To me, this movie is perfection.

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Awesome Movie

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This movie is for those of us sorry schmucks who have worked our hearts & brains to the bone, only to be told by some soulless corporate suit that our creative efforts are not required.What, me bitter?"The TV Set" is a great comedy/drama about a writer who realizes his 1 shot at success requires him to sell out to mediocrity. This paradox leads to some great acidic fun. The movie gets its power from a great script as could only be conceived by a person (writer/director Jake Kasdan) who has seen the spectacle in real life. It builds momentum through brilliant acting, as could only be pulled off by actors who've lived the nightmare in real life. Presented with moments of riotous satire (stick around after the credits to see a scene from the network's golden egg, "Slut Wars"), the humor is spot-on with great deadpan deliveries all around.I don't usually harp on a film's casting, but in this case it was flawless, from the smallest roles (loved the wardrobe lady!) all the way up to Sigourney Weaver as the "soulless suit" who massacres the script, much to the applause of her corporate toadies.INTERESTING TRIVIA: Sigourney's character "Lenny" was originally written for a man. But due to late scheduling problems they gave it to Sigourney. She insisted that no changes be made to her lines, and even the male name "Lenny" was kept. The result is possibly the funniest clueless exec you've ever seen. Pay attention to her, as almost every one if her lines is classic, such as: "This is not just an opinion here! We have the research from other shows. Suicide is, like, depressing to 82% of all people."Omg I had to rewind that one and play it again to get the laughs out.I will warn you, though, I wouldn't call this "uproarious" the way the DVD box advertises (I'm sure some corporate suit came up with that marketing angle). No, like any good satire, its power is in subtlety. No wisecracking punchlines, no slapstick pratfalls, no fart gags. Well OK, 1 fart gag, but you'll agree it really punctuates the point.Jake Kasdan, himself a veteran of many ill-fated TV pilots, gives us a film that very few can claim to be: an honest & mercilessly uncompromising joyride til the end. It reminded me of the brilliant Christopher Guest satires of the entertainment industry: "Waiting for Guffman", "For Your Consideration", "Best in Show", and the king of them all: "This is Spinal Tap".

A hilarious reflection on the process of making a pilot and the state of the TV industry in general. The script, characters and performance style provide a brilliant, subtle humour (far more convincing than the slapstick and gross-out styles that can be found on other projects that Judd Apatow has been involved with). The characters will absorb you instantly, providing a cross section of the weird and wonderful who decide what goes onto our boxes. As we undergo the making of a pilot TV show, so unravels the effects that this has on those involved, and we can observe the relationship between the characters' TV careers and personal lives (although in some cases this could have been explored deeper). You will find yourself laughing out loud, whilst wincing in pain at the injustice of it all! This cringe-worthy comedy is a must-see for anyone who enjoys television!

I did not want to cancel and turn off "The TV Set" as I was watching this brawny satirical comedy about the television industry's ongoing ratings war. David Duchovny bring his sex game (oops, sorry David) I mean his "A" game as Mike Klein, a television series screenwriter who pilots up his latest script to the network. His initiated script loosely based on the aftermath of his brother's suicide is gradually converted into a completely different television tale due to network politics and external pressures. Writer-Director Jake Kasdan gets a good share of my high ratings points by brilliantly depicting the intrapersonal politics and nuances of the television industry via an effective comedic channel delivery. The supporting acting of "The TV Set" was of high auteur definition clarity also: Sigourney Weaver was wickedly delicious as the high- strung television executive, Ioann Gruffudd was executively effective as the transplanted British television producer, Judy Greer wonderfully played her part as Alice the "smiley on all accounts" assistant, and Justine Bateman renewed her acting skills by staying strongly tied to her devoted but firm pregnant wife character. So my end credits to this review inform you to make sure you lock in your cinematic channel to "The TV Set". **** Good

Not living in the US, I know little of how the selection process goes for TV series and in which way this shapes up the yearly crop, but even so, I dare my imagination to go in all those places and the stories it tells me are not truly exciting.Moving on from Orange County, a nice comedy which is nothing more than that, director Jake Kasdan achieves a film that is - like the pilot it portrays - not so much a comedy in its essence, but a comedy out of necessity. The plot is uncomplicated, as it revolves around a writer, his pilot and all ensuing experiences. Often enough, it is themed as a clash between idealism and realism, without being very subtle about it. I don't see it as an "insider" movie so much as it is a movie about TV addiction and the standards this imposes, and while it doesn't go to the level of The Player, it still remains a thoroughly enjoyable watch.There isn't really much to say, except that it's always nice to see familiar faces again , especially if they're in as good of a shape as Sigourney Weaver or David Duchovny. While Weaver has been taking up roles that still seem to feed off some of that Alien nastiness everyone liked so much, Duchovny has been trying to shape up with small comedies and the sort - of late, his new series Californication has him exploring a more familiar runway. Ironically enough, the film works exactly because it has this star power behind it to compensate for the lack of edge the script "provides". As is well said, "Original scares me a little. You don't wanna be too original.".Give it a shot!