New singing casino drama 'Viva Laughlin' goes bust
Far be it from me to discourage groundbreaking television, but sometimes there's a reason certain ground isn't broken.
"Viva Laughlin" debuts at 9 p.m. today on CBS' WBBM Channel 2. It's a new U.S. version of a British series, "Viva Blackpool," set in a seaside gambling resort. Here it's transported to the desert city of Laughlin, Nev., outside Las Vegas.
Yet, as few U.S. viewers have seen the British original, that doesn't figure to create much confusion. No, the major problem for "Viva Laughlin" is the connotations it raises with a certain infamous prime-time flop on these shores: "Cop Rock."
Yes, the major broadcast networks are back with another stab at creating a musical TV series -- and no I don't mean like "Unplugged" or "American Bandstand" or even "Shindig" or "Hullabaloo." I mean like a movie musical, where characters burst into song at moments of high passion, as in Steven Bochco's misguided attempt to make a musical police show.
Look, I like movie musicals. Although I have to admit I prefer the more contemporary "realistic" musical, a la the Beatles' "Hard Day's Night," there's nothing like "Singin' in the Rain" or "West Side Story" or even those great Astaire & Rogers musicals like "Top Hat" to brighten a viewer's mood. And even that hyper-conscious style can be done effectively with postmodern irony (see Gurinder Chadha's "Bride & Prejudice").
Yet, formulaic as most TV series are, that formula has never adapted itself to the musical. TV doesn't necessarily have to be "realistic," but it does have to be believable, and something about people bursting into song as they walk along -- or as they sell an infant for crack money, as was the case with "Cop Rock" -- just doesn't translate to the small screen.
"Laughlin" isn't likely to change that, not because it has gambling addicts sing about their woes, but mainly because, as courageous as it is as a musical, it couldn't be more tiresome as a TV drama.
"Laughlin" opens trying to sneak in that it's a musical. Lloyd Owen stars as Ripley Holden, who has recently swapped a chain of convenience stores for a shot at the big time running a casino. He goes driving down the highway and strutting through his hotel while singing along with Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas."
Hey, he's simply got the song running through his head and decides to join in. What could be more normal? Maybe it's a little queer that he gets up and does some hip-swiveling on a table, but the guy's opening a casino. He's got a right to be excited.
All pretenses toward "normalcy" go out the window when Holden's rival, Nicky Fontana, played by Hollywood star, Broadway hoofer and, not coincidentally, show producer Hugh Jackman, displays how evil he is by belting out "Sympathy for the Devil."
Later, on the wall of his office, there's a neon sign reading, "Sin," for those who didn't get it the first time.
All right, all right, Jackman at least has a track record as a song-and-dance man, and he's easy on the eyes for the ladies. Yet when none other than Melanie Griffith tries her hand at Blondie's "One Way or Another" in an effort to seduce Holden, the cat's out of the bag -- and someone should jam it back in, tie it off and pitch it in the river.
It seems Griffith is Bunny Baxter, wife of Holden's partner Buddy Baxter, who is in the process of pulling out of the deal, putting the entire casino development in jeopardy. But Holden and Bunny have a "history," so maybe he can use her for a little, shall we say, leverage.
"If I do this for you, all I'll ask for in return is a little company," she purrs after the music has died down.
"I can't," Holden says.
Might be different if she'd never opened her mouth to sing in the first place.
Holden has a wife, played by the ever-alluring "Twin Peaks" beauty Madchen Amick, as well as a son and daughter. Even so, what kind of a "gambler" does that make him that he isn't willing to risk a little hanky-panky to get his casino rolling?
Anyway, Holden goes out and gets drunk, Buddy turns up dead with a bullet in his head -- in Holden's office, no less -- and Bunny blows the whistle on him. Meanwhile, DB Woodside, who played the later, weaker President Palmer on "24," is skulking around as Fontana's prime henchman, and Eric Winter turns up as a detective with the hots for Mrs. Holden.
That's the problem with "Laughlin." As bold as it is with people bursting into song, it couldn't be more hackneyed with its plots and characters. By the time Holden turns up at Fontana's casino with a bag full of money and singing Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Let it Ride," a viewer is hearing "Taps" instead.
What, you think he's got any chance of losing with the whole show riding on it?
"Laughlin" has a special debut after "CSI" tonight, but then it moves to its regular time slot of 7 p.m. Sunday. Yes, that puts it right after "60 Minutes," and I'll wager it leaves that show's older audience utterly flummoxed. I set the over-under on "Laughlin's" life span at a month -- and if I were a betting man I'd take the under.
In the air
Remotely interesting: "Viva Laughlin" has its work cut out for it, because CBS has been winning Thursdays in total viewers behind "Survivor," "CSI" and "Without a Trace." … NBC has begun streaming "The Tonight Show" along with "Late Night" the day after they premiere on its nbc.com Web site.
Doris "Granny D" Haddock runs for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire at the age of 94 in the HBO documentary "Run Granny Run," debuting at 8 p.m. today on the premium-cable channel.
End of the dial: New program director Matt DuBiel has put his stamp on WERV 95.9-FM with a new weekday lineup starting with Geno Brien at 5 a.m., followed by Leslie Harris at 9 a.m., Scott Childers at 2 p.m. and DuBiel at 7 p.m.
Felix and the Cats perform live in the studio on "Hambone's Blues Party" at 10 p.m. today on WDCB 90.9-FM