Sex, lies and PCs in '80s computer world drama
By Lynn Elber, Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --AMC, home of "Mad Men" and newcomer "Halt and Catch Fire," aired a recent promo that cleverly played connect-the-dots between its landmark series and the intriguingly titled drama.
The spot opened with a 1969 "Mad Men" character railing against a behemoth computer, then shifted to scenes of 1983 PC pioneers. "Once the future was hard to see," a narrator intones, "Then three rebels … got with the program."
"Halt and Catch Fire" debuts Sunday (10 p.m. EDT), and AMC understandably would like to cast its new series as heir apparent to "Mad Men," which is poised to depart next year. Or how about invoking former channel star "Breaking Bad"?
Creators and executive producers Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers will have none of it. Or almost none.
Their series, set in Texas' "Silicon Prairie" during the frenzy to strike it rich in the burgeoning personal computer industry, hired "Mad Men" art decorator Chris Brown as its production designer.
Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein, who were producers on "Breaking Bad," are now at work on the new series.
But "there's no way to follow a show like that," Cantwell said of AMC's unlikely hit about a teacher-turned-drug king, and the same goes for "Mad Men."
"The only thing we can do is … to focus on the world we're telling and make it as good as possible," he said.
Rogers said the drama is influenced by the recent TV past but strives to be part of a "new wave."
Rather than focus on one difficult antihero like a Tony Soprano or Don Draper, "this is a show about three people and has a pace and other elements" all its own, including its visual style and voice, he said.
The show's 1980s look, for example, is historically accurate but not as dominant an element as the 1960s have been for "Mad Men" — likely a wise move given how the style-challenged '80s stack up against the impossibly cool '60s.
"We wanted it to feel like a period show that is contemporary, that we can inhabit it and relate to these people," Rogers said. "We rarely will stop to point at the period and the ways things are different than they are now."
The title is obviously unique and may prompt even some geeks to draw a blank. As the pilot's opener explains, it's an early computer command, HCF for short, one that sent the machine into a race mode and prevented regaining control.
Keep that in mind as you watch slick, charismatic ex-IBM hotshot Joe MacMillan, played by Lee Pace, strut his way into a job at fictional Cardiff Electric with a risky scheme to force the firm from its comfort zone into battle with other aspiring PC kings.
On his team, willing or not, are family man and engineer Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) and college whiz kid Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), who quickly proves she's both brilliant and sexually liberated.
Watching nervously are longtime Cardiff executive John Bosworth (Toby Huss) and Gordon's engineer-wife, Donna, (Kerry Bishe), who has already tasted professional failure with him.
It's an ensemble cast, but Pace's Joe is the catalyst.
"When I first read it (the pilot), I thought of (stock trader) Ivan Boesky, I thought of the corporate raiders and that kind of spirit of '80s excess: 'More money, more sex, faster, harder, give it to me,'" said the actor, whose credits include Thranduil in "The Hobbit" film franchise, "Lincoln" and TV's "Pushing Daisies."
"But the more I worked on the character, the simpler he got. He just wants to make an awesome computer," Pace said.
Which, AMC and creators Cantwell and Rogers are betting, will make for awesome drama.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowersโ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, โHis artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.โ
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, โKris first caught my attention when he released his record โHeroes + Misfitsโ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More