Last L.A.-set TV Drama Begins Its Fade Out
Remember shows like “Moonlighting” and “L.A. Law” where you might actually see characters in recognizable L.A. locations? These days, there are no television dramas set in Los Angeles. (No, The OC does NOT count.) There is probably a good reason for this, so someone should do some work and figure out why this is the case.
HBO’s Six Feet Under was the last of one hour show set in and around Los Angeles and it’s last season starts tonight. The show has arguably jumped the shark, but is still better than 90% of TV (100% better than the networks’ summer replacement filler).
If you went and got yourself banned from the beach around the Geffen Estate, you can still swing by the house used for the exteriors of the SFU’s Fisher & Diaz Morturary Home off the 10.
i’m actually enjoying spotting various city locales in HBO’s ‘entourage’, although the show primarily takes place in beverly hills and west hollywood. Enjoyment aside, the product placements are seriously out of control. One scene alone shows philips TVs, arrowhead water, DHL deliveries replete with in-line jokes that reference how DHL can be billed to other people, pepsi, budweiser…lucky jeans t-shirts…later on you get references to Burke Williams and Koi. You cannot tell me Koi is not paying somehow to be mentioned in every other episode. My conspiracy theory is that the entire show, while mildly entertaining in a juvenile way, is one massive 30-minute ad block for nationally-recognized brands (Lucky, Arrowhead, etc) and locally-recognized restaurants, car dealerships and the like. Discuss.
Good call. I guess Entourage is a drama of sorts. Dramedy? Pinks and Coffee Bean also figure in the last season. There could be some corporate kickbacks, but my theory is that these HBO guys write what they know and just pluck the products from their actual lives. Unscripted, The Comeback, Entourage, and Curb (to a lesser extent) all mine pretty much the same Westside/Hollywood culture and topography. (Look for a new post with Entourage reference tucked inside shortly.)