The Web is brimming with rumors that "Entourage" producer Doug Ellin has pitched a Wall Street-themed drama to HBO executives, who approved a pilot.
Evidently the executives at HBO have forgotten that other networks have had spectacular failure treading in this space. Aside from a few Wall Street themed movies — "Wall Street" and "Barbarians at the Gate" come to mind — the little screen has been less than kind to similarly themed TV shows.
The most recent failure in this realm is Fox's short-lived "The $treet" that starred Tom Everett Scott, who interestingly appeared in Wall Street-themed film "Boiler Room,"
Jennifer Connelly, best known for her performance in "A Beautiful Mind" and "Beverly Hills 90210" alum Jenny Garth.
Not only did the show feature star power in front of the screen, it literally sported Star power behind the camera in the form of producer Darren Star, who was responsible for "Sex & The City."
The show launched to a tepid respone in 2000 after the baseball playoffs, and was cancelled after seven episodes aired — IMDb reports that 12 episodes were filmed. Perhaps its time slot was as much a problem as its plot lines because it faced off against "The West Wing." From The Deal's review of the final episode:
Wall Street-based series are a new thing to television. Some of the medium's biggest hits, such as "NYPD Blue" and "ER," made it in part because their depictions of cops and doctors resonated with viewers. It remains to be seen whether life on Wall Street can make a similar connection with the television audience.
—
Matthew Wurtzel
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See IMDb profile of "The $treet"
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