The TV Set

(2006, 87 min) Let me be upfront by saying that, though I am and remain a straight man, David Duchovny can do no wrong in my eyes. (Alright, he can do almost no wrong.) I have no particular interest in staring at his ass in the Red Shoe Diaries, but so long as the man is speaking, I’m listening.

I say this upfront because last night I watched The TV Set, and- though I felt like for some reason I shouldn’t- I really enjoyed it. And I think it wasn’t just because David was the lead. Admittedly, the humor was perhaps more lacking than it could have been, and the satire predictable, it nevertheless provided a surprisingly realistic and entertaining portrayal of why most television is an abomination. It also demonstrates what a colossal success it is when a show is actually half-decent- not because creating moving, honest media is difficult, although it is- but because the production process itself is seemingly hell-bent on mediocrity.

Knowing what I do about the film industry from the inside (I’m not just talking about TLA), I can safely say that it is amazing that films get made at all. Every step of the process is fraught with danger- unnatural dangers created by an unnatural, fear-driven industry. The same is true of television, only more-so: the industry that supports the production process is driven by fear, which drives the recycled shit sandwiches that we have all come to know and love. Sitting behind all of this is a public that glorifies escape, exonerates lazy artistry, and shies away from psychological confrontation. We get shit sandwich because it’s what the majority of us put on the menu. Don’t want it? Stop buying.

At this point you may be thinking, “thanks for all this, asshole, but I was kind of hoping for a film review, not a half-assed rant about the film and TV industry.” Well, consider it a “meta-review.” Because the film itself is an endearing, yet also half-assed rant about the film and TV industry.

If, on the other hand, you want David Duchovny to dial up the bitter and sarcastic dialogue, and throw a whole lot of gratuitous sex into the bargain, just take a pass and get Californication Season One. While watching The TV Set, I even found myself wondering if his character in this movie proved something of an inspiration for his character in the Showtime series, much as Sorkin’s The American President helped create the more polished West Wing. (“Mr. President? Since when did you become the Chief of Staff?”) But my guess is no: we may have a case of Duchovny just being Duchovny.

Thankfully, many of us like him that way.

--James Curcio.