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Herc’s Not Charitable Toward NBC’s THE PHILANTHROPIST!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
A disappointing drama from writer-producer Tom Fontana (“Homicide,” “Oz”), “The Philanthropist” stars the great James Purefoy (Marc Antony from “Rome”) as a billionaire named Teddy Rist who travels about throwing his money at an array of problems. Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar from “The Wire”) plays his bodyguard. Neve Campbell (of “Scream” fame) and Lindy Booth (“Odyssey 5”) play fabulous associates.
In this instance it helps to remember that Fontana followed the arresting “Oz” with The WB’s dreadful “The Bedford Diaries.” Fontana, alongside producer Barry Levinson, left the show over creative differences with the network a few episodes in, was replaced by David Eick (“Bionic Woman”), then unexpectedly returned to replace Eick. Lord knows how this will affect quality-control over the series’ 8-episode run.
The silly, hamhanded “Philanthropist” pilot, which deals mostly with Rist’s efforts to retrieve and transport a sack of cholera vaccine, turns out to be overstuffed with an illogical and unlikely assortment of misadventures audiences are presumably expected to embrace as colorful.
Minor efforts are made to balance Rist’s humanitarian side with hints of his fleshier pursuits, but the teleplay doesn’t push him hard enough into the excesses that made Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark’s civilian identities so much fun to spend time with.
On the upside Purefoy is typically commanding, superskinny redheaded Booth is fun to look at, the bartender who stars in the episode’s framing device is plenty hot (as is Krista Allen, who plays Rist’s ex-wife), and I enjoyed the brief appearances of Sting and Men At Work tunes on the soundtrack.
Bottom line: As much as I like Purefoy, I don’t see my DVRs contributing space to the cause.
USA Today says:
… a well-acted, well-intentioned, incredibly preposterous show that would struggle even if it were in step with the times … Ultimately, though, it's the "tycoon" part of Teddy that makes The Philanthropist so deeply silly. There he is, stumbling barefoot through the jungle with his one bag of vaccine, surviving more by luck than skill, when he clearly would have done the village a better service by buying the vaccine in bulk and hiring someone competent to deliver it. …
The New York Times says:
… it’s the hero’s duality — he’s a good Samaritan with a flawed personality — that helps make “The Philanthropist” an unusual and exhilarating network series. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… a gorgeous-looking bit of earnest junk … I'm not sure the candy mint the network wants to make of this isn't preferable to the breath mint Fontana and Levinson envisioned; in any case, it is most silly at its most serious. It might be better to go the full 007. As it is, and notwithstanding some spectacular location footage, there's scarcely a real moment in it from first shot to last.
The Chicago Sun-Times says:
… It's too educational and earnest for me to consider it "entertainment," but other viewers might be better people than me. If you do make it through more than one episode, be sure to list it as "volunteer hours" on your resume. …
The Washington Post says:
… [director Peter] Horton may in fact reach too frequently into his bag of editing and photographic bells and whistles, but for the most part his approach helps sustain interest when the teleplay falters, sputters or just plain poops out. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… Will Rist become a righteous do-gooder or will "The Philanthropist" show more nuance and complexity? To live up to its promise, "The Philanthropist" needs to do more of the latter.
The Newark Star Ledger says:
… I want to see another episode or two before I can tell if "The Philanthropist" has the potential to be anything more than a summer trifle. But thanks to Purefoy, it's at least an entertaining trifle. …
The Toronto Globe and Mail says:
… ludicrous … Maybe The Philanthropist will save the world, but I doubt it. Its producers can't even keep the planet safe for storytelling. …
The Miami Herald says:
… ineffably stupid … Pointless, charmless and bound to be viewerless after the first half-hour or so … [Rist] resolves to give [his fortune] away, in the most ludicrously inefficient and counterproductive ways possible. A Nigerian village needs a box of cholera vaccine? Why ship it on the bus when you can bribe a narcotrafficker to deliver it for $250,000 and get a firefight with the DEA thrown in for free? …
The Boston Herald says:
… reeks of a series rushed into production. It’s competently filmed, with a decent cast, but someone high up didn’t think through the premise. … With his money, he could hire dozens of knowledgeable locals to deliver vaccine across the country, but that thought apparently never occurs to him. …
The Boston Globe says:
… It’s hard to fault a drama that celebrates altruism and tries to glamorize social conscience. But I found myself cringing at the condescending scenes of our rich white savior wandering among the Africans with their colorful outfits and drum music, his checkbook at the ready in case he needs to bribe a local. …
Entertainment Weekly says:
… has a bristling intelligence that overcomes the sentimental parts of Teddy's life.
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… creators Charlie Corwin, Tom Fontana and Jim Juvonen take this high-concept premise (with real-life roots) and lend it layers of thought and intrigue. … For now, this is a well-made thrill ride of a start. Deep inside "Philanthropist" is a smart, earnest yet realistic series waiting to be told, and the pilot makes an intriguing beginning.
Variety says:
… fields a topnotch ensemble while initially giving them little to do. Unearthing a Nielsen payday should be challenging, but the show's a cut above most of the disposable summer filler the networks have offered thus far. …
10 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.
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When did common sense ever interfere with broadcast success?
Accounts and reviews sound dreadful. But for his performance as Marc Antony, Purefoy has earned at least an episode or two of my time. -
or did I imagine seeing him in the commercial - I only ask because I find it odd none of the reviewers mention him (unless I missed it).
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Just the sort of writing level I've come to expect from AICN. Well done.
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Herc wrote: "As much as I like Purefoy, I don’t see my DVRs contributing space to the cause."
Dude...you watch reality shows. Your opinion of a show's quality is meaningless. -
twice.
At least he didn't campaign to have Earl canceled in this post. Did they hire your friend back or something? -
(middle finger)
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Who has super powers and they have to save her and save the world....oh ya, sorry, different bad NBC show...this will be off in two episodes, NBC sucks cock
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man that was a kickass show. It's understanding why it had to be cancelled though. It did look like a very expensive show.
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Please save us *beautiful* rich man with your *beautiful* cohorts. No nerdy Bill Gates or fat, plain-looking assistant are capable of doing good in the world. ;)
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Best ham acting in a harness since William Shatner.
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Sad how original scripted programming with a positive message behind it gets shit on around here. Honestly, can someone tell me what was so bad about the show? I hope none of you who criticized this show liked Iron Man. The Philanthropist is basically a mash-up of Bruce Wayne and James Bond, which I guess makes him Tony Stark without the silly armor. It got a little too over-the-top with the trek through the forest and the snake bite, but I thought it was fun and entertaining. He drinks on the job and had an orgy before picking up some vaccine in Nigeria. Purefoy is fantastic. It's a shame Herc shot this one down and the rest of the sheep follow along, not even giving it a chance. Don't fucking bitch about all the goddamn reality shows if you won't check out an original show with a complex character, shot beautifully in lush locations. Fuck.
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this isn't a "mash up of bruce wayne and tony stark" , the show is based on a real guy named Bobby Sager who actually does do this shit, is he like the guy on the show? all james bond and shit? no. but It's kinda nice knowing theres *something* of substance behind a show, what with all the empty shit on TV now...
http://www.teamsager.org/ -
I guess I'm the fuckwit, thanks. I was talking about the character. You honestly see no similarities between Rist and Stark, Bond, and Wayne? It's not a bad thing, it's what made the show so much fun. Fuck these talkbacks, even when people agree on the quality of a show they STILL have to insult others.
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Dem rich white trash fuggas is sweeta dan honee.
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Outside of, like, three of us... nobody checked this show out? You assholes deserve every shitbag reality show and procedural drama clogging the networks.
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buy the notion that James Purefoy is a super nice, grounded, charitable dude. Who knows, perhaps he really is, and that just speaks to his acting talent that he was able to play a complete douche so well.
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I can buy into giant robots, a man dressing like a bat to fight crime or even that we are all part of a computer program so machines can suck energy from our bodies. What I can't buy into is a rich guy who falls in a puddle and then decides he is going to forget that he could have -- bought a fucking helicopter himself -- and taken the medicine straight to the village. Really, walking barefoot in the jungle had to be the only way? Really? I will give this show a couple of more episodes, only because I liked the acting -- but the scripts better improve.
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Man, this is worse than the kid that played Michael ending up on 90210!
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