DanaK May 21, 2024 Share May 21, 2024 Quote The HBO Original three-part documentary series REN FAIRE, produced and directed by Lance Oppenheim, executive produced by Elara Pictures, and co-created by Oppenheim & David Gauvey Herbert, debuts SUNDAY, JUNE 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Episodes two and three will air back-to-back the following Sunday, June 9. Synopsis: For half a century, 86-year-old George Coulam, known to his employees as King George, has reigned with an iron fist over the Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest such "faire" in the world. He has power, as the elected mayor of the town he incorporated. He has glory, as the undisputed employer and self-proclaimed ruler of thousands. He has vast wealth, as the majority shareholder of the festival. Now, he is ready to give it all up and spend the last years of his life in the quest for a romantic companion. But before he retires, George will finally choose which of his longtime employees will take his crown. Blending documentary verité with fantasy, REN FAIRE - a three-part docu-fantasia - invites you behind the curtain of the famed Texas festival to reveal a tense and comical succession drama. Featuring individuals self-styled as Shakespearean characters, the series details an epic power struggle between an actor, a former elephant trainer, and a kettle-corn kingpin, all vying to claim George's throne. As King George's idiosyncrasies mount, the series' tension over who will be chosen ascends to increasingly operatic heights, against a backdrop where the employees imagine themselves in a real-life "Game of Thrones." Full press release http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2024/05/21/hbo-original-documentary-series-ren-faire-debuts-june-2-46113/20240521hbo02/ 1 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/
SVNBob May 24, 2024 Share May 24, 2024 As someone who regularly attends TRF, has worked there in the past, and is friends with someone who is friends with one of the "stars" of this show, this series is going to be interesting. Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8377857
meep.meep June 3, 2024 Share June 3, 2024 A bit over the top. Helps to remember that a lot of these folks are actors. He's wrong about it being the first Renaissance Fair if it started in 1974. Both Los Angeles are and San Francisco area had Ren Fairs that started in the late 60s. 2 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8385208
Irlandesa June 3, 2024 Share June 3, 2024 It was over-the-top but kind of fun. It definitely felt like a real situation with semi-fictional dialogue. But I have to admit, I got a kick out of the general manager telling his wife to say she serves George. So ridiculous but kind of great, especially followed by the surreal phone call. Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8385288
Shrek June 4, 2024 Share June 4, 2024 Is this for real. I accidentally caught the second half as I was merrily flicking through the tv line up looking for something to watch and ended up watching it & then staying to watch the first half afterwards. I spent yesterday trying to remember what it reminded me of & and it dawned on me last night, it reminded me of the first time I accidentally came across the first ever episode of The Office in 2001 on BBC2. The "this looks like a documentary but" train of thought, as it turned out The Office was a spoof & a brilliant one at that, is this one for real or another in the same vein as The Office? 1 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8385857
DanaK June 4, 2024 Author Share June 4, 2024 3 minutes ago, Shrek said: Is this for real. I accidentally caught the second half as I was merrily flicking through the tv line up looking for something to watch and ended up watching it & then staying to watch the first half afterwards. I spent yesterday trying to remember what it reminded me of & and it dawned on me last night, it reminded me of the first time I accidentally came across the first ever episode of The Office in 2001 on BBC2. The "this looks like a documentary but" train of thought, as it turned out The Office was a spoof & a brilliant one at that, is this one for real or another in the same vein as The Office? I’m pretty sure it’s real but that doesn’t preclude some recreated scenes (I think the director mentioned one in an interview) or these folks, who are performers, playing things up 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8385862
meep.meep June 10, 2024 Share June 10, 2024 what a surprise! (not) George doesn't sell, doesn't pick a successor, and manages to screw over three people who actually believed in what he has built. I couldn't figure out how Jeff lost about 200 pounds between getting fired and getting his job back as drama director. 2 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8389899
Maurina June 10, 2024 Share June 10, 2024 Ugh. I have had bosses like George. They are the fucking worst. All ego, endless verbal abuse, ridiculous demands, and ad hominem attacks. Bite me, dude. You literally could not pay enough to work for another one of those assholes. 3 1 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8389964
Irlandesa June 10, 2024 Share June 10, 2024 1 hour ago, meep.meep said: I couldn't figure out how Jeff lost about 200 pounds between getting fired and getting his job back as drama director. He said he had weight loss surgery. And I believe I read that this documentary was filmed over the course of more than a year. I've been reading some of the stuff on reddit from people who attend this festival and who have worked there. It sounds like George may be even worse than he appeared in this doc. And Louie is apparently a horrible boss that he just had a bunch of people quit on him. I think this could have been half as long. I was intrigued for the first hour but once I realized where it was going, and the theatrics, I started suspecting it was more and more staged. 4 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8389970
CherryMalotte June 10, 2024 Share June 10, 2024 I've been to the seasonal Ren Faire here and enjoyed it so much, even though it's expensive. I can't even imagine working for/with George. It's not just he control freak thing, but what comes out of this dude's mouth - he's got to have lawsuits. Why would any woman work for this idiot? And really, he would find fault with anyone, no matter how hard they worked for him. That sale was never going to go thru, to the Sherwood people or to that staff member. He'd never be able to live it down if they ran it better than him. Now I want to see a doc about the actual workers and performers at any Ren Faire. 2 1 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8390181
Linderhill June 11, 2024 Share June 11, 2024 silly me, I thought this would be about the whole Renaissance Fair organization, nation wide. Instead it was a an misogynistic ass control freak with majorly bad decorating taste. A rocco bathroom? yikes! 4 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8390479
SVNBob June 11, 2024 Share June 11, 2024 5 hours ago, Linderhill said: I thought this would be about the whole Renaissance Fair organization, nation wide. There's no such thing. Most faires are independently owned and operated. There is the faire "circuit", where performers and merchants travel from faire to faire throughout the year to ply their trades. But which faires are on the circuits are up to each individual act and company. (Plus with the internet and Etsy in particular, there's less need for many of the people who sell their own hand-made crafts to attend a lot of faires, so they'll tend to go for the bigger and/or more attended faires.) 2 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8390646
aghst June 14, 2024 Share June 14, 2024 More than one reviewer comparing it to Succession. Justified? 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8392374
merylinkid June 17, 2024 Share June 17, 2024 Jeff was gone as GM as soon as he talked about bringing ideas back from Germany. No one is allowed to have ideas except George. You could see it in George's eyes whenever Jeff talked about Germany. George wants a companion then keeps looking on "Hot Girls R Us." He would have better luck hitting up bingo night at the local retirement home. but he was gross talking about sex all the time. Of course he was never going to sell. Anyone who expressed interest in buying and taking over would automatically be labeled as disloyal. Although Jeff was an idiot, both he and his wife's income depended on one narcissist. great way to wind up homeless and broke. George has built a company town and everyone better kiss George's ass or be gone. 2 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8394105
anniebird June 23, 2024 Share June 23, 2024 Was Louie pounding Coors Light nonstop or was that something else in cans? Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8398594
SVNBob June 24, 2024 Share June 24, 2024 Bud Light is one of TRF's sponsors, so.... 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8398996
T Summer June 29, 2024 Share June 29, 2024 As a once avid Renaissance Faire goer I was so delighted and intrigued when I saw the promo for a series called Ren Faire. I never want to attend the TRF. I don't give a damn if it's the biggest or longest running (don't now if they actually stated that), I'd never put a penny in the pocket of that insufferable little toad! The way George had totally incoherent outbursts yelling nonsense over the women especially who work for him. What's the book YOU need to get? Why I need to read more... that's the book you need to get, he railed. The man is deranged. Never have I ever seen so much expensive decor: stained glass, carved wood, gilt, oil paintings, statues... freestanding and in niches look quite so garish and so tacky. Some university gave him and "art degree"? Their doors should be shuttered immediately. 2 2 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8402735
Shrek June 29, 2024 Share June 29, 2024 33 minutes ago, T Summer said: As a once avid Renaissance Faire goer I was so delighted and intrigued when I saw the promo for a series called Ren Faire. I never want to attend the TRF. I don't give a damn if it's the biggest or longest running (don't now if they actually stated that), I'd never put a penny in the pocket of that insufferable little toad! The way George had totally incoherent outbursts yelling nonsense over the women especially who work for him. What's the book YOU need to get? Why I need to read more... that's the book you need to get, he railed. The man is deranged. Never have I ever seen so much expensive decor: stained glass, carved wood, gilt, oil paintings, statues... freestanding and in niches look quite so garish and so tacky. Some university gave him and "art degree"? Their doors should be shuttered immediately. Undecided about him then? 3 1 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8402751
SVNBob June 30, 2024 Share June 30, 2024 8 hours ago, T Summer said: I don't give a damn if it's the biggest or longest running (don't now if they actually stated that), Physically it's the largest. 55+ acres of territory; covering the festival village proper, parking, camping, and other space. Longest running? Definitely not. That honor goes to the Original California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, the mother of all Ren Faires in the US. 1 2 Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8402954
TattleTeeny August 4, 2024 Share August 4, 2024 (edited) On 6/24/2024 at 4:33 AM, SVNBob said: Bud Light is one of TRF's sponsors, so.... It was Red Bull; he said he no longer drinks. Did he claim it was the longest-running? I thought I heard him say that he'd attended another one before he ever created his own. Edited August 4, 2024 by TattleTeeny Link to comment https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/147485-ren-faire/#findComment-8427103
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