advertisement

Showtime's 'Episodes' stars look at themselves as final season premieres

Tamsin Greig doesn't want to get into too much detail about the fifth and final season of Showtime's “Episodes” lest she give away spoilers. But she promises that the ending will be satisfying for viewers and a happy one for her character, TV writer/producer Beverly.

Or at least as happy as she's able to be.

“You know, David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, who are the writers, describe the two characters of Sean and Beverly: Sean looks at life and thinks that the glass is half-full; Beverly looks at life and thinks the glass is an idiot,” the British actress explains. “So whatever happens, she's always going to see the gloomy side of life, and everything that happens to them is a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.”

As Season 5 of the show business spoof kicks off on Sunday, Aug. 20, several months have passed, and producing partners/spouses Beverly and Sean (Stephen Mangan) are less than thrilled to find themselves working for Sean's loathsome ex-partner Tim (Bruce Mackinnon) on their new series “The Opposite of Us.” Also miserable is Matt (Matt LeBlanc), who fears his years as an actor will be forgotten, now that the game show he's hosting has blossomed into a major hit.

Since the series' premiere, the former “Friends” and “Man With a Plan” actor has earned kudos for allowing himself to be the butt of the joke, playing what is essentially a self-absorbed version of himself. Greig, whose character is often at odds with LeBlanc's, admires his gameness.

“The thing about Matt is he's a surprisingly brilliant straight actor,” she says, “and he's playing a kind of subverted, grotesque version of himself ... until you then actually don't know who the real Matt LeBlanc is. And he's brilliant at that and he's a great sport.

Tamsin Greig stars in "Episodes," premiering its fifth season Sunday, Aug. 20, on Showtime.

“He pitches jokes more than any of us and potential storylines to the extent that sometimes Jeffrey and David have said, 'Yeah, that's great. We can't do that. That's too close to the bone and that's too disgusting and we're not going there.' But he's really a game bird. ... He's up for anything.”

It's been about a year since Greig, LeBlanc, Mangan and their cohorts filmed the series finale. As they were filming Season 5, she says everyone was aware it would be the last, and knew that it would be a story well told. She's also grateful for what she calls the series' “ultimate climax.”

“I'm a great fan of knowing when to leave a party,” she says, “and structurally it's so beautiful, because you've got seven episodes in the first season and then nine, nine, nine, and then another seven episodes completed. So structurally it's very pleasing. And I didn't know that they had that vision when they started but looking back, that was the small but perfectly formed (idea) that they found. And yes we did know, and I think that's great, because then you can really relish every moment knowing it may be the last.”

“Episodes”

Fifth season premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, on Showtime

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.