The Prestige TV Podcast - 'Little Voice'

Episode Date: July 15, 2020

If you like musical TV, check out 'Little Voice.' Created by Sara Bareilles and produced by JJ Abrams, it follows a struggling musician trying to make it in a fantastical New York City. Hosts: Juliet Litman and Chris Ryan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Order now at order. dot sweetgreen.com. Welcome to TV concierge. I'm Juliet Litman. I'm joined by my colleague Chris Ryan. Hi, Chris. Hi, Juliet. We are here, as always, to help you navigate the vast streaming landscape. And today, our journey takes us to the Valley of Apple TV, where we will be discussing Little Voice, the latest musical show from the mind of Sarah Borellis and the producerial tree of the one-and-only J.J. Abrams. Chris, how would you describe little voice? I would describe it as a grounded fantasy, if that makes sense, which is that I think it has its roots in a realistic experience, but is definitely presented in almost like fantastical way. By which I mean it's like its vision of everyday New York

artists trying to make it, musicians try to make it, seems to be happening in a like other dimension. But that being said, obviously a passion project for everybody involved, Borrellas, JJ Abrams, Jesse Nelson, who I think is one of the creators on the show. Like many Apple shows, I am not exactly sure who it's for. And I am always with these shows kind of curious as to what the version would have been had they made it somewhere else. Sure. That's a great, great point. So I'll just say, you're right, the creator is Jesse Nelson and the original music by Sarah Borellis, and she's one of the EPs,

as is JJ Abrams. And it's about a young woman named Bess, who is an aspiring musician who is like just like writing songs all the time. And in the meantime, like tutoring people and trying to get by in the city of New York. And her artist cave where she retreats to write her music is a storage unit. Like I guess at like Manhattan mini storage or whoever.

But it seems to also have. as many artists working on film projects or whatever. Yes. So it's almost like a rehearsal space, but it seems like a public storage facility. Yes. And this show reminded me of many shows, or it had pieces of many shows that I loved in the past.

I think the JJ Abrams sauce and its portrayal of New York reminded me a lot of Felicity, a lot. And the storage unit reminded me a lot of Dexter, which was where he did many of his killings in that show. And then I don't know if you've watched the Infinite Playlist show on M.AC. Infinite playlist, yeah. Yeah, Zoe's Infinite Playlist.

Starring the God, Peter Gallagher, although he doesn't get to talk much. It reminded me a little bit of that. And I think there's just like a lot of questions I have about this show, which I will definitely watch because the music of Sarah Borrellas is excellent, as you probably know, if you listen to her studio albums, or if you listen to the music of Waiteris,

which is an internationally popular musical adapted from the film of the same name, starring Carrie Russell, Connections are everywhere. And my first question, Chris, is, like, how would you describe the vibe of the show? Because I think that's the weirdest part about it. Dreamy. Dreamy.

Yeah. Interesting. Dreamy, like, you know, scenes that take place in subway stations that are bizarrely clean. You know, like... Yes. That's the publicity of it. Central Park at 74 degrees with no humidity. And immaculately...

tailored outfits on people who are working really hard jobs. You know what I mean? Like just a kind of like a crisp almost Disneyish like surreality to all of it. And yet like has its charms. Like there's a like you mentioned the J.J. Abrams sauce. I think that's mostly found in the pitter patter of the dialogue back and forth. It has like that kind of like go the dialogue that comes out of like people sort of improvising and then writing down their improvised lines in a weird way where everything is kind of witty

and knowing but also very sensitive and very caring. Yeah, yeah, that's interesting. And I guess that's just something that you probably have insight into as a television expert and host of The Watch and friends with Andy Greenwald. What does it mean for someone like JJ Abrams

to be the EP of this kind of show? Because I feel like I'm giving him like a lot of credit and a lot of it falls in. But maybe he doesn't be. It can vary. I mean, it could be something as simple as he gives notes on episodes or attaches his name to a project with a creator that he believes in and shepherds it through certain dealmaking aspects of it. Or you could be involved in like, you should cut this and put this back in and this is how it should feel and look and everything else. So different showrunners or different executive

producers and they attach different sort of weight to projects. I think with this one, I'm curious whether or not you found yourself moved by it because I definitely think it's a pretty emo show. It's definitely like playing a lot of heartstrings. It kind of missed for me, but I'm curious for somebody like you, a New Yorker who loves musicals and loves the city, like, did it play on any of your heartstrings? I was so distracted by the fact that it clearly was filmed

on some various soundstages, that it was hard for me to be like, oh, this really nails it. I think compared to some other shows that we've really enjoyed lately, like, compared to like a high fidelity or a love life, which felt a lot more of a piece of the city it was trying to portray.

This felt like much more in like a snow globe. And it felt very, it doesn't look it in terms of like the lenses and the way it was shot. But it's the vibe of it was very 90s to me. And I think that it felt like a throwback show that maybe could have been more popular at a previous time. I think it's really hard to do the musical television show. Like Glee obviously had a lot of success when it was on. But I think since then, like the musical TV show is just almost impossible to nail in an earnest fashion. I can't think of an example where it really worked outside of like a singing competition show.

And people have tried. And I think every time it's gotten off the ground, like Jason Katham's had that show a year or two ago with Josh Radner about the choir, right? Or was that like a musical theater troupe? It was a musical theater show. I don't remember the name. RISE or something like that. Yes, it was called Rise or Shine. All those shows are either called rise or shine. Rise your voice, those kinds of things. Yeah. And yeah, I think you're right. I think that it speaks to a large issue with music now where I think that everybody has like a sort of baseline awareness of a lot of different kinds of music, but essentially likes what they like and has the ability to kind of access

what they like at their fingertips. So going to TV to find new music that you like or to have your musical tastes ratified is kind of an outmoded way of doing. I know the voice is still popular and some of the singing competition shows are still popular. And I think that this show is trying to tap into that. What if the woman working behind the bar, was the next Sarah Borellis. Right. Yeah. It's funny because it reminded me of Coyote Eugley in that way, which was also like a very like

aspirational and idealistic version of New York and of like a woman working behind the bar while also being a songwriter. And I think that Sarah Borellis is like completely one of a kind in my mind. Like I feel like in a different era, she could have been Diane Warren and maybe even before that she could have been like Carol King or something. Probably more akin to Carol King, honestly. but her career is completely singular and I really admire it. I really enjoy her music and I like her as a person.

But I think to like base a show that's supposed to be like somehow many people can connect with in any way close to her experience or like her type of songwriting. It's just like impossible because I think she's like a true unicorn. It's so funny. Like she's she's been through so many different phases of the music machine. And she's incredible. I like really. her. I say this all with love. But like, I just feel like her, her experience is not comparable to anything. Like, she's just Sarah Brellas. Well, maybe it would have been a little bit. And I don't know

how much of it is based on her life. Because a lot of the- I don't think a ton, but like she's like involvement. The tension of the show is that, uh, this woman best is, is uncomfortable performing her own material and especially live on stage. And there is a moment in the first episode that you expect to be like Matt Saracen throwing the touchdown. And she just crashes and burns. And it is that it is a nice, unexpected moment of like, oh, it's going to be harder. She's not just going to become a star in the first episode. Like, this is going to be tough. But I almost wonder whether, like, it should have just been more of a autobiography of

Sarah Borellas. Yeah. And by the way, again, that's the plot of Coyote Eugly. She's scared to perform her own music. There's a kind of an X factor to the show, though, which we need to discuss, which is the love interest. His name is Sean Teal, I believe. He's playing a man named Ethan.

He just pops up in the storage unit recording space. And then he's sort of like, oh, handsome British man come to New York. And this is now a trend. I think we can say definitively the thing. Three is a trend, even if two of them are played by the same guy. So why don't you tell everybody what you're talking about? Kingsley Banadier plays, I believe his name is Mac on High Fidelity. Yes.

And then he plays, I won't say which, but he plays definitely the best love interest in love life. And... That's controversial. I guess it's not, actually. It's not, man. It's not, yeah. Versus and Agi, I guess it is really.

He's number one. It's definitely not Magnus. That's for sure. You know, the only person in competition in Love Life is Danny Two Phones. Love Danny Two Pones. Anyway, so yeah, Kingsley Bad a Deere and two great streaming rom-coms. And then we have this guy. We got Sean Teals, Ethan.

And... Devastatingly handsome, ambiguously, you know, British. British, but just kind of... kind of like not really making a big deal about it and just sort of like living in New York. And, uh, yeah. And like artistically minded seemingly like well off, but not really, it's not really clear what, what's going on there. Yeah.

Excellingly hot, but not intimidating at all. Like just sort of the handsomeness is, is so implicit that it's just like not even a talking point. But of course, it's the only thing when he first comes onto the screen. It's, it's a great trend. I'm absolutely here for it. If this is the defining archetype of the streaming

rom-com male lead, it's certainly an improvement over Hugh Grant for me. I absolutely, I'm loving it. Well, then that's worth the price of admission alone. It sure is. I think Little Voice, if you like musical television, if you like musical anything,

like check out an episode or two. It's just fascinating. I think Apple TV just still just trying to figure out what they're doing. But you want to know what? Shout out to Sarah Borellis. Thank you so much for listening. We'll have more TV concierge tomorrow.