The Lot (TV series)

The Lot
Created by	Rick Mitz[1][2]
Starring	Rue McClanahan Holland Taylor Linda Cardellini (season 1) Jonathan Frakes
Composer	Nicholas Pike
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	17
Production
Executive producers	Marc Juris Paula Connelly Skorka Rick Mitz
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	It's Mitz Productions
Original release
Network	AMC
Release	August 19, 1999 (1999-08-19) – April 22, 2001 (2001-04-22)

The Lot is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for two seasons on AMC from 1999 to 2001.[3] 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.[4]

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.

Cast

• Sara Botsford as Norma St. Claire
• Allen Garfield as Harry Sylver (season 1)
• Linda Cardellini as June Parker (season 1)
• Steven Petrarca as Charlie Patterson
• Stephanie Faracy as Mary Parker
• Francois Giroday as Fabian
• Holland Taylor as Letitia DeVine
• Perry Stephens as Jack Sweeney
• Jonathan Frakes as Roland White

Episodes

Season 1 (1999)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"It"	Guy Ferland	Rick Mitz	August 19, 1999 (1999-08-19)
2	2	"Overnight Star"	Guy Ferland	Story by : Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen Teleplay by : Rick Mitz	August 19, 1999 (1999-08-19)
3	3	"Stardom"	Guy Ferland	Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen	August 20, 1999 (1999-08-20)
4	4	"Happy Landing"	Guy Ferland	Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen	August 20, 1999 (1999-08-20)

Season 2 (2001)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
5	1	"A New Mogul in Town"	Doug Wager	Rick Mitz	January 7, 2001 (2001-01-07)
6	2	"Hooked on Hollywood"	Doug Wager	Susan Rice	January 14, 2001 (2001-01-14)
7	3	"The Portable Libby Wilson"	Sharon Hall	Steven Peros	January 21, 2001 (2001-01-21)
8	4	"Detox"	Sharon Hall	Hall Powell & Steven Peros	January 28, 2001 (2001-01-28)
9	5	"The Accident"	Jonathan Schmock	Colleen O'Dwyer	February 4, 2001 (2001-02-04)
10	6	"Nebraska Johnston"	Sharon Hall	Lori Lakin	February 11, 2001 (2001-02-11)
11	7	"Daddy Dearest"	Turi Meyer	Jay Wolpert	February 25, 2001 (2001-02-25)
12	8	"Stiffed"	Turi Meyer	Jay Wolpert	March 4, 2001 (2001-03-04)
13	9	"Danny Matthews Takes a Wife"	Doug Wager	Rick Mitz	March 18, 2001 (2001-03-18)
14	10	"The Mob Scene"	Unknown	Unknown	March 25, 2001 (2001-03-25)
15	11	"Oscar's Wild"	Sharon Hall	Kim Powers	April 1, 2001 (2001-04-01)
16	12	"Kids"	Turi Meyer	Rob Dames & Lenny Ripps	April 8, 2001 (2001-04-08)
17	13	"Property of Silver Screen"	Unknown	Unknown	April 22, 2001 (2001-04-22)

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

• Casting Society of America:

Nominated: Best Casting for TV, Comedy Episodic: Deborah Barylski, Pat McCorkle

• Costume Designers Guild Awards:

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.

References

1. Richmond, Ray (August 19, 1999). "The Lot". Variety. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
2. Boedeker, Hal (August 19, 1999). "Stingin' in the Rain". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
3. King, Susan (January 2, 2001). "Behind the Glamour of 1930s Hollywood in 'The Lot'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
4. Smith, Austin (August 19, 1999). "A 'Lot' Going for This New Series". New York Post. Retrieved June 21, 2021.

External links

The Lot at IMDb