This Sunday night is full of big premieres on Showtime. One of them, on the network constantly trying to compete with HBO and AMC, is an exciting new series called House of Lies. A half-hour, satirical comedy about a wealth management company full of fast-talking, spin-sters bent on influencing the rich on how to spend their money, while taking a hefty sum for themselves along the way.
Starring Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell and Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio from NBC's Parks and Recreation) the new series should easily be any most anticipated list. Add Emmy award winning director Stephen Hopkins to the mix and it was no wonder it quickly got picked up for a full season after the the initial pilot order late last year. Based on Martin Kihn's book, "House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time," the show follow's Cheadle's Marty Kaan and his teams of consultants as the bilk the rich amongst some other lascivious activities.
What else is there to do when you're young, successful and "have the people who have the world by the balls, by the balls"? Showtime released two clips from this Sunday's premiere. In the first, appropriately titled "Trophy Wives," we get a taste of Don Cheadle's Marty Kaan and the kind of behaviour we should expect from him (galavanting with high-class, uh, escorts) and his exceedingly rich and desperately to impress clientele. Looks like a sticky situation. The second, introduces the rest of the team and the kind of awesome banter we should expect from the group as well as their (lack of) faith in Kaan, their definitely fearless leader. I love the double Monster cans. Ridiculous.
Showtime released the full pilot online last week, as well as the season openers of Californication and Shameless, but since all the good bits were edited out, waiting for the proper premiere this weekend seemed like a good decision. Okay fine, I watched the edited pilot but that doesn't mean I won't still be tuning in to watch the unedited version. Damn you, Showtime.
House of Lies is set to premiere on Showtime, January 8, 2012 at 10 p.m. It stars Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Dawn Oliveri, Glynn Turman and Donis Leonard Jr. It was created by Matthew Carnahan.
Official Synopsis via Showtime,
In the Season 1 premiere, Marty and The Pod travel to New York to consult for MetroCapital, a bank looking for a plan to unscrupulously justify their year-end bonuses as the financial world around them burns, but Marty makes an enemy of Greg Norbert, MetroCapital's number two executive. Back at home, Marty receives unwanted parenting advice from his live-in father Jeremiah when his son Roscoe decides to audition for the female lead in a school play.
