THE CAST IN SIX DEGREES OF LEVAR BURTON

Tobey Maguire was in Spider-Man 3 with James Cromwell who was in Star Trek: First Contact with LeVar Burton.

Kristen Wiig was on The Cleveland Show with Ed Asner who was on Captain Planet and the Planeteers with LeVar Burton.

Will Farrell was on Cow and Chicken with Michael Dorn who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

Tim Robbins was on The Love Boat with George Kennedy who was on The Jesse Owens Story with LeVar Burton.

Jessica Alba was on Dark Angel with Rob LaBelle who was on Perception with LeVar Burton.

Haley Joel Osment was on Murphy Brown with Charles Kimbrough who was on Reading Rainbow with LeVar Burton.

Val Kilmer was on Knight Rider with Christopher Michael who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

Carey Mulligan was at the 2010 Brittania Awards with Robert Knepper who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

Molly Shannon was on American Dad with Patrick Stewart who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

Michael Sheen was on The Variety Club Showbiz Awards 2009 with Patrick Stewart who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

David Spade was on Saturday Night Live with Patrick Stewart who was on Star Trek: The Next Generation with LeVar Burton.

THE PREMISE

The show is a spoof of epic miniseries from the 1980’s.

WHAT WORKS

This show is a dream come true. Everything works so far. From Will Ferrell’s over-the-top performance as Eric Jonrosh, to the blatant miniatures that serve as the exteriors, to Lady Anne York herself.

“At a certain point in my career as an artist, I made a necessary decision to discontinue suffering fools” are the first words uttered by Eric Jonrosh as he drinks wine in an empty restaurant. Jonrosh wrote the best-selling novel on which this miniseries of the same name is based. Jonrosh is a whale of a man with a very large beard. He is a multi-hyphenate, and they change every episode. So far, Jonrosh is an Author-Producer-Writer-Director-Raconteur-Bon Vivant-Legend-Fabulist-Auteur-Storyteller-Novelist-Birdwatcher-Yachtsman-Journalist-Short Story-ist-Journeyman-Financier-Creative Consultant-Fisherman-Zeitgeistio-Traveler-Dreamer-Anecdotalist. “I began principal photography on The Spoils of Babylon at some juncture in 1976, and ended production abruptly in January of ’79 for reasons I refuse to make clear. Shooting on Premium Nitrate Non-safety 93mm Triax Reversal Stock and Heinrich Zylist 3X Breath-Take-O-Scope Anamorphic Prime Lenses. The original running time of The Spoils of Babylon was 22 hours and was considered too long for network television.” Jonrosh is too fucking much. I could quote him in this entire post, but I do not want to spoil any of it.

The show centers around the Morehouse family, and specifically, Devon & Cynthia Morehouse. They are the children of Jonas Morehouse, a man who struck oil and became very wealthy. Devon was adopted by Morehouse after he and Cynthia happened upon him on a country road. He pulled over, asked him some questions, renamed him, took him home and raised him as his own. Um, that is kidnapping. Cynthia is in love with Devon, and this serves as the centerpiece of the show. Devon comes home from war with a new wife (York), and Cynthia is not having it. You will be LIVING for the breakfast scene in the second episode where Cynthia confronts York. I have watched it like 15 times. “I am a real woman. And if you ever want to find out you, can come down and watch your brother delighting in it!” Who has died and gone to heaven? Me.

WHAT DOESN’T

There isn’t enough of Eric Jonrosh. He opens and closes every episode, but that isn’t enough. I could listen to him talk for hours.

THE GRADE: A-