Entourage (American TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004, and ended on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons. The series was created and largely written by Doug Ellin and chronicles the acting career of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they attempt to further their nascent careers in Los Angeles.
Entourage
"Superhero"
by Jane's Addiction
United States
English
8
96 (list of episodes)
- Doug Ellin
- Mark Wahlberg
- Stephen Levinson
- Larry Charles
- Rob Weiss
- Denis Biggs
- Ally Musika
21–35 minutes
Leverage Entertainment
Closest to the Hole Productions
Fly the Coop Entertainment (season 8)
HBO Entertainment
July 18, 2004 –
September 11, 2011
Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson served as the show's executive producers, and its premise is loosely based on Wahlberg's experiences as an up-and-coming film star.[1][2]
Development[edit]
According to Mark Wahlberg, Entourage was initially conceived when his assistant asked if he could film Wahlberg and his friends, calling them "hilarious."[3] Other reports credit Eric Weinstein, a long-time friend of Wahlberg, with the idea of filming the actor's group of friends.[4][5] However, according to Donnie Carroll, who was the inspiration for the Turtle character, the idea for a show involving an actor and his friends had come from him.[6] It had originated as a book idea, centered on Carroll's own life and his experiences with Wahlberg, titled From the 'Hood to Hollywood, A Soldier's Story.[6]
To be more satirical of the Hollywood lifestyle, a fictional approach was chosen rather than a straight documentary in order to keep the content light, and avoid directly depicting Wahlberg's violent past.[4] Vincent Chase was envisioned to be more similar to Wahlberg, but it was decided that some of his and his friends' activities (particularly some elements of their criminal past) would not work well on television.[3] A lighter approach was subsequently decided upon.[3]
Themes and characteristics[edit]
Male friendship[edit]
A recurring theme in Entourage is the strength of male camaraderie and its importance over work. Series creator Doug Ellin stated, "Entourage works because it's about male friendship. The Hollywood setting is entertaining but it's really about the relationship between these guys."[18] He later added that, "Ultimately, the show's theme is friendship and family. The characters may have the bling, but they're grounded guys who look out for each other. That's the backbone of the show. If it was just about fantasy lifestyles, it wouldn't be relatable."[18][19]
This view was supported by Jeremy Piven, who plays the talent agent, Ari: "If it was just a show about wish fulfillment and guys getting (sex) because their best friend was famous, it wouldn't be that interesting."[19]
To strengthen the bond between the actors, only actors with ties to New York were chosen.[6][18][19]
Hollywood lifestyle[edit]
Episodes of the show focus, besides the friendship between the four main characters, on their lifestyle in Hollywood. To lend credence to the show's situations and locations, most episodes of Entourage feature at least one celebrity guest star, appearing as themselves.
Critical reception[edit]
Entourage received positive reviews from critics during the majority of its run, with many praising Piven's performance as agent Ari Gold and Dillon's performance as Johnny Chase. On Metacritic, the show has scores of 68/100 for season 1,[20] 73/100 for season 3,[21] 70/100 for season 5,[22] 61/100 for season 7,[23] and 62/100 for season 8.[24] The Wall Street Journal commented on the writing, saying it "is almost always smart, sharp and funny."[21] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, called season 3 "Almost preposterously enjoyable."[21]
In 2009, Tucker remarked regarding the sixth-season premiere, that "the show really isn't that funny anymore".[25] Season 7, while still gaining generally favorable reviews, had a much more mixed reception than the earlier seasons because "it all feels maybe a little too familiar."[23] The eighth and final season of the show was met with mixed reviews from critics, and it holds a 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews with a consensus of, "The familiar faces are always a comfort, but with Entourage's best stories behind it, the series finale feels like a merciful end."[26]
Syndication[edit]
Entourage is syndicated, often broadcast on HBO, and is also carried in full through HBO Max and HBO's depreciated streaming services; two cuts were created, the original aired by HBO, and a syndicated cut with nudity, sexual content and profanity removed, which is aired in some countries as the default cut to meet local mores.
In the United States, the series was syndicated on local stations and WGN America beginning September 13, 2010,[31] but was only carried for one season, due to low ratings.[32] The series was also syndicated by Spike TV in an attempt to improve their late night ratings. Spike quickly reduced, then ended the contract to carry the series, also due to low ratings; the series often drew lower numbers than much older library or syndicated content, and even the paid programming that followed episodes of the show overnights.[33]
Promotional material[edit]
Dillon and Ferrara appeared as their Entourage personalities in a set of commercials for the video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. In the commercials, the guys are valets during the day, and racers (Turtle) and interceptors (Drama) at night.[34]
Nike SB collaborated with creator Doug Ellin to commemorate the final season with an Entourage-branded version of their Nike SB shoes, which was featured on the series. However, these shoes are exclusively for the families of the cast and crew.[35]
As a way to promote the Entourage film, a memoir/self-help book titled The Gold Standard: Rules to Rule By written in the style of character Ari Gold was released on May 12, 2015.[36]