VinnieRattolle
I vehemently abhor reality TV, but was lured into "On the Lot" with the promise of seeing filmmakers at work. What I was treated to, however, was a slow-motion trainwreck that seemed to get worse with each passing episode... so of course, I found myself captivated by it! In the first episode, there was clearly potential in the show as filmmakers paired up and were forced to work together on a short film. However, I don't think the short they were working on was ever aired...The following week, "On the Lot" became a horrendous knock-off of "American Idol," and seemed to be retooled on an episode-to-episode basis. The new format was that filmmakers would make a short film each week (it was later leaked that the shorts were made before the show debuted), and get voted off by viewers. Although it seemed like the focus was supposed to be on the films they made, the show followed the standard reality TV format of making the contestants out to be heroes (visionary Adam Stein, family man Will Bigham, underdog Jason Epperson) and villains (tempermental Marty Martin) -- anyone who didn't get lumped into such a category stood no chance. Initial host Chelsea Handler was instantly replaced with charmless, clueless eye candy Adriana Costa, who emceed the show with all of the wit and charisma of an uncooked potato. Judge Carrie Fisher was there simply to be crazy, judge Gary Marshall came off like a sexist buffoon, and each week a different Hollywood director would sit in as guest judge -- most were obviously VERY embarrassed to be there. When ratings plummeted, the show was knocked down from two episodes a week to one, meaning viewers had to wait a full week to see who was voted off (though it was clear almost from the start who the three finalists would be). What's sad is there was obviously talent involved, and the shorts themselves were generally entertaining (I'd love to see all the shorts collected and released on DVD). The problem was that everything about the show EXCEPT the shorts was ill-conceived. And the biggest travesty is that most of the directors haven't done anything notable since the show left the air -- finalist Adam Stein, in particular, routinely turned out creative and entertaining films, yet he has no further IMDb credits.All in all, the show's most notable for being an unsightly pimple on the face of not only Hollywood, but also reality TV, which is a shame, 'cause it could've been so much more.
jreinhardt-1
I'm not completely blown away with this new Reality Series. However, I do like watching the films these new film makers come out with. Some of these guys really have talent. The films have been entertaining & obviously a lot of work has gone into them. The only thing holding this series back is... #1 the host - she's terrible. She brings nothing to the series & most of the time is flat. She is no Ryan Seacrest. #2 the judges - Carrie Fisher is most of the time... irritating.. She has gotten better toward the end of the series but for God's sake - please come up with better criticism then... I like you I think your talented I just didn't like the film. Then there is Garry Marshall - he definitely has the background but if I hear one more "It was _______ who said" Good grief man, do your kids roll their eyes every time? The guest judges have been the best part. Especially the ones who offer real criticism. Try this type of shot or rework the script because this line didn't work or your filming too close etc. Carri & Garry both need to listen to them more. On the whole I think this works. However, if they do another - get rid of the hostess & replace Garry or Carrie.
jochooi
I love my movies. I come out of the cinema with lots of opinions and theories (some good - some bad) and my friends tell me to shut up already.Here we have a bunch of aspiring producers (some good - some bad) having their short films completely taken apart by well known directors each week.What more can I ask for? Can wait each week to see what new ideas there are. Even the bad ones aren't that bad because they end in 2 minutes.I pity those that are around me when I'm watching this - like my friends and family say "shut up already and watch the show!"
cowmant
It's a better show than some of the other more popular reality shows out there. Sure it has its problems but the work produced by the filmmakers is great and its cool to see short films get screened to a large audience for a change. It's too bad audiences don't take too well to creative showcases such as short films. Some of the filmmakers have a lot of talent and deserve some exposure. I hope it lasts the season because if people watched for the films (not for the host or the characters/tension they try to create on reality shows) then it just might pick up some steam. Is it really that hard to have an attention span these days to sit down and watch a collection of fun short films each week....This viewer doesn't think so...Give this one a chance just for the short films.
