Of course, an actor is only as good as the material he's been given and "True Detective" is a stunner in terms of Pizzolatto's narrative and Fukunaga's direction as well. Rarely has a setting been more deftly used as a character in television. Fukunaga paints a picture of a part of the world that hides more than it shows. Each turn in the bayou could reveal a preacher's tent, a whorehouse, or a serial killer's lair. As Hart and Cohle get deeper into their mystery (and those looking for straightforward crime drama should be warned that the plotting is slow as the emphasis is on character more than evidence), they find clues and horrors hidden in plain sight. The A-list actors will force comparisons to film but "True Detective" is more like an incredible novel, where individual chapters may feel frustrating or disconnected but the entire story comes into view by the end. I can't wait to read the final page.
"True Detective" is getting the most buzz but it is not the only example of A-list actors coming to TV in the next couple of days. There are Oscar nominees everywhere you look, including IFC and Showtime. The former features an all-star cast in a '70s mini-series spoof courtesy of the hilarious folks at Funny or Die called "The Spoils of Babylon." As he did with "Casa de mi Padre," Will Ferrell takes his ridiculous concept and pitches it with a straight face, producing a star-studded mini-series about a lost boy who grows up to be a wealthy World War II vet who happens to love his adopted sister. Ferrell introduces each half-hour episode as Eric Jonrosh, the author of the books on which this fictional mini-series is based and the director of the film. These introductions, in which Ferrell reminds one of Orson Welles in his later years, are often the funniest parts of the episodes.
The mini-series itself, which features Tobey Maguire & Kristen Wiig in the leads, supported by Tim Robbins, Jessica Alba, Michael Sheen, Val Kilmer, and more, is flat-out ridiculous in narrative and production value. With its Steve Lawrence theme song, horrendous use of green screen & miniatures, and awful dialogue, "The Spoils of Babylon" is most likely to appeal to those who remember mini-series like "The Thorn Birds" and "Shogun," although even they may be stunned by the commitment to absurdity here. When a significant character is literally played by a mannequin, you know the gang was willing to go anywhere for a joke. The show is helped by being only 22 minutes (although the first night, January 9, features two back-to-back) as "Casa de mi Padre" wore out its welcome with a feature-length running time. Smaller tastings of silliness should make for a nice Thursday night alternative this winter.
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