
{{short description|1999-2001 American dramedy series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| creator = Rick Mitz{{cite news |last=Richmond |first=Ray |url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/reviews/the-lot-1117752021/ |title=The Lot |work=Variety |date=August 19, 1999 |access-date=June 21, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Boedeker |first=Hal |url= https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1999-08-19-9908180432-story.html |title=Stingin' in the Rain |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=August 19, 1999 |access-date=June 21, 2021}}
| starring = Rue McClanahan
Holland Taylor
Linda Cardellini (season 1)
Jonathan Frakes
| composer = Nicholas Pike
| runtime = 30 minutes
| executive_producer = Marc Juris
Paula Connelly Skorka
Rick Mitz
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 2
| num_episodes = 17
| first_aired = {{start date|1999|8|19}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2001|4|22}}
| network = AMC
| company = It's Mitz Productions
}}
The Lot is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for two seasons on AMC from 1999 to 2001.{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-02-ca-7254-story.html |title=Behind the Glamour of 1930s Hollywood in 'The Lot' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 2, 2001 |access-date=June 21, 2021}} It profiled the fictional studio Sylver Screen Pictures during the 1930s and the pursuits of its classic stars (such as Barbara Stanwyck, Greta Garbo and Shirley Temple). The show was not met with popular success but Jeffrey Tambor, Rue McClanahan, Linda Cardellini and Michael York all had notable recurring roles.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Austin |url= https://nypost.com/1999/08/19/a-lot-going-for-this-new-series/ |title=A 'Lot' Going for This New Series |work=New York Post |date=August 19, 1999 |access-date=June 21, 2021}}
The two seasons had two different plotlines. The first season (four episodes) detailed the rise and fall of young starlet June Parker (Linda Cardellini). Cardellini left to star in Freaks and Geeks, forcing a premature end to the first season. The second season (thirteen episodes) revolved around a new main character.
Cast
- Sara Botsford as Norma St. Claire, an aging actress and faded star
- Allen Garfield as Harry Sylver (season 1), owner of Sylver Studios
- Linda Cardellini as June Parker (season 1), a rising starlet
- Steven Petrarca as Charlie Patterson, a young screenwriter
- Stephanie Faracy as Mary Parker, a makeup artist, mother to June, and Norma's friend
- Francois Giroday as Fabian, a closeted designer
- Holland Taylor as Letitia DeVine, a high-powered Hollywood gossip columnist
- Perry Stephens as Jack Sweeney, an unscrupulous studio publicist
- Jonathan Frakes as Roland White, a playboy movie mogul
Episodes
=Season 1 (1999)=
{{Episode table |background= |overall=5 |season=5 |title=20 |director=20 |writer=26 |airdate=14 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|EpisodeNumber2=1
|Title=It
|DirectedBy=Guy Ferland
|WrittenBy=Rick Mitz
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|19}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|EpisodeNumber2=2
|Title=Overnight Star
|DirectedBy=Guy Ferland
|WrittenBy={{StoryTeleplay|s= Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen|t= Rick Mitz}}
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|19}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|Title=Stardom
|DirectedBy=Guy Ferland
|WrittenBy=Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|20}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|Title=Happy Landing
|DirectedBy=Guy Ferland
|WrittenBy=Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|8|20}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
}}
=Season 2 (2001)=
{{Episode table |background= |overall=5 |season=5 |title=20 |director=20 |writer=26 |airdate=14 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|EpisodeNumber2=1
|Title=A New Mogul in Town
|DirectedBy=Doug Wager
|WrittenBy=Rick Mitz
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|1|7}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|EpisodeNumber2=2
|Title=Hooked on Hollywood
|DirectedBy=Doug Wager
|WrittenBy=Susan Rice
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|1|14}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=7
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|Title=The Portable Libby Wilson
|DirectedBy=Sharon Hall
|WrittenBy=Steven Peros
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|1|21}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=8
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|Title=Detox
|DirectedBy=Sharon Hall
|WrittenBy=Hall Powell & Steven Peros
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|1|28}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=9
|EpisodeNumber2=5
|Title=The Accident
|DirectedBy=Jonathan Schmock
|WrittenBy=Colleen O'Dwyer
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|2|4}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=10
|EpisodeNumber2=6
|Title=Nebraska Johnston
|DirectedBy=Sharon Hall
|WrittenBy=Lori Lakin
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|2|11}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=11
|EpisodeNumber2=7
|Title=Daddy Dearest
|DirectedBy=Turi Meyer
|WrittenBy=Jay Wolpert
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|2|25}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=12
|EpisodeNumber2=8
|Title=Stiffed
|DirectedBy=Turi Meyer
|WrittenBy=Jay Wolpert
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|3|4}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=13
|EpisodeNumber2=9
|Title=Danny Matthews Takes a Wife
|DirectedBy=Doug Wager
|WrittenBy=Rick Mitz
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|3|18}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=14
|EpisodeNumber2=10
|Title=The Mob Scene
|DirectedBy=Turi Meyer
|WrittenBy=Dustin Hughes, Rick Mitz, & Barbara Romen
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|3|25}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=15
|EpisodeNumber2=11
|Title=Oscar's Wild
|DirectedBy=Sharon Hall
|WrittenBy=Kim Powers
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|4|1}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=16
|EpisodeNumber2=12
|Title=Kids
|DirectedBy=Turi Meyer
|WrittenBy=Rob Dames & Lenny Ripps
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|4|8}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=17
|EpisodeNumber2=13
|Title=Property of Silver Screen
|DirectedBy=
|WrittenBy=
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|4|22}}
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor=
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}}
Historical references
The characters of Priscilla Tremaine (Rue McClanahan) and Letitia DeVine (Holland Taylor) were based on gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, respectively.{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=Scott D. |date=1999-08-19 |title=Fact and near-fact combine in AMC's gorgeous 'The Lot' 4-part miniseries re-creates golden age of Hollywood |url=https://www.deseret.com/1999/8/19/19461370/fact-and-near-fact-combine-in-amc-s-gorgeous-the-lot-br-4-part-miniseries-re-creates-golden-age-of-h/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Deseret News |language=en}} A running end-credits gag had Letitia DeVine reporting ironic news items about period stars on her radio show, then insulting them sotto voce when the broadcast was over. Roland White (Jonathan Frakes) is based on millionaire aeronautical engineer and movie mogul Howard Hughes, who was known for his relationships with redheaded Hollywood starlets.
A movie being made by Sylver Studios refers to The Moon Is Blue, a movie famously censored for having Maggie McNamara say the word "virgin" in one of her lines.
Sylver Studios was a stand-in for Samuel Goldwyn Productions. The title The Lot also refers to the famed Pickford-Fairbanks Studios lot in Hollywood, California, which rented out production space to multiple film studios.
Critical reception
Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel called The Lot "an acid satire on the Golden Age of Hollywood" that is "a clever blend of humor and Tinseltown lore". He added, "The Lot has been made with flair and affection, but it also has a clear-eyed view of Hollywood folly, ambition and back-biting. It's like Singin' in the Rain without the music and without the love." Cardellini received praise for her performance as June Parker.
In Variety, Ray Richmond wrote, "The fact that 'The Lot' is cartoonishly overacted adds juice to the show’s camp irreverence, whether or not the scenery-chewing is intentional. Regardless, its creator-writer-exec producer Rick Mitz has clear affection for — and a sure grasp of — his subject."
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Award !Year !Category !Nominee !Result !{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards
|2002 |Excellence in Costume Design for Television – Period/Fantasy |{{nom}} | align=center | |
| Casting Society of America Awards
|2001 |Best Casting for TV – Comedy Episodic |Deborah Barylski, Pat McCorkle |{{nom}} |
| rowspan="4" |Emmy Awards
| rowspan="3" |2001 |Outstanding Costumes for a Series |Jean-Pierre Dorléac, Gilberto Mello | {{won}} | align=center rowspan="4" |{{Cite web |title=The Lot |url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/lot-1 |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Television Academy |language=en}} |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
|{{nom}} |
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series
|Cheri Ruff, Carl Bailey, Stephen Elsbree |{{nom}} |
| 2000
|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |{{nom}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External link
{{IMDb title|0211157}}
{{AMC Shows}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lot, The}}
Category:1999 American television series debuts
Category:2001 American television series endings
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:1990s American comedy-drama television series
Category:2000s American comedy-drama television series
Category:AMC (TV channel) television dramas
Category:Television series set in the 1930s