From Sho.com
This is set to premiere on January 18th 2009. I love Toni Collette. So I think this could be just as good as Weeds. From the promos on Showtime, it looks like it's going to be good.

Here is the trailer.

http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/s...bctid1772821562

Haha. I was just talking about Toni Collette on another board and did a search to see if there was thread for this show and indeed there was.
I think Toni Collette will be a great addition to the growing Showtime network.
The show looks promising even though they keep showing the same five clips.
I think my favorite personality might be Buck.

Is this supposed to be like Weeds? A satire on suburban life?

I didn't know that Weeds was a satire on suburban life. I just thought it was a regular person who finds herself in an unusual situation/circumstance. I think this is an unusual woman trying to manage a regular life. I am really excited about this. I was hoping that a preview copy would be floating around by now.

I love Toni Collette but I loathe Diablo Cody. I am torn.

Heh. I actually like DC, but I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that we don't get Juno-speak. Please, baby Jesus, no.

I haven't watched it yet, but the Showtime VIP Insider will let you view the full pilot. The access code is tara. Ah, Showtime. Always so crafty with the code words.

I always have to remind myself that pilots tend to be pretty rocky and crammed full of exposition, but I'll gladly give this show a chance. I think Toni Collette is great, I've had a crush on John Corbett for a while, and I found out yesterday that Rosemarie DeWitt is in it too. It will have to be epically bad for me not to give it half a season.

I watched the pilot and I am definitely intrigued enough to keep watching.

Thanks Hardy Har! For the sneak peek!

I'm really looking forward to this show. I've been a fan of Collette's since Muriel's Wedding and I have had a crush on JC since Northern Exposure. The show looks really interesting and since I have given up on Weeds, I need a new show to obsess over.

Just saw the pilot via the VIP insider. I'm so in, the son rules.

I am so repulsed by that alternate personality -- the woman trucker with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth -- that I have already made up my mind I am NEVER going to watch this show.

The character is so repellent I already hate this show with a passion.

(And the fact that Showtime insisted on showing that character in every single commercial for the series has reinforced my loathing a hundred fold.)

Oddly enough, that was my favorite personality.

I haven't watched the pilot yet, but isn't the trucker personality a man named Buck?

Yes.

The pilot had a few over the top moments, but Toni Collette somehow makes it work. Otherwise I will continue to be watching. The son is made of awesome!

Buck creeps me out--reminds me of Charlize Theron in that movie where she played the serial killer.

Saw the pilot! No plot spoilers follow. Just opinions.

Loved it, absolutley loved it. Say what you will about Diablo Cody and the contrived style of her dialogue. In the mouths of good actors it works and she's got an absolutely brilliant cast to help her here. At the same time she's got such a knack for showing rather than telling you all about the interpersonal relationships... I'm just giddy.

It was pleasant and light overall but still dark at moments, just serious enough for the subject matter yet definitely not taking itself too seriously. I'm gushing, I know, but this was so not a pilot! This felt like an episode of an established series. The chemistry and pace were so on point.

It may not be The Greatest work of art in the history of the world. It may not be Six Feet Under or Weeds and it might not appeal to everyone's tastes but if the following twelve are as good as this first I'm calling it Showtime's newest hit. I'll certainly be glued to my screen.

I liked the pilot a lot although I thought it was fairly light on the funny but I understand that things have to be established first. Loved the father and son. The daughter needs some work.

And I am pretty surprised at people complaining about Juno-speak when I pretty much thought there was none. The dialogue flowed and snapped really well however and the cast did a great job with it. Looking forward to more.

Also, is it true that Diablo Cody only wrote the pilot and won't be writing the rest? That's disappointing if true.

I believe so, but I seem to recall that she'll still be involved some way because she one of the producers. Does anyone know who else is on the writing staff?

FYI: Showtime worked out some deal with Netflix too, so the pilot is also currently available to subscribers.

DirecTV is also previewing a edited version of the pilot on 101. Next showing is tomorrow, Jan 10 at 10/9 CST. I loved it.

I only have one thing to say: Muffins of Triumph.

Comcast subscribers, episode 1 is now up on On demand!


Homo-Made! LOL.

It amazing to me to see Toni play all these different characters and different voice inflictions, and then when I see her interviews, she is just as Australian as she can be.

Here's a nice/informative NYT article about the show: The Four (at Least) Faces of Tara. Diablo Cody, Robert Greenblatt (president of Showtime), Alexa Junge (executive producer and writer), and Toni Collette talk about the difficulty of making a comedy series with lead character coping with DID.

It's mildly spoilerish.

It didn't name names, but some of the writers also worked on 30 Rock and Six Feet Under. If IMdB is correct, Alexa Junge has been a part of multiple episodes as a writer, producer or creative consultant of Big Love, The West Wing, Once and Again, Sex and the City, Friends, and Clarissa Explains It All. Man, that last one takes me back.

On the surface, this show seemed good but a little off-putting. Then I started thinking about why the alters seemed so stereotypical. If I think that the alters are not supposed to be realistic, but instead are Tara's perception of what those roles are, then the characterization that occurred in the pilot is amazing. Could it be that T is what Tara thinks her daughter is and subconsciously exaggerates it so that now Tara sees what's going on? Could Buck be what Max's masculinity is? Could Alice (in the future) be what Marshall is? The alters seem to be pretty straightforward, but seeing the parallels makes it very interesting in terms of what dynamics can occur in the family.

While at first I was pleased moreso with the presentation of the family and how they have already coped with the situation. At second look, they seem way too adjusted. I needed to see more angst from them in response to the alters, but I think that it may come up later. My heart fell, though, when I saw how supportive they've all been. Most families wouldn't have stayed through all that.

I saw hints of Tara's background and what the therapy sessions might have looked like. There's a lot going on in Tara's past, and I assume with the consultation with psychologists/psychiatrists that went on with this show, they will eventually touch on it and I can't wait for it.

I loved the acting, I liked the characterization and story, but I'm still waiting for the emotional punch that has got to happen eventually, because right now they're portraying a bit unrealistic situation for a person with DID. Usually it's worse, so I'm waiting for it to all fall apart, actually.

I'm also curious to what the mental health organizations will have to say about this show (at least in comparison to what was said about in treatment)

The pilot's up on Netflix Instant Watch as well, and I just finished.

I'm kinda bummed now that I don't have Showtime, but not enough to get for just this show. I added the DVD to my queue whenever it's done, but what I'm really hoping is that they've worked out a deal so that once an episode has aired, they'll add it to Netflix Instant Watch. I doubt it, but you never know.

I didn't have any problems with Buck, I liked him more than T. I do want to see some of the other Altereds.

I do have issues with the psychology though. As far as I know, the Altered personalities usually don't know about each other and don't know what the others have done. They also don't know why they are alternate personalities themselves. So Tara's Altereds all knowing what's going on, while it helps for exposition (and I suspect that's why they've gone this route), is a lot unrealistic. I can only imagine what the psychologists would say about this.

I'm not sure if that's true in real life. I'm sure there are those who know about each other and those who are entirely ignorant. But this family has been dealing with it for 17 years. It's out in the open. If they talk to "Tara" about what the alters have done, then it stands to reason that that alter would know what Tara thought about it. They are parts of her, after all.

I broke out my DSM-IV-TR and it says that alters can have awareness of each other and in fact may openly argue with each other. In terms of the amnesia, there's a tendency for the passive alters to have less memory and the more dominant ones have strong complete memories. Thus it makes sense that both T and Buck are aware of things and remember, but Tara does not. In fact it makes sense since to cope Tara must compartmentalize.

I'm sure the alters don't know why they developed, but can certainly be aware that they're there. Although in very extreme cases, there may not be awareness or memories that are shared.

I have not seen a statement from American Psychological Association on this show, but they did publish something on "In Treatment" before. I imagine within the next two issues of the Monitor, something will show up.

Count me in for those who loved it. I think Toni Collette is great, and just love the son. And I am happy to see John Corbette again in his (seemingly) nice guy roles.

Showtime has a behind the scenes look on DID and they consulted a psychologist. Here it is

http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/s...clid=5253538001 It's the second video.

I'm kind of excited to meet Alice. She looks like Bree Van De Kamp(Desperate Housewives) on crack.

Here's a quick little vid of the premiere. Way to dress up, Spielberg. Heh.

The official site looks like it's got more stuff to it as well.

Reviews in The New Yorker and Salon:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/tele...vision_franklin

http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/iltw/2009/01/1...iew/index1.html

Caught the show On Demand tonight. Looks very promising. T was a little OTT for me, but I guess teens can be like that a lot of times. Marshall (Marsha!) is great - I'm already impressed at his ability to seemingly retain his love and affection for his mom while also handling himself well with the Alters we've seen thus far.

That boyfriend with pigtails was the douchiest-looking thing I've seen in a minute.

Thanks to T, I have a new jam into my IPOD! Bubblegum by Rasheeda. In that scene when she is blogging on her myspace. I really hope this show does well. I like the Showtime lineup, and I think it should've premiered with Weeds rather than the L Word and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

If anyone can stomach the co-hosts long enough, TV Guide tells me that Toni Collette and Diablo Cody are supposed to be on The View Friday.

One thing that I find slightly confusing about the T character is that she seems well aware that she is in the body of a 40-year-old woman. So when she puts that photo up on her myspace or whatever page, does she see the photo "as is" or what?

That's a mighty big "if" . . .

Ain't that the truth and god bless YouTube. Yay for expletives!

ETA: Here are a few more reviews. I've just sort of scanned all of them and I'm not entirely sure about their Spoiler Levels, so read at your own risk.

The Futon Critic (This one has descriptions of the first 4 episodes)

San Francisco Chronicle

New York Times

The Watcher

The Boston Herald

Sorry, I forgot to check back in here. Thanks for this, this answers a lot of my questions.

When I said that "as far as I know" I forgot that where I learned all this to begin with was in a high school psychology class and an introductory undergrad class in the late 80s, and that there are massive changes in psychology and psychiatry in the last 20 years. So it's good to know what those changes are.

As long as this is currently accepted medical knowledge and not done strictly for dramatic license, then that alleviates a lot of my fears and I can enjoy this more.

Wow, I've been waiting for this show for months and it did not disappoint. Love, love love Toni Collette, and John Corbett looked great. T was a little OTT but Buck's beatdown of Katie's scumbag boyfriend was wonderful. I also loved that Buck calls his gun Persephone.

Episode 2 is already up on demand. Again, Pilot was great. Toni Collette doesn't disappoint.

For me, it is not charming in its weirdness. But, on the shoulders of Toni, I shall give it a few more episodes. The first ep is more like a lame and slightly irritating character establishment setup piece. If I miss another episode, I won't be sad.

I enjoyed the episode. It was cute, funny and charming. The kids don't bug the living hell out of me, which is quite rare. I liked Buck most of all. Her sister bugs, though.

I noticed that "People" magazine has been way off in their reviews for a few years. About 80% of the time, every critic loves a show/movie/CD/book and they hate it, or they love the show/movie/CD/book and everyone else hates it. This show was no different, and their 1 1/2 star review urged me to watch the show even more. So I am glad they hated it, because loving it would have been the kiss of death.

so wanted to love this and I didn't even like it. That first episode was terrible...what was the story? it was purely character set up. A lot of contrived action when it could have been fresh. I also expect exposition, first episodes are extraordinarily hard but there was exposition overload for so many things that did not need explanation. It felt like it was written by someone who was writing for film, not tv, someone who is wanting to write a slow arty film and thinks that throwing away structure, plot, direction is a 'fresh' approach if you have amazing character only. The characters were fine, the acting ok but put some bloody structure in there...let's have a point. The punch up was the only action and it was oddly placed and out of place.

I disagree on the placement of the fight scene. I thought it was just where it needed to be, but it did seem out of place within the context of the show.

Here's what I wrote in my LiveJournal immediately upon having finished the pilot:

I may have to submit to The Boxcutters' Rule of Three and reserve judgement until after the third ep.

The boy who plays Marshall could really steal the show. I love his character.
I'll give it another episode or two before I say Yay or Nay. I didn't particularly like it.
It's too torn between drama and comedy, I'd rather it clearly be one or the other.

Absolutely agree with mrsflair - I thought it was more of a drama than comedy, I don't really recall laughing at all now that I think of it. Because I love Toni Colette so much, I'm willing to give it a fair chance.

Ugh. I hated this. Funny thing, I hated it for ALL the same moments as the recapper did. It just felt like every character was written exactly the same. I wasn't getting a feeling for them at all. It was like the Gilmore Girls on steroids. Even their head motions were all the same: everyone was constantly rubbing their necks or tweaking their shoulders like someone said 'this is what socially awkward people do'. I found the dialogue totally unbelievable, and someone really should have researched MPD. why would she have a redneck southern hick inside her? MPD brings out deeply buried internal qualities in the form of other people. It was like everyone on the show watched a couple of twisty episodes of Law and Order and were like okay research on this topic is DONE.

Enjoyed it; can't say I love it straight off, no. I'll stick around for a few more episodes; if they keep it fresh, develop the characters, and don't let it get cliched or corny, I may be a full convert. We'll see.

I loved Juno and think Diablo Cody has a lot of talent so I came into this show wanting it to succeed. Unfortunately, I can't really say I liked it. I think the problem is with the characters. None of the characters were likable or had any sort of endearing qualities.

The boy, Marshall, may have the most potential, but I confess I am already having flashbacks to the boy from Ugly Betty. John Corbett as Max was fairly good, but did he seriously marry this woman knowing she had this condition? I find that hard to believe. And for Tara herself, what are we supposed to feel? Are we suppose to feel pity and sympathy for her? Are the "alters" supposed to be funny and cute? The whole thing feels weird.

Finally there was a real lack of story in this first episode. For now I'll give Diablo some credit and see what pans out over the next few installments.

Actually, this show reminds me a lot of Shameless in the tone and the way the family interact with each other; the way that certain rather large events in the episode (a fight) don't seem to have any real consequences. I agree that the exposition was a bit heavy-handed, but I guess I have just come to expect that in a pilot episode - at least on American shows.

But hey, it's a hell of a lot better than Showtime's other big premiere: The L Word.