I was super excited when I heard about Bored To Death, having been a long time Jonathan Ames reader and fan, and then I was disappointed when they cast Jason Schwartzman in the lead. One of the things I always liked about Ames was that he defied stereotype by being an intellectual, but also kind of a pervert who enjoyed sports. And then HBO went and cast Jason Schwartzman, who played Ames as the ultimate aphysical, asexual nebbish. That said, Galifianakis and Danson were amazing, and they had impeccable taste in guest stars. Thus I had mixed feelings when it was canceled. But Schwartzman talked about Bored to Death in a recent interview, and it sounds like a movie version, though on hold at the moment, is a possibility.
So, is there any update on a Bored to Death movie?
The update is, Jonathan Ames (the show’s creator) is writing the script, but he’s also doing another show right now with Seth McFarlane. Yeah, they’re doing a show (Blunt Talk), and they’re shooting it in LA. I don’t even know the name of it, but it’s with Patrick Stewart. Pretty f*cking awesome.Yeah, so that’s that. I don’t know what’s happening, because I think everything is sort of on hold right now. [CinemaBlend]
Right, about that Blunt Talk show… It sounds pretty bonkers. Badonkadonkers, even. It’s getting 20 episodes on Starz, to be written by Ames, who will also show run and executive produce, with Seth MacFarlane, starring Patrick Stewart in the lead. It starts 2015.
Who is Walter Blunt? He’s a British news anchor who moves to the United States with a firm plan on taking over American cable news, offering this country’s citizens guidance on how to live, think and behave. But in order to do that, he has to balance the day to day stresses of network heads, a mishandled staff, ex-wives, offspring of all ages, and a dependence on the bottle. As you can imagine, his decision-making skills aren’t always the most conducive to his own happiness, and the only person he can turn to is his alcoholic manservant he brought from England to L.A. [CinemaBlend]
At the risk of blaspheming, this Blunt Talk show sounds way more interesting than a Bored to Death movie. If Jason Schwartzman is the truffle oil of actors, good if used sparingly and in just the right way, Patrick Stewart is more like bacon. God, I need to stop watching Chopped.