johncorbett

Showtime is bringing us a new comedy series. They've ordered twelve episodes of The United States of Tara which will star Toni Collette as a wife/mother who suffers from dissociative identity (multiple personality disorder). The half-hour comedy will follow Collette, her husband (played by John Corbett), and their children as Collette copes with her different identities. They never know which age, temperament or even gender Collette will be on any given day.

Oscar-winner Diablo Cody (Juno) wrote the pilot and will continue on as a writer and executive producer. She is joined by executive producers Steven Speilberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and Alex Junge. The pilot was directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl).

There's something really great about being able to buy an entire season of a TV show, or the entire run, on DVD. It can be addictive, too. But isn't it interesting that even though there are scads of great -- and some not-so-great -- series committed to DVD and readily available online or at the local superstore, there are a ton more that aren't? And what about great TV specials? When I read this list, it got me thinking about which TV programs I would buy in a heartbeat. My list is very subjective -- maybe even eclectic -- but here's my ten TV shows that need to be on DVD.

The Bob Newhart Show
Recently, when the American Masters did a special about Bob Newhart, they showed footage from The Bob Newhart Show. No, not the one with Suzanne Pleshette as Emily. They had clips from the 1961-62 Bob Newhart Show on NBC. It was a variety hour, showcasing many of his now classic routines. It looked really funny, filled with his inspired sketches and bits. And it was critically acclaimed, too, winning Emmy and Peabody awards. Naturally, NBC canceled it after just one season. I'd love to think that there's enough footage from those shows to create a DVD.

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This sounds like a promising new project: John Corbett as Toni Collette's leading man in the Showtime comedy pilot United States of Tara. The show comes from the pen of Diablo Cody, fresh off her Oscar win as the screenwriter of Juno, and the pilot's director is Craig Gillespie who received plaudits for the indie hit Lars and the Real Girl. Oh, and did I mention that Steven Spielberg is one of the producers? Considering this collection of talent and Showtime's recent programming successes, United States of Tara sounds like another ace for the cable net.

The Showtime pilot based on the British hit Manchild has its four leads now. Julia reported that John Corbett (Lucky, Northern Exposure) had been cast. Now comes word that he will be joined by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, etc.), James Purefoy (Rome), and Paul Hipp (Carnivale). According to the Hollywood Reporter, Smith will play Paul, an angry, divorced, 40 something guy who hates his ex-wife and her new husband. I can totally see that working out perfectly. Purefoy is cast as Joe, the leader of the group. He's a good looking rich guy who revels in his single lifestyle.

It's still just a pilot project, but that is some serious casting. I'm always a little leery when someone decides to adapt a British show for a U.S. audience. The track record for doing that isn't exactly stellar. But given this cast, I'm certainly interested to see their take on the story.