Hollywood: Full Limited Series

May 23, 2020 5:38 AM - Season 1 (Full Season)

A group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood try to make it big - no matter the cost.
posted by ellieBOA (4 comments total)

We started watching this one a few nights ago, but haven't finished it yet. Entertaining premise. The plot seems to sometimes take quick leaps forward, making you suddenly wonder if you missed something. The show is shot in that color-saturated style where everything is picture-perfect, like it's a museum display or a showroom, which is pretty typical for a lot of shows cast in this period.

The addition of real Hollywood characters and their tragic stories (Anna Mae Wong, Rock Hudson, for example) is a good "true hollywood" touch, though they do kind-of come off as name-dropping at times. Still, for viewers who weren't aware of the stories, they're nice teaching moments.

I think you kind of have to suspend belief at times, especially when it comes to race issues. The characters mention race at times, and there's a pretty good oratory by one of the characters about the issue, but you'll still have a hard time believing that a black man would be allowed to sit at a swanky bar (no matter if he was with a white friend) during this period.

My wife and I did keep running into a bit of confusion keeping the stories straight, as we often couldn't tell the pretty white guys apart. We found ourselves asking each other "Which one is that?"

It's fun seeing Holland Taylor again, and I didn't even recognize Dylan McDermott at first.

We're juggling three or four shows right now, but definitely plan on finishing this one.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:53 AM on May 23, 2020

A highly implausible and thoroughly enjoyable watch. Some nice performances from familiar faces, and some not so familiar, this show works as a kind of alt-history. Yes, Holland Taylor is always a gem, and I had the same reaction to Dylan McDermott, "Who is that guy...he looks so familiar!"
posted by 2N2222 at 8:17 PM on May 23, 2020

This was bubbly, fluffy fun. I heard someone refer to it as Ryan Murphy's Old Hollywood fix-it fic, which seems about right to me.
posted by lovecrafty at 1:36 PM on May 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

All I wanted was more Joe Mantello, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, and Rob Reiner. Pure joys to watch, the lot of them.
posted by edithkeeler at 1:15 PM on June 15, 2020