In this comedy about the making of a television pilot, writer/director Jake Kasdan serves up an intelligent mixture of first-hand insight and laugh-out-loud comedy. Series creator Mike Klein has finally sold a television pilot. Now he must navigate his show through the mine-laden path from casting through production to the madness of prime-time scheduling and the network "upfronts." Along the way he has to juggle the demands of network executives, volatile young stars, a pregnant wife, and a personal manager of suspect loyalties, all while trying to stay true to his vision. But this is the television business, and there's really only one true agenda: the one that leads to ratings and advertising dollars. Mining his own experiences working in television, Kasdan deftly blends his behind-the-scenes experience with biting humor. The cast hits every comic mark, no matter how subtle or how broad. David Duchovny gives a deeply nuanced performance as Mike, and his reactions are pitch-perfect. Sigourney Weaver flexes her comic muscles as the headstrong network president with a lot of "thoughts" about what the show needs to be a success. And her second-in-command-a British import (Ioan Gruffudd) in his rookie TV season stateside-is caught between the gut instincts that got him hired and the compromises he must make to succeed in his new job. As Mike's wife, Justine Bateman keeps her husband grounded, while Judy Greer shakes things up as his manager. With Kasdan's witty script and impeccably paced direction, The TV Set shows that there is as much entertainment behind the camera as there is in front.

Jake Kasdan and Ishai Setton