Entourage

Nothing on network television is as smart, original and amusing as Entourage.

It shows us that comedy isn't really dead, it's merely been snoozing, and this savvy shot of character-driven adrenaline serves as the wake-up call. Packed with brutal showbiz truths and snappy dialogue, the half-hour is revelatory in the clever way it spotlights the empty shell of celebrityhood and the party-hearty superficiality of those caught up in its reflected glow... And watch for this to be Piven's breakout role. His agent Ari is a creation of slimeball wonder. [16 July 2004]

Funny, insightful and seemingly realistic, Entourage will appeal to fans of character drama and behind-the-scenes voyeurs. [18 July 2004, p.TV-5]

Based on the real-life Hollywood adventures of Mark Wahlberg, Entourage is the almost shockingly entertaining story of an incredibly unlikely set of sitcom heroes: an up-and-coming star known for his looks more than his talent and his hanger-on friends. What could have been a recipe for disaster, or at the very least for one of those HBO shows people respect more than enjoy, is instead an unassuming treat.

Can be charming one moment, insufferable the next. [16 July 2004, p.C01]

[Creator Doug Ellin's] real victory here is in making the series not so much a movie-biz lampoon as an exploration of friendship under an extraordinary kind of strain. What makes it more potent is that the strain hides behind such a glossy veneer: hot chicks, ready cash and glamor, even for pudgy Queens guys. [16 July 2004, p.C1]

If you automatically expect a new HBO series to be edgy or innovative, you'll be disappointed in this one. It's basically just a sitcom—but it has the advantage of being funny.

All of this starts a bit slowly. It's not certain at first how much you should and can care about any of these people. But the eight-episode series and the characters grow on you with each week, and it turns out they have more depth than they initially let on -- or even know themselves. [16 July 2004, p.47]

Entourage works precisely because it's nearly soulless. These guys are wallowing in excess. Any less of a cannonball into it would seem unbelievable. But there's no ignoring how childish and annoyingly limited the group can be, including some aspects of Eric.

The show seems sophomoric at first, but gradually graduates to an interesting look at Hollywood's fast-lane ups and downs. [18 July 2004, p.3]

The scenes of the guys driving golf balls onto the roofs of Hollywood mansions or scamming stereo dealers are funny and even sweet in a post-adolescent Porky's sort of way. [18 July 2004, p.5M]

A blinged-out tour of the lifestyle of the rich and (for now) famous, Entourage is a funny but familiar diversion, lacking the darkness and edge that have distinguished HBO's best series.

There are shades of "Swingers" -- that 1996 indie hit starring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn -- all over this show, but it gives up much of what "Swingers" had in heart in exchange for heavier satire. Think "Swingers" if Vaughn finally did make it big and the other guys gave up their dreams and just went along for the ride. [18 July 2004, p.N01]

The scripts pander too much to the sensibility they should be mocking - that Hollywood is a playland for big boys with an eye for scrawny women. Entourage doesn't need to become moralistic or politically correct, just self-aware. If the writers took another step back from their immature characters, the show's satirical edge might be sharper. [16 July 2004, p.C1]

I suppose there are women in the world as empty as the instantly beddable Maxim babes the producers habitually drape around their boys, but it would help to give them even something stupid to say -- it strikes a wrong note, this neo-retro sexism, even if it accurately reflects the world view of the characters or, indeed, their actual world. It's a failing that even the presence of Debi Mazar (great, as always) as Vince's publicist and the intriguing Samaire Armstrong (from "The O.C.") as Eric's budding love interest does not redeem. [17 July 2004, p.E1]

Although it feigns to focus on Eric's struggle to rein in this herd of licentious Peter Pans, Entourage lacks a believably strong central character and fails to lay out any plot direction or coming tension. Connolly has potential, but the best you can say about his and every other Entourage character is that they're tolerable. [17 July 2004, p.E6]

Just about everything that you would expect - money squandering, dope smoking, cruising, partying, practical jokes, petty jealousies, dim-bulb decisions, and talent-agent ire - is played out flatly in Entourage...There are few jokes and little action, but the show looks rich.[17 July 2004, p.E01]