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S01.E01: Pilot

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in Another Period [V]

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Tara Ariano

Tara Ariano

In the premiere of this comedy about an aristocratic family in Newport, R.I., in the early 20th century, Bellacourt Manor welcomes a new servant; a space opens up in the Newport 400; and the family receive a visit from Helen Keller.
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Kromm

Kromm

It's online at Comedycentral.com if anyone wants to see it early.

 

I gotta say this show is pretty out there.  Very over the top, and lets admit it often crude. The results are mixed (parts are very SNL-Skit-like, which is NOT a recommendation, but there are brave parts too).

 

I especially laughed at the scene with the scandalous brother and sister who want to get passionate with a legion of servants standing behind each of them helping them undress.  I also have to admit I laughed at the very over the top Helen Keller stuff, and the very wacked out long er.... I guess we have to call it a "fight sequence", although it's kind of just chaos.  It was a lot of the throw-away jokes that didn't work as well. Most of the mockumentary talking to the camera stuff, for example, which could have been the cleverest bits (because they have the most relevant thing to mock--the Kardashians--didn't really work that well.  Whereas the Downton Abbey Upstairs/Downstairs stuff, while crude, DID seem to work to me because as humor it's more original.

 

Christina Hendricks seems like she's got the juicy part they haven't fully explored yet.  She played the role so much on the down-low you can tell there's more (and we saw that at least twice during the episode). 

 

Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome were okay, but they were SO buffoonish you just have to treat them like cartoons.  Michael Ian Black I enjoyed though, as the snooty butler, and the two husbands had some unexpected meat to their roles too (hee... especially at the end).

  • Love 1
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Britty

Britty

I thought parts of it were hilarious.  It's definitely over the top, but I'm ok with that.  I loved the crazy cocaine-wine fueled fight, and the butler scaring the "hysterical" maid.  There were some misses, but enough hits for me to want to see where they go with the insanity.

  • Love 3
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ganesh

ganesh

Is there an actor more born for playing a snooty butler than Michael Ian Black. Wow, is this show weird and I laughed a lot. I felt like the women pitched the show, got the green light and then hired all their friends. It's basically the entire cast from Drunk History. 

 

I could listen to Paget Brewster growl all day. And then shoot people. I love Artemis in anything. I bet CH was thrilled to play "Chair" and let loose after lugging Joan around for 7 seasons. 

 

You really just are going for it, if you're opening show has Helen Keller in it. 

  • Love 5
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Kromm

Kromm

Is there an actor more born for playing a snooty butler than Michael Ian Black. 

I'm sure there must be, but MIB does stuff with such conviction, I love him in everything he does.  

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bmoore4026

bmoore4026

Holy shit, I am in love with this show!

 

Allmeal, Blanche's neurotic behavior, Dodo coming in with the rifel, Fredrick's bath, Cocaine Wine, Helen Keller getting punched out, and Chair isn't the sweet innocent thing she seems - this show is awesome!

 

I like that Hortense doesn't have to do a lot to sabotage her sisters since they're very good at sabotaging their social standing just fine all by themselves.

  • Love 1
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Latverian Diplomat

Latverian Diplomat

 

It was a lot of the throw-away jokes that didn't work as well. Most of the mockumentary talking to the camera stuff, for example, which could have been the cleverest bits (because they have the most relevant thing to mock--the Kardashians--didn't really work that well. 

 

 

I agree that there were a lot of jokes that didn't land. I get that it's a pilot, so they were trying out a lot of stuff, but I hope they find a style and embrace "less is more" as time goes on. But that's my taste.

 

I thought the camera interviews were making fun of Modern Family, especially the final, pseudosentimental "only thing that matters is family" one, so I was fine with them.

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thuganomics85

thuganomics85

Decided to check this out on a whim, and while there were some misses, I also laughed a lot, so I think I'm sticking around.  I only casually watch Downton Abbey, but this show basically reminded me of that, if most everyone on that show were just purely insane. As a concept, I certainly am not against it, since I do tire of the critical love for that show (just not a huge fan.)

 

Definitely loved Michael Ian Black as Peepers.  His one-liners had me howling at times.  Just a perfect casting choice.

 

Natasha and Riki were over-the-top at times as Lillian and Beatrice, but I still got a kick out of how awful those characters were, and how they ended up on getting on Thomas Lennon's list.  Plus, they did get their asses handed to them by Hellen Keller, as far as I'm concerned.  The brother was the only reason Helen got taken out!

 

Speaking of the brother, I've only seen Jason Ritter in The Event, which was an unintentional comedy, so him actually being fun was a nice change.

 

Loved seeing all the other comedy actors I've seen in various smaller roles like Brian Huskey (still miss Selfie), Brett Gelman, David Koecher, and Beth Dover, who I know is also married to Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Joe Lo Truglio, which is just awesome.

 

I totally did not know Christina Hendricks was going to be in this!  She was mainly the straight, normal person amongst the crazies here, but that twist at the end (although, I suspected it was coming) and that awesome sinister smile at the end, really has me intrigued.

 

I'm easily amused, because I got a kick out of them mixing rap music into certain scenes.

  • Love 1
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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

I agree that there were a lot of jokes that didn't land. I get that it's a pilot, so they were trying out a lot of stuff, but I hope they find a style and embrace "less is more" as time goes on. But that's my taste.

 

I thought the camera interviews were making fun of Modern Family, especially the final, pseudosentimental "only thing that matters is family" one, so I was fine with them.

Modern Family isn't really on the bleeding edge of people's awareness though. So I think it's more the standard Kardashian/Real Housewives/Random Bravo, MTV or E! show talking head.  Which dates back even before Modern Family, but which is constantly recycled with each new similar reality show.

 

Remember Queen of Jordan on 30 Rock?  That's basically what they were doing here in those parts, IMO.

Edited by Kromm
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Latverian Diplomat

Latverian Diplomat

Modern Family isn't really on the bleeding edge of people's awareness though. 

I had no idea that a multiple emmy award winning show that's in the top ten rated shows (still) in 2014-15 was so obscure. :-)

 

The other thing that makes it Modern Family-ish to my mind, is that there's no other reality show conceits here. Just the confessionals that are like reality TV confessionals aren't really connected to a larger reality show infrastructure. And the rhythm of the way the confessionals establish the plot and then "resolve" it in a "sentiment" about family is very MF, to my line of thinking

 

It's true that it's about horrible people, which Modern Family ostensibly isn't (but if you pay close attention you start to wonder). 

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

Please visit http://www.cc.com/shows/another-period

 

Look on the extreme right for the text "They're No Housewives".

 

Click on that.

 

Note the graphic that comes up (which says "The Real Aristocrats of Rhode Island").

 

Click on the button that says "Watch Your Back".  Watch the video THAT goes to, which is constructed exactly like a Real Housewives type promo spot.

 

So maybe a little less Kardashians, but Real Housewives is part of their website and their ad campaign.

 

EDIT - As for the Kardashian parts... if you search around the Comedy Central YouTube account there are alternate ads to the Real Housewives-esque one that feature the sisters taking turn of the 20th century selfies (and a few other similar spots for other social media ridiculousness). Which to me equals parodying the K-family, but I suppose that's a matter of opinion.

Edited by Kromm
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Emme

Emme

I have read many books about that time period. For some reason, I am fascinated by all of those turn-of-the-century fortunes, and how they've been pissed away over generations. I particularly love reading about the Vanderbilt family. "The Commodore" head of the Bellacourt family is obviously a nod to Cornelius Vanderbilt.

 

Anyhow, the show was pretty fun. The cast is great. I thought it was a bit uneven, but could definitely see it getting better with time.

  • Love 1
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tomsan

tomsan

"It also really bums me out that Hortense was recast, because Artemis Pebdani was one of the pilot's highlights for me."

THIS. I was to know the story behind why she left. She seemed perfect for the character, and I haven't watched episode 2 yet, so I don't know how well the other actress does, but she was one of the highest points in the show for me as well.

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

It looks like she shot an Indie film released this year (so maybe shot in 2014). Also she was on this past Season of Scandal (5 episodes) and at some point recently 7 episodes of Masters of Sex.  That seems like a lot of potential for scheduling conflicts.  While this show is airing Summer 2015, the pilot could have been shot more than a year ago.

 

EDIT - It almost certainly was--and yes, more than a year ago in fact.  How do I know this?  Well while I can't find a filming schedule or something about a location shoot for the Pilot, Deadline Hollywood reported on the series order on June 9, 2014.  And while some series go to production straight off a pitch, the very fact that we know there WAS a pilot shot separately means that's not the case here.  Reasonably to get a series order in early June 2014, that means the Pilot was probably shot March or April 2014.

Edited by Kromm
  • Love 1
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queenbee9b

queenbee9b

It looks like she shot an Indie film released this year (so maybe shot in 2014). Also she was on this past Season of Scandal (5 episodes) and at some point recently 7 episodes of Masters of Sex. That seems like a lot of potential for scheduling conflicts. While this show is airing Summer 2015, the pilot could have been shot more than a year ago.

EDIT - It almost certainly was--and yes, more than a year ago in fact. How do I know this? Well while I can't find a filming schedule or something about a location shoot for the Pilot, Deadline Hollywood reported on the series order on June 9, 2014. And while some series go to production straight off a pitch, the very fact that we know there WAS a pilot shot separately means that's not the case here. Reasonably to get a series order in early June 2014, that means the Pilot was probably shot March or April 2014.

It was driving me insane that I could not place her! She's the VP from VA on scandal! I love her on that show too.

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