House of Lies

• Get another look at the new Bond movie — NextMovie
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Showtime's midseason comedy House of Lies has all the elements of a bold cable series: lots of drama, foul-mouthed characters, and sex, sex, sex. The show is about the consultants of firm Galweather & Stearn, who are committed to doing whatever it takes to make their clients happy — even if that means compromising their morals. Stars Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, and Ben Schwartz joined showrunners at the Winter TCA to talk about their new show and morally ambiguous characters.

• Bell acknowledged that the role of Jeannie is "more provocative than anything [she's] ever done," especially in comparison to her previous TV role on Veronica Mars. When she was asked if she was enjoying the "naughty talk" on the show, she went for shock value and exclaimed that she was "f*ckin' enjoying the hell out if it!" More seriously, she said that as Jeannie, "sometimes I have a potty mouth," and added that "it's nice to not to have those limitations."
• Cheadle said that the decision to do a TV series wasn't out of the ordinary for him, because he wants to "spread [his] wings, so to speak," though he assured the audience that he was still making films. As for his character of Marty, who heads up the firm, Cheadle let us know that there's a good reason viewers might not be able to put their finger on the character: "he's asking himself that same question, who's the real me?" Cheadle said Marty will deal with that identity crisis this entire season, and "chart his crash and burn mentality."
• My favorite part of the panel was when someone referenced star Ben Schwartz's Parks and Recreation character Jean Ralphio. In response to whether Jean Ralphio would hire the firm to represent Entertainment 720, Schwartz said he would definitely figure out a way to afford Galweather & Stearn: "Oh, he'll get the money again." Also, Schwartz thinks Jean Ralphio would love the characters on House of Lies, saying "I think if Jean Ralphio met Marty he would do anything to be friends with him," and he would also "want to fall in love with Kristen and bring her home." The cast laughed about a House of Lies/Parks and Recreation intersection, with Schwartz saying that "it would be a very interesting mix to see those two worlds collide."

The major networks aren't the only ones trotting out new midseason shows; Showtime is getting in on the fun with tonight's premiere of House of Lies. The 30-minute comedy has a great cast that includes Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell as slick, fast-talking management consultants.

• What it's about: Cheadle leads the way as Marty, who has essentially sold his soul for a fat paycheck, along with the three other people on his team (Bell, Ben Schwartz, and Josh Lawson). Marty's not all business though; he's got a "psycho" ex-wife who works for a competing firm, and a young son whose top priorities are shoe shopping and landing the role of Sandy in the school production of Grease.
• Where it works: Cheadle is as excellent as always, and getting an inside look into Marty's world is appealing, especially since this is Showtime we're talking about here. Whether or not the raunchy debauchery that Marty gets into is realistic, it makes for good entertainment.
• Where it doesn't: Though I laughed a couple of times, sometimes the pilot feels too smug for its own good. There's also the issue that Marty consistently freezes time to break the fourth wall and explain what he's thinking, which is a little too reminiscent of Zack Morris's timeouts on Saved by the Bell.
• You might like this show if: You're into Showtime's Californication; the humor is similar and there's just as much nudity.
• When it's on: Sundays at 10 p.m.

To watch a preview of the show and see some pictures, just read more

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• Kristen Bell is joining Don Cheadle in the Showtime series House of Lies – Zap2it
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• Don Cheadle to join Showtime's House of Lies — Vulture
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