Unscripted LA

The LA Weekly reviews the new HBO series "Unscripted," and we're glad. We'd caught a few episodes and found it fascinating and kinda disingenuous.

The series fascinates because it finally reveals the audition process that's hidden from the average Angeleno, except for glimpses witnessed via a roommate, neighbor or new friend hellbent on becoming a working actor.

The series is disingenuous for its inabilty to cop to the influence of George Clooney on the "stars" of this reality-improvised hybrid.
The actresses Jennifer Hall and Krista Allen have both worked with Clooney; indeed, Krista Allen is Clooney's ex-girlfriend.

We wonder why the series pulls its punches about such a fundamental truth about the entertainment business--it's not what you know, it's who you know. All jobs come through the patronage of your contacts, be it the mailroom guy at CAA to the new head of production at Paramount.

What fascinates us is the careful manuevering of obtaining patronage in this town; to us it's the modern day equivalent of the Court of Louis XIV at Versailles.

We hope HBO has the courage to pair "Unscripted" with "Entourage" for bracing views of the real realities of the entertainment business. Even Showtime's "Fat Actress" and the Lisa Kudrow project with HBO about a former TV star has a part to play --it's the end point of the typical Hollywood trajectory from newcomer to next big thing to has been and back again, all carefully manufactured by insiders.