The Comeback is a
television seriesA television program , television programme , or television show is a segment of content broadcast on television...
produced by HBO that stars actress
Lisa KudrowLisa V. Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends. Throughout her career she has received many accolades for her work in film and television including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.-Early life:Lisa V. Kudrow was born...
as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
. It was created by Kudrow and
Michael Patrick KingMichael Patrick King is an American director, writer and producer for television shows. His most famous work has been for Sex and the City where he wrote all the season finales and premieres since the second season...
, a former
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
of
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American cable television series. The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004, for a total of six seasons....
. Kudrow and King were also
screenwriterScreenwriters or scenarists or scriptwriters are people in a film crew who write/create the screenplays from which films and television programs are made....
s and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the
directorA television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or filmed/taped .In both types of productions, the director is responsible for supervising the placement of cameras ,...
of some
episodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s. The series premiered on HBO on June 5, 2005 and aired for a single season.
The show, a
comedyComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
, was shot by a single camera, in the style of
reality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors...
.
The Comeback is a
television seriesA television program , television programme , or television show is a segment of content broadcast on television...
produced by HBO that stars actress
Lisa KudrowLisa V. Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends. Throughout her career she has received many accolades for her work in film and television including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.-Early life:Lisa V. Kudrow was born...
as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
. It was created by Kudrow and
Michael Patrick KingMichael Patrick King is an American director, writer and producer for television shows. His most famous work has been for Sex and the City where he wrote all the season finales and premieres since the second season...
, a former
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
of
Sex and the CitySex and the City is an American cable television series. The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004, for a total of six seasons....
. Kudrow and King were also
screenwriterScreenwriters or scenarists or scriptwriters are people in a film crew who write/create the screenplays from which films and television programs are made....
s and executive producers of the series, with King also serving as the
directorA television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or filmed/taped .In both types of productions, the director is responsible for supervising the placement of cameras ,...
of some
episodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s. The series premiered on HBO on June 5, 2005 and aired for a single season.
The show, a
comedyComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
, was shot by a single camera, in the style of
reality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors...
. Viewers of
The Comeback are actually watching raw
footageIn film and video, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work...
shot for the fictional reality show within
The Comeback, also called
The Comeback.
The series' episode titles (excluding the
pilotA television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes. Networks use pilots to...
) begin with the main character's first name
Valerie... followed the theme of the episode as the main character would have named them, e.g.
Valerie Triumphs at the Upfronts.
Despite a coveted time slot after the hit series
EntourageEntourage is an American comedy-drama that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood,...
,
The Comeback debuted to low ratings and a mixed critical response; despite this, it was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Kudrow. HBO confirmed on September 21, 2005 that the series was officially cancelled after only being on the air for thirteen weeks. It has since been removed from HBO's online list of Original Series programming.
The show placed #79 on
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
's "New TV Classics" list.
Plot
Valerie Cherish is a D-grade actress who had it all. From 1989 until 1992, Valerie starred on a sitcom known as
I'm It! The show was a hit during its initial run, but fell just three episodes shy of reaching
syndicationIn broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple individual stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in countries where television is scheduled by networks with local affiliates, particularly in the United States...
status. Valerie claimed that the show was canceled over a
Rodney KingRodney Glen King is a Black American who, on March 3, 1991, was the victim of police brutality, committed by Los Angeles police officers. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance.The footage showed LAPD officers repeatedly striking King with their batons...
joke, but in a later episode it is made clear that the quality of the show had declined before that point and that a chimp had been brought onto the show to star as another lawyer at the firm. Since then, the fame and fortune Valerie gained from her success and triumphs has depleted. She has become unemployed, married, and does not get the roles for which she was once famous due to her age and personality. Valerie vows that she will make a comeback, which is the ultimate goal in her career as an actress.
The Comeback is shot in the style of a
reality showReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors...
(also called
The Comeback). The show-within-a-show follows Valerie through her home life and her career resurgence. It offers behind-the-scenes footage of the other fictional show-within-a-show,
Room and Bored, a
networkA television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small number of broadcast networks. Many early...
sitcom on which Valerie plays a minor role.
Each episode begins with color bars, over which are superimposed the words "The Comeback: Raw Footage", indicating that viewers to the actual HBO series
The Comeback are watching unedited
videoVideo is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.-History:...
for the fictional reality show
The Comeback.
Major characters
- Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow
Lisa V. Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends. Throughout her career she has received many accolades for her work in film and television including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.-Early life:Lisa V. Kudrow was born...
), the central character of The Comeback, was the star of a sexually-charged 1989 sitcom, I'm It!, in which she played a young superstar attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
. Valerie has fallen out of the limelight but receives a call from her former networkA television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small number of broadcast networks. Many early...
asking her to do a reality show called The Comeback, about an actress attempting to relaunch her flagging career by landing a starring role on the sitcom Room and Bored, a show featuring four sexy singles living in a condominiumA condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
. The role is originally written as a 40-ish architect who acts as an older, wiser, yet still sexy roommate. Valerie wins the role over former sitcom stars Marilu HennerMarilu Lucy Henner is an American actress, producer and author.-Early life:Born "Mary Lucy Denise Henner" in Chicago, Illinois to a Greek mother and Polish father. Marilu's father and brother changed the family name from "Pudlowski" to "Henner" for business purposes. Henner was raised on the...
and Kim FieldsKim Victoria Fields is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tootie Ramsey on the long-running NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, and as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom Living Single...
(who also had reality show cameras following them in case either had received the role). However, after an early rehearsal, Valerie learns the script has been changed to reduce her character's role to that of a 40-ish landlord named Aunt Sassy, a character much like the Mrs. Roper character from Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
. Aunt Sassy is a woman who dresses only in pastelPastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation.The noun "pastel" gives rise to:*...
jogging suits, lives upstairs, and usually only appears in one scene per episode.
- Despite the changed role, Valerie performs well, much to the delight of the audience and the network
A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small number of broadcast networks. Many early...
, and the show is greenlit for a fall season. However, still in denial that her day in the sun has passed, Valerie is obsessed with the direction of Room and Bored. She attempts to use her standing as a veteran sitcom star to persuade the young producers to take her suggestions for the show, despite numerous warnings to "back off." Valerie constantly reminds the crew of her success on I'm It! as a reason to listen to her. Valerie believes it is her duty to explain to her young co-stars what starring on a sitcom entails.
- Initially, even with her reduced role, Valerie thinks she is (or should be) the real star of the show, and is very concerned about her image. It is only after a meeting with a cancer
Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
-stricken family friend that Valerie realizes she must learn humility and to make the best of every situation she is presented. In the end, Valerie agrees to return for a second season of her reality show, despite being thoroughly embarrassed during its highly-rated premiere. This serves as proof that she is willing to completely sacrifice her dignity to return to the spotlight.
- Entertainment Weekly voted Valerie Cherish on The Comeback as Lisa Kudrow's second best performance.
- Jane (Laura Silverman
Laura Jane Silverman is an American actress/voice actress, and the elder sister of actress/comedienne Sarah Silverman...
) is the director of Valerie Cherish's reality show, The Comeback. Jane seems very committed to seeing Valerie is comfortable on camerathumb |right|Cameras from Large to Small, Film to Digital A camera is a device that records images, either as a still photograph or as moving images known as videos or movies...
and is forced to endure the dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective...
that Valerie creates. Jane is seldom seen on-camera, but her voice is often heard. When she is seen on camera, often she is mortified at what she perceives as Valerie's increasingly pathetic attempts to regain stardom. Jane attempts to limit her communication with Valerie, so as not to sacrifice the "reality" content of the show, but the star constantly seems to be talking to Jane. Valerie will ask her director for advice and "re-shoots" of a particular event, and Jane will usually avoid such communication and deny such requests by repeatedly telling Valerie she is forbidden to interact with her in any way. The relationship between the two comes to a head in the final episode.
- Mark Berman (Damian Young) is Valerie's loving (and extremely patient) husband. They had lived a quiet, lavish lifestyle
Lifestyle was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929. The current broader sense of the word dates from 1961.In sociology, a lifestyle is the way a person lives. A lifestyle is a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and oneself in a given time...
until camera crews invaded their privacy. Mark is a dedicated businessman with very little understanding of show businessShow business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element...
. He doesn't seem to be impressed by Valerie's celebrityA celebrity is a person who is famously recognized in a society or culture.Generally speaking, a celebrity is someone who gets media attention and most frequently has an extroverted personality. The desire to be notable is implied by some to be a part of Western culture and more specifically the...
and is annoyed by the reality show cameras but admits to using cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
and watching pornographyPornography or porn is the depiction of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual excitement.Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the...
on camera. Valerie refers to Mark most often as "Marky Mark" and also by the nickname "Love Ball".
- Mickey Dean (Robert Michael Morris) has been Valerie Cherish's hairdresser and friend since the late 1980s. Between I'm It! and Room and Bored, he only worked for the actress part-time. Mickey agreed to work for Valerie full-time as she was cast on Room and Bored in order to receive health benefits from the studio. Mickey is an effeminate man in his 60s who believes that his obvious homosexuality is a well-kept secret. He came out of the closet
Coming out of the closet, or simply coming out, is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people disclosing their sexual orientation and gender identity...
in the finale.
- Paulie G (Lance Barber) is the pudgy co-creator and executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production. Typically an executive producer handles business and legal issues. See also associate producer, co-producer, line producer...
of Room and Bored. He is the person who pushed the change in Valerie's character, as he is very unsympathetic to Valerie herself. Paulie G disagreed with Valerie's casting from the beginning, and constantly seeks to reduce her role on the show. Paulie G is resentful of Valerie's efforts to control Room and Bored and attempts to avoid any communication with Valerie, despite her endeavors to butterButter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications such as baking, sauce making, and frying...
him up. In one episode, Valerie and her camera crew walk in on Paulie receiving fellatioFellatio, also called fellation, is oral sex performed upon the penis. It may be performed to induce orgasm and ejaculation of semen, or it can be used as foreplay prior to vaginal or anal forms of intercourse....
. Though viewers watching the "raw footage" know Paulie G's true intentions toward Valerie, the editors of The Comeback have polished the finished "reality show" by using the same footage to portray Paulie G as a sympathetic producer and all-around nice guy while Valerie is shown to be the antagonist between the two.
- Tom Peterman (Robert Bagnell) is the co-creator and executive producer of Room and Bored. While he tends to agree with Paulie G that Valerie is too overbearing, he attempts to accommodate her requests and show ideas. Unlike Paulie G, Tom tries to communicate calmly with Valerie and treat her with appropriate respect. Valerie tends to speak to Tom first when approaching the producers.
- Juna Millken (Malin Åkerman
Malin Maria Åkerman is a Swedish Canadian film actress and model. She has appeared in such films as The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses, Watchmen, and Couples Retreat.-Early life:...
) is a beautiful young blonde modelthumb|200px|Alesya Nazarova modeling a dress by [[bebe stores|bebe]]A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed for the purpose of displaying and promoting fashion clothing or other products and for advertising or promotional purposes or who poses for works of art.Modeling...
and musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
, who (in her first-ever acting role) plays Cassie, the lead character and niece of Aunt Sassy on Room and Bored. Juna and Valerie become fast friends on and off the set. Juna sees Val as her mentor, and Val calls Juna her "baby girl", though Valerie is silently jealous of Juna's stardom.
Minor characters
- Shayne Thomas (Kimberly Kevon Williams
Kimberly Kevon Williams is an American actress who is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Shayne Thomas in the HBO series The Comeback...
) plays Dylan, Juna's sexy roommateA roommate is a person who shares a living facility, called as a sharehome, such as an apartment or dormitory. Synonyms include sharemate,suitemate, housemate, or flatmate...
on Room and Bored. Shayne is a ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
who objects to the sexual content of Valerie's reality show, but overlooks the obvious sexual innuendo included within Room and Bored because she is playing a character and is not being "herself".
- Jesse Wood (Jason Olive) plays Stitch, the African-American male roommate
A roommate is a person who shares a living facility, called as a sharehome, such as an apartment or dormitory. Synonyms include sharemate,suitemate, housemate, or flatmate...
on Room and Bored. He had been turned down for several acting jobs before landing his current role on the show.
- Chris MacNess (Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz is an American film and television actor, who is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in the 2008 film Twilight. Before acting, he was an Abercrombie & Fitch model.-Personal life:...
) plays Mooner, the surfer-type roommateA roommate is a person who shares a living facility, called as a sharehome, such as an apartment or dormitory. Synonyms include sharemate,suitemate, housemate, or flatmate...
on Room and Bored, who is a love interest to Juna's character. As an actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, he is curious why Valerie is on the show due to her age difference with the younger generationGeneration , also known as procreation, is the act of producing offspring. In a more generic sense, it can also refer to the act of creating something inanimate such as electrical generation or cryptographic code generation....
of the castA cast member is:* An actor who performs in a theatrical production, motion picture, or television series. The actors who perform in the show are collectively referred to as the cast....
.
- Jimmy Burrows (James Burrows
James Edward Burrows is an American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s.-Biography:...
) plays himself and is the directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
of many, but not all, of the Room and Bored episodes. His scenes with Valerie indicate the two have previously worked together. Jimmy likes Valerie and genuinely wants to help her succeed. He becomes increasingly annoyed with Valerie and her reality show, but his attempts to escape Jane and her cameras are usually futile. Jimmy must sternly remind Valerie quite often that she is not the star of Room and Bored and that her input to the producers is unwelcome. Burrows' real career as a televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
director enhances the show's believability, as he has won several Emmy awards for his work as producerThe primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and directorA television director directs the activities involved in making a television episode.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or filmed/taped .In both types of productions, the director is responsible for supervising the placement of cameras ,...
of such series as FriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. The series revolved around a group of friends in the area of Manhattan, New York City, who occasionally live together and share living expenses. The series was produced by...
, CheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Television for NBC, having been created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Paramount Television.A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist...
, and Will & GraceWill & Grace is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006. The show takes place in New York City and focuses on Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler, a straight Jewish woman who runs her own interior design firm...
.
- Francesca Berman (Vanessa Marano
Vanessa Marano is an American child actress. She is best known from the TV series Without a Trace, and Gilmore Girls. She is Laura Marano's older sister....
) is Valerie's stepdaughter. Francesca has generally tried to avoid Valerie, but becomes very eager to bond with her stepmother when in front of the reality show cameras. Francesca lives primarily with her birth mother, but on occasion stays with Mark and Valerie at their Beverly HillsBeverly Hills is a city in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. The area's "Platinum Triangle" of wealthy neighborhoods is formed by Beverly Hills and...
home.
- Gigi (Bayne Gibby), a naive playwright
A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works are usually written to be performed in front of a live audience by actors...
from New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, is hired as the newest writer for Room and Bored. Valerie becomes fast friends with Gigi, with the ulterior motive of getting Aunt Sassy a greater role on the show, and to attempt to supersede some of the writing decisions of Tom and Paulie G. Sensing Valerie's intentions, the show's creators have forbidden any further fraternization between Valerie and Gigi.
- Esperanza (Lillian Hurst
Lillian Hurst is a Puerto Rican actress and comedienne. Hurst made her debut as a television comedian in the early 1960s. She participated in various Off-Broadway and movie productions in the United States.-Early years:...
) is Valerie and Mark's Hispanic housekeeper. She is very uncomfortable around the cameras, often simply staring into them with a suspicious glare on her face.
- Billy Stanton (Dan Bucatinsky
Dan Bucatinsky , is an actor, writer and Film producer living in Los Angeles, California. He was born in New York City to Argentine parents, Julio and Myriam...
) is Valerie's publicist, hired to earn Valerie magazine covers (due mainly to her jealousy of Juna's photo appearing on the cover of Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
). Billy is a second-rate publicist who is just starting his own agency. He is very aggressive and tends to push and shove anybody who offends or disagrees with him. The first magazine cover he lands Valerie is for a yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
magazine, despite Val's ignorance of the yoga culture.
Episode premieres on HBO
- Sunday, June 5, 2005 - Sunday, June 26, 2005: Sundays, 10:00pm Eastern/Pacific
- Sunday, July 10, 2005 - September 4, 2005 : Sundays, 10:30pm Eastern/Pacific
- Sunday, August 21, 2005 - Special Time: 10:45pm Eastern/Pacific
Season 1: 2005
| Episode |
Title |
Writer |
Director |
Overview
(taken from official website) |
Original Airdate |
| 1 |
The Comeback (Pilot A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes. Networks use pilots to...
) |
Lisa Kudrow & Michael Patrick King |
Michael Patrick King |
Valerie Cherish starts a new chapter in her TV career as she agrees to allow cameras to trail her around the clock for a reality show called "The Comeback", a prerequisite for being cast in the pilot of the new series "Room and Bored." |
June 5, 2005 (HBO) |
| 2 |
Valerie Triumphs at the Upfronts |
Lisa Kudrow & Michael Patrick King |
Michael Patrick King |
Valerie, Mickey and the cast of "Room and Bored" travel to New York for a traditional network event where new shows are unveiled to the media. |
June 12, 2005 (HBO) |
| 3 |
Valerie Bonds with the Cast |
Michael Patrick King |
Michael Lehmann Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
|
After a table read for "the first official episode", Valerie invites her co-stars to a "bonding lunch", but Juna doesn't show up. The two make up later with a one-on-one lunch, where Valerie learns why Juna is such a paparazzi favorite. At home, Valerie is touched when Francesca appears to reach out to her at long last. |
June 19, 2005 (HBO) |
| 4 |
Valerie Stands Up For Aunt Sassy |
John Riggi John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
|
Michael Lehmann Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
|
Concerned that Paulie G. has written an unflattering line that will turn audiences against her character, Valerie enlists a new writer, Gigi, to help pitch a less-offensive one. Meanwhile, Valerie rethinks her impulsive decision to adopt a puppy. |
June 26, 2005 (HBO) |
| 5 |
Valerie Demands Dignity |
Linda Wallem -Background:Wallem was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is an out lesbian-Early career:Wallem began her career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
|
Greg Mottola Gregory J. "Greg" Mottola is an American filmmaker and television director. He wrote and directed the 1996 independent film The Daytrippers before being introduced to television directing. Since, he has directed several episodes of Undeclared and Arrested Development...
|
Valerie worries that her comeback storyline isn't "enough", as the network tries to spice up her reality show by cross-breeding it with another one, and by pulling a highway prank that nearly sabotages Valerie's lunch with a TV Guide editor; at home, Mark is increasingly frustrated by the restraints the ubiquitous cameras have imposed on their sex life. |
July 10, 2005 (HBO) |
| 6 |
Valerie Saves The Show |
Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur is a television producer and writer. He wrote for six seasons on NBC's Saturday Night Live until 2004. Soon after, he became producer and writer for The Office on NBC, for which he has written ten episodes so far. He is a graduate of William H...
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Greg Mottola Gregory J. "Greg" Mottola is an American filmmaker and television director. He wrote and directed the 1996 independent film The Daytrippers before being introduced to television directing. Since, he has directed several episodes of Undeclared and Arrested Development...
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With the cast in a funk after a lackluster premiere, Valerie tries to boost morale with a late-night cookie delivery that gives new meaning to her trademark line, "I don't want to see that!"; Mickey accuses Valerie of sharing details about his private life with Juna; and Valerie tries to persuade Shayne to see her reality show in a different "light." |
July 17, 2005 (HBO) |
| 7 |
Valerie Gets A Special Episode |
John Riggi John Riggi is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor who has worked on various television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
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Michael Lehmann Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
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Excited about a "Room and Bored" episode dedicated to her character, Valerie pulls some strings to get a "name" actor to play Aunt Sassy's romantic interest; and Mark's behavior at the Viper Room brings to light intimacy issues that are ultimately too hot for the camera. |
July 24, 2005 (HBO) |
| 8 |
Valerie Relaxes in Palm Springs |
Linda Wallem -Background:Wallem was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is an out lesbian-Early career:Wallem began her career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
and Michael Patrick King |
Michael Lehmann Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
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Valerie and Mark head to the desert for a long weekend at a Palm Springs resort, with strings attached; and while Mark draws the line with Jane's crew on the golf course, Valerie finds a new mentor in an old acquaintance. |
July 31, 2005 (HBO) |
| 9 |
Valerie Hangs With the Cool Kids |
Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur is a television producer and writer. He wrote for six seasons on NBC's Saturday Night Live until 2004. Soon after, he became producer and writer for The Office on NBC, for which he has written ten episodes so far. He is a graduate of William H...
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J. Clark Mathis |
At the insistence of the network, "Room and Bored" gets a makeover and adds two new cast members, Greg and Kaveen, spurring talk of a coup by the "original five." Meanwhile, Francesca's new friend Kalla shakes up the status quo at home. |
August 7, 2005 (HBO) |
| 10 |
Valerie Gets a Magazine Cover |
Amy B. Harris |
David Steinberg David Steinberg is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, writer and author. He was at the height of his popularity as a stand-up comic in the United States during the late 1960s and the 1970s. He appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show 196 times and served as guest host 12 times...
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With Juna getting all the hype and most of the magazine covers, Valerie enlists a new publicist, Billy Stanton, to land a cover of her own. Billy obliges by scoring a shoot for Be Yoga magazine, forcing Valerie to remodel her fitness room and take a yoga crash course. |
August 15, 2005 (HBO) |
| 11 |
Valerie Stands Out on the Red Carpet |
Michael Patrick King |
Michael Patrick King |
When Room and Bored gets nominated for a People's Choice Award, Valerie gets a new dress and a new look. |
August 21, 2005 (HBO) |
| 12 |
Valerie Shines Under Stress |
Heather Morgan |
David Steinberg David Steinberg is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, writer and author. He was at the height of his popularity as a stand-up comic in the United States during the late 1960s and the 1970s. He appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show 196 times and served as guest host 12 times...
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Jane pulls rank on Tom and Paulie G to get Valerie more lines on Room and Bored. A stalker threat forces extra security on the set, exposing Valerie's old back problems as she's prepping for a big pratfall scene. |
August 28, 2005 (HBO) |
| 13 |
Valerie Does Another Classic Leno |
Michael Patrick King |
Michael Patrick King |
After hosting a memorable coming-out party for the premiere of The Comeback, Valerie makes an even more memorable guest appearance on The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno, on NBC. It made its debut on May 25, 1992, following Johnny Carson's retirement as host of The Tonight Show. The nightly broadcast at 11:35 p.m. originated from NBC's studios, in Burbank, California and ran...
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September 4, 2005 (HBO) |
DVD
"The Complete
First Only Season" was released on
Region 1 DVDDVD region codes are a DRM technique designed to allow motion picture studios to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and, price; according to the region...
on August 1, 2006, with the Region 2 version released on September 18, 2006. The discs include all thirteen aired episodes as well as commentary from Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King on the pilot episode and an interview.
External links