The Lot
| The Lot | |
|---|---|
| Starring |
Rue McClanahan Holland Taylor Linda Cardellini Jonathan Frakes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | It's Mitz Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | AMC |
| Original release | August 19, 1999 – 2001 |
The Lot is a 30 minute dramedy series that aired for 2 seasons and 17 episodes on the AMC from 1999 to 2001. It profiled the fictional studio Sylver Screen Pictures during the 1930s and the pursuits of its classic stars (such as Barbara Stanwyck, Greta Garbo and Shirley Temple). The show was met with neither popular nor critical success but Jeffrey Tambor, Rue McClanahan, Linda Cardellini and Michael York all had notable recurring roles.
The two seasons had two different plotlines. The first season (four episodes) detailed the rise and fall of young starlet June Parker (Linda Cardellini). Cardellini left to star in Freaks and Geeks, forcing a premature end to the first season. The second season (thirteen episodes) revolved around a new main character.
Historical References
The characters of Priscilla Tremaine (Rue McClanahan) and Letitia DeVine (Holland Taylor) were based on gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons respectively. A running end-credits gag had Letitia DeVine reporting ironic news items about period stars on her radio show, then insulting them sotto voce when the broadcast was over. Roland White (Jonathan Frakes) is based on millionaire aeronautical engineer and movie mogul Howard Hughes, who was known for his relationships with pretty redheaded Hollywood starlets.
A movie being made by Sylver Studios refers to The Moon Is Blue, a movie famously censored for having Maggie McNamara say the word 'virgin' in one of her lines.
Sylver Studios was a stand-in for Samuel Goldwyn Productions. The title The Lot also refers to the famed Pickford-Fairbanks Studios lot in Hollywood, California, which rented out production space to multiple film studios.
Awards and Nominations
Nominated: Best Casting for TV, Comedy Episodic: Deborah Barylski, Pat McCorkle
Nominated: Excellence in Costume Design for Television - Period/Fantasy: Jean Pierre Dorléac
- Emmy Awards:
-2001:
Won: Outstanding Costumes for a Series: Gilberto Mello, Jean-Pierre Dorléac for episode "Mob Scene"
Nominated: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Michael York for episode "Daddy Dearest" and "Stiffed"
Nominated: Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series: Cheri Ruff, Carl Bailey, Stephen Elsbree for episode "Daddy Dearest"
-2000:
Nominated: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Holland Taylor for playing Letitia Devine.