The Lot
The Lot is an American comedy-drama series that aired for two 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 Lot | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Rick Mitz |
| Starring | Rue McClanahan Holland Taylor Linda Cardellini (season 1) Jonathan Frakes |
| Composer(s) | Nicholas Pike |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Marc Juris Paula Connelly Skorka Rick Mitz |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | It's Mitz Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | AMC |
| Original release | August 19, 1999 – April 22, 2001 |
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 |
| 2 | 2 | "Overnight Star" | Guy Ferland | Story by: Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen Teleplay by: Rick Mitz | August 19, 1999 |
| 3 | 3 | "Stardom" | Guy Ferland | Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen | August 20, 1999 |
| 4 | 4 | "Happy Landing" | Guy Ferland | Rick Mitz & Barbara Romen | August 20, 1999 |
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 |
| 6 | 2 | "Hooked on Hollywood" | Doug Wager | Susan Rice | January 14, 2001 |
| 7 | 3 | "The Portable Libby Wilson" | Sharon Hall | Steven Peros | January 21, 2001 |
| 8 | 4 | "Detox" | Sharon Hall | Hall Powell & Steven Peros | January 28, 2001 |
| 9 | 5 | "The Accident" | TBA | TBA | February 4, 2001 |
| 10 | 6 | "Nebraska Johnston" | TBA | TBA | February 11, 2001 |
| 11 | 7 | "Daddy Dearest" | TBA | TBA | February 25, 2001 |
| 12 | 8 | "Stiffed" | TBA | TBA | March 4, 2001 |
| 13 | 9 | "Danny Matthews Takes a Wife" | TBA | TBA | March 18, 2001 |
| 14 | 10 | "The Mob Scene" | TBA | TBA | March 25, 2001 |
| 15 | 11 | "Oscar's Wild" | TBA | TBA | April 1, 2001 |
| 16 | 12 | "Kids" | TBA | TBA | April 8, 2001 |
| 17 | 13 | "Property of Silver Screen" | TBA | TBA | April 22, 2001 |
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
- 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.