The TV Set

{{Infobox film

| name = The TV Set

| image = Tv set.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Jake Kasdan

| writer = Jake Kasdan

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Jake Kasdan
Aaron Ryder

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Uta Briesewitz

| editing = Tara Timpone

| music = Michael Andrews

| distributor = THINKFilm

| released = {{Film date|2006|04|28|Tribeca|2007|04|06|United States}}

| runtime = 85 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $2 million

| gross = $265,198

}}

The TV Set is a 2006 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jake Kasdan and starring David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd, and Judy Greer. The film follows an idealistic writer attempting to bring his vision for a TV show to fruition on the small screen.

Synopsis

Idealistic scriptwriter Mike Klein (Duchovny) tries to navigate his TV pilot through the mine-laden path of casting, production, and the madness of prime-time scheduling—all while trying to stay true to his vision. Along the way, he has to juggle the agendas of headstrong network president Lenny (Weaver), volatile young stars, his pregnant wife Natalie (Bateman), and an ever-optimistic personal manager Alice (Greer), while suffering serious back pain.

Cast

David Duchovny as Mike Klein
Sigourney Weaver as Lenny
Ioan Gruffudd as Richard McCallister
Judy Greer as Alice
Fran Kranz as Zach Harper
Lindsay Sloane as Laurel Simon
Justine Bateman as Natalie Klein
Lucy Davis as Chloe McCallister
Philip Rosenthal as Cooper
Matt Price as Berg
Willie Garson as Brian
M. C. Gainey as Hutch
Simon Helberg as TJ Goldman
Kaitlin Doubleday as Jesse Filmore
Philip Baker Hall as Vernon Maxwell
Allison Scagliotti as Bethany
Jonathan Silverman as himself (cameo)
Seth Green as himself, Slut Wars Host (uncredited)
Don Hany

Production and vision

The film's writer/director Jake Kasdan had originally intended Ben Stiller for the role of Lenny, however, Kasdan cast Weaver for the role, which changed his idea of what the character should be.{{cite web |url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/directorinterviews/2007/04/jake-kasdan.php |title=The Director Interviews: Jake Kasdan, The TV Set |author=Nick Dawson |work=Filmmaker Magazine}} Kasdan does not regard the film as satire, as he sees nothing exaggerated in its depiction of bringing a pilot to production.

Releases

The film was first screened on the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, 2006. Following almost a year of festival screenings, it was released in cinemas on April 6, 2007. A DVD edition was released through 20th Century Fox on September 25, 2007. It features commentary tracks, a "making of" featurette, and a deleted scene.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473709/releaseinfo |title=The TV Set release dates |work=IMDb}}

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 64% based on reviews from 76 critics, with an average score of 6.28/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Offering both broad and insider jokes, The TV Set is a sharp satire that will please both the average moviegoers and pop culture aficionados."{{cite web |title= The TV Set (2007) |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tv_set |website= Rotten Tomatoes |access-date= Sep 8, 2022 }}