Successful British writing couple, Sean and Beverly Lincoln (Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig) are offered to remake their show Lyman's Boys in America. They're are given promises of autonomy over the show by the executive Merc Lapidus. You can largely predict what happens next.
Their initial introduction to Beverly Hills is a happy affair, as Sean and Beverly marvel over their large house--until they realize the tub, large enough to fit two people, is also large enough to take forever to fill. That's Hollywood in a nutshell, a place where wealth and decadence has no bounds, but also a place where two people, however talented, can be lost in a sea.
From there, they meet more of the network people, and, to their utter shock, learn that Merc hasn't even seen the show. Things only get worse when their star, Julian Bullard, who played the main character on the original, is unable to do the part with an American accent. The solution? Matt LeBlanc. Yeah, he's supposed to play the smarmy headmaster of a boarding school...
The pilot of Episodes got quite a few laughs out of me, particularly the very end of the scene where Sean and Beverly learn about Merc and are in complete disbelief. Because the show is about the inner-workings of a television show, it plays to the people watching, most of whom have probably wondered what the executives were thinking at some point. It's a satire and not entirely realistic, but it can spark your imagination about what happened with other shows--for example, Outlaw.
Imagine: A bunch of suits are sitting around with writers who are pitching a show about a defense attorney who saves people from execution. It would be a fine concept at this point. Throw in a few more characters, a splash of personal drama, and it would be workable. But then, an executive picks up the ball--the attorney should have a crisis of faith before switching sides to become a defense attorney. Another guy adds that he should start off as an ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice. Lastly, someone exclaims, "Jimmy Smits!" followed by thunderous applause.
Score: 8.9/10
