Big Screen Bump

The other day, while doing press for his latest movie, Mark Wahlberg let it slip that there are indeed plans for a movie version of the TV show, "Entourage." For those of you who may not have watched the show, "Entourage" was said to be based on Wahlberg's life and followed an actor and group of his friends as they tried to keep his career moving in an upward direction while simultaneously following their own dreams of stardom. I'm told hijinks would then ensue. I'm going to admit to never having watched an episode so this news had literally no impact on my day. Please note, it is not that I made a conscious effort to avoid the show or hated it for one reason or another, I simply didn't have HBO at that time... and still don't. (Honestly, I don't think not having the channel has affected my life in one way or another.) I'm sure I could have tracked some episodes down eventually but the word of mouth was not great and killed my motivation. (Someone once told me I 'seemed like the kind of person who would watch "Entourage"'. I immediately felt insulted and I don't know why.) But regardless of my feelings of apathy towards this particular show I am aware this is obviously not an unprecedented move, as "Sex and The City" got the movie treatment and was so successful that they made a sequel. Sure, the second one killed the franchise, but at least they got two movies out of it. Often that is all that matters with movies - quantity, not quality.

Using a TV show as a basis for a movie makes a lot of sense. There is something to be said for being able to tap into an already-established audience and being able to write a script without wasting time introducing characters and their quirks. (If shows like "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" taught us anything it is that is is certainly easier than trying to go the other way.) The thing is that I didn't exactly hear desperate cries for this movie and it is not like I bury my head in the sand regarding programs I am not a viewer of. There have been plenty of shows I have avoided, yet would be willing to acknowledge if they have a rabid and loyal fanbase which needed to be satisfied with an update of their favorite characters current whereabouts. (The previously-mentioned "Sex and the City" comes to mind.) Just because I don't like a show that doesn't mean I expect the whole world to hate it - I just don't have that much of an ego. (After all, I'm not a TV critic.) I actually think the desire for a movie version of a show is only going to be greater if that show ended on some kind of cliffhanger, where the writers thought they were getting another season and let a lot of unanswered questions. I have no problem believing there are people out there willing to pay good money just to have a few lingering plot holes filled. The "Firefly" movie, while not perfect or a blockbuster, was a lot better than nothing, especially in the eyes of its fans. Anyway this news, as it so often does, got me to thinking - what now-cancelled show would make for the best movie? Here are a couple I came up with.

Las Vegas. Not to be confused with the current show, "Vegas" (Hollywood is not so good with original names), this show ran in the early-00s and ended with one of the most bizarre cliffhangers of all-time. I think the final episode included something like two weddings, a baby, a murder, a robbery and a fake plane crash. The writers clearly thought they were getting another season to dive into all these things, but it never happened. Now, you may be saying to yourself that this show wasn't nearly popular enough to warrant getting pushed to the big-screen, but remember it was a network show and even the worst network show gets better ratings than the best premium cable number. Maybe it would be better as a made-for-TV special, but either way I bet it would do better than most people expect.

Deadwood. Another show which was cancelled before a lot of the questions could be answered, for some reason this show has some of the most loyal fans I have ever seen. Again, I never watched it (upon reflection, maybe not having HBO was a bigger deal than I first thought), but that wasn't for lack of trying by its fans. I couldn't start talking about TV shows I enjoyed between 2004-2006 without someone telling me I should drop what I was doing and immediately start watching "Deadwood." The fans of this show should be rewarded for their loyalty, because if you sucked me in for three seasons and then left me with more questions than answers I would spend all day condemning you to anyone with ears, not telling total strangers how great you are.

The Sopranos. Clearly, HBO has no problem killing a show before it is done (see above) or reviving a show even though everyone thought it was tied into a neat little bow. The good news is they could finally answer one of TV's greatest riddles (whether or not Tony got killed) and no matter which way they decide to take this little choose-your-own-adventure, it would be interesting. They could check in with Tony as the aging mobster who has to deal with constantly younger and more violent competition, or they could say he was killed in the finale and spend two hours watching people fight for his power and territory. It would be like an entire movie based on the last hour of "The Godfather". The good news is that, after seeing him in a recent movie, James Gandolfini wouldn't have to put on any weight to reprise the role.

Freaks & Geeks. Admittedly, this show was not a big hit and I haven't heard any fanboys demanding a movie version to see what is up with all the characters now. In fact, the hipsters who revere the show are pretty insufferable. However, the reason I want to see this show made into a movie is just because of the cast. Honestly, look at its' IMDB page some time - the number of people involved in this show who have gone on to have very solid movie careers is quite staggering. (It's like the opposite of the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.") I would just like to see what the budget would be. The only thing working in their favor is that Judd Apatow is on such a roll that he would likely get some studio to agree to whatever price he wanted. The only challenging part would be creating a role for his wife and kids, because apparently he is incapable of making a movie without them.