JOLLY DAYS

On The Lot

The new show On The Lot is as tacky as Hollywood, right down to the inept host and cynically manipulative drama of the elimination segment. The show reverses the “contest” reality defaults: the judges are self-deprecating. The contestants are given a hopeless task — to make films so short that only the most simply conceived and executed have any real chance of appeal. It is interesting that Spielberg is Executive Producer because On The Lot is filled with contempt for the medium, which at its best tells engrossing stories. As is usual with reality shows, the final dirge is written by the audience, which votes with no rhyme, no reason, killing any reason to watch. The show should be called “Commercial Boot Camp”.