Crisis in Six Scenes explained

Genre:Comedy
Creator:Woody Allen
Director:Woody Allen
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Episodes:6
Executive Producer:Erika Aronson
Producer:Helen Robin
Cinematography:Eigil Bryld
Editor:Alisa Lepselter
Network:Amazon Prime Video

Crisis in Six Scenes is an American comedy television miniseries written and directed by Woody Allen for Amazon Studios.[1] [2] Allen wrote and directed six episodes for the half-hour series, marking the first time he has done so for television.

The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 30, 2016,[1] to generally unfavorable reviews.

Cast and characters

Main

Guest

Production

Development

The deal with Allen was seen as giving Amazon a possible advantage in its competition with Netflix and television networks. The series was announced within days of Amazon winning the Golden Globe Award for the comedy-drama Transparent, another original series.[3] Allen had last written new material for television in the 1950s, when he wrote for Sid Caesar.[4]

In a May 2015 interview, Allen said that progress on the series had been "very, very difficult" and that he had "regretted every second since I said OK".[5] [6] Allen has said of the series, "I don't know how I got into this. I have no ideas and I'm not sure where to begin. My guess is that Roy Price [the head of Amazon Studios] will regret this."[7]

Casting

In January 2016, it was announced that the series would star Allen, Elaine May and Miley Cyrus, and that shooting would begin in March.[8] In February 2016, it was announced that John Magaro and Rachel Brosnahan had joined the cast.[9] In March 2016, Michael Rapaport, Becky Ann Baker, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole had joined the cast of the series.[10]

Filming

For approximately three weeks in early 2016, filming for the six episodes took place at 508 Scarborough Road, in Briarcliff Manor, New York.[11]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 18% based on 50 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Woody Allen's filmmaking skills prove a poor fit for the small screen in Crisis in Six Scenes, a talk-heavy, unfunny, and overall disengaged production buried below numerous superior offerings."[12] On Metacritic, the series has a score 44 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]

Rodrigo Perez from The Playlist gave the series a D+ on an A+ to F scale, and described it as "nearly unwatchable".[14] Robert Bianco of USA Today was more positive, writing "Crisis is not Allen at his peak, nor at his most serious and contemplative as an artist. Crisis is a bauble, a light comedy that starts very slowly and builds to a satisfyingly funny conclusion." He also praised the performances of Allen and May, stating "Not only is it great to see them performing so well together, it’s just a nice change of pace to see a comedy about two married senior citizens where the casting is age appropriate and the story is not built around senility or mortality."[15]

The Los Angeles Times wrote: "This isn’t Allen at his wittiest or wildest--his career is almost by definition a thing of peaks and valleys, and he can be satisfying and frustrating within a single film. But he has a voice, and he has not yet lost it. Anyone susceptible to that sensibility will find many familiar pleasures here," and further stated "as the work that has returned Elaine May to public view, it can only be welcomed, with rose petals and trumpets. And it does well by her."[16] The New York Times stated: "In recent years, Mr. Allen's movies have swung wildly in quality, alternating real highs with definite lows. Crisis sits in between. It's closer to the low end, but for fans of a certain earlier strain of his work, its shambling, amiable vibe may seem comfortingly familiar."[17]

Allen's reaction

Allen himself had openly expressed severe misgivings about the project,[18] [2] [7] and denounced the series, stating that it would conclude with one season.[19] At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Allen said in reference to the show, "It was a catastrophic mistake. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm floundering. I expect this to be a cosmic embarrassment."[20]

Notes and References

  1. News: Littleton. Cynthia. Amazon Sets September Comedy Push, Reveals Title for Woody Allen Series. 7 August 2016. Variety. 7 August 2016. 8 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160808141938/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/woody-allen-amazon-crisis-in-six-scenes-1201832210/. live.
  2. Web site: Amazon Signs Woody Allen to Write and Direct TV Series . Steel . Emily . January 13, 2015 . . January 13, 2015 . limited . https://web.archive.org/web/20150120000736/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/business/amazon-signs-woody-allen-to-write-and-direct-tv-series.html?_r=0 . January 20, 2015 . live.
  3. News: Amazon momentum builds with Woody Allen series. Levin. Gary. January 14, 2015. USA Today. January 14, 2015. January 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150114124705/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/01/13/woody-allen-amazon-prime/21703713/. live.
  4. News: Woody Allen to Create TV Series for Amazon Studios. Jurgensen. John. January 13, 2015. The Wall Street Journal. January 13, 2015. subscription. February 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150217232223/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/01/13/woody-allen-to-create-tv-series-for-amazon-studios/. live.
  5. Web site: Woody Allen Cannes Interview: 'Irrational Man' Director On His Life & Movies. Fleming. Mike Jr.. Deadline Hollywood. 14 May 2015. 2020-02-21. 2020-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20200307182050/https://deadline.com/2015/05/woody-allen-cannes-interview-irrational-man-1201427066/. live.
  6. Web site: Woody Allen Regrets Doing Amazon Series. Goodman. Jessica. May 15, 2015. The Huffington Post. May 15, 2015. May 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518010807/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/15/woody-allen-amazon-series_n_7291020.html. live.
  7. Web site: Amazon Signs Woody Allen to His First TV Show . Massa . Antonia . January 13, 2015 . . January 13, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150113184019/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-13/woody-allen-to-create-his-first-tv-show-for-amazon.html . January 13, 2015.
  8. Web site: Woody Allen Amazon Series: Woody, Miley Cyrus & Elaine May To Star. Fleming. Mike Jr.. Deadline Hollywood. 25 January 2016. 2020-02-21. 2020-02-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222201129/https://deadline.com/2016/01/woody-allen-miley-cyrus-elaine-may-amazon-series-1201690130/. live.
  9. Web site: John Magaro & Rachel Brosnahan Join Woody Allen's Amazon Series . Hipes . Patrick . February 24, 2016 . February 25, 2016 . February 25, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160225080545/http://deadline.com/2016/02/john-magaro-rachel-brosnahan-woody-allen-amazon-series-cast-1201707738/ . live.
  10. Web site: Woody Allen Amazon Series: Michael Rapaport, Becky Ann Baker & More Join Cast. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. March 16, 2016. August 5, 2016. August 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160803063214/http://deadline.com/2016/03/woody-allen-amazon-series-michael-rapaport-becky-ann-baker-more-join-cast-1201721296/. live.
  11. Web site: Taliaferro. Lanning. Woody Allen Filming on Scarborough Road. Patch. March 8, 2016. October 19, 2016. October 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161021131448/http://patch.com/new-york/pleasantville/woody-allen-filming-scarborough-road. live.
  12. Web site: Crisis in Six Scenes (2016) . . March 27, 2021 . March 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210307064308/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/crisis_in_six_scenes_Amazon/s01 . live.
  13. Web site: Crisis in Six Scenes reviews. Metacritic. September 30, 2016. September 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160930032545/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/crisis-in-six-scenes. live.
  14. Web site: Perez. Rodrigo. Woody Allen's Amazon Show 'Crisis In Six Scenes' Is Nearly Unwatchable [Review]]. 4 October 2016. The Playlist. 11 May 2017. 13 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170913055823/http://theplaylist.net/woody-allens-amazon-show-crisis-six-scenes-nearly-unwatchable-review-20161004/. live.
  15. Web site: Bianco. Robert. Review: 'Crisis in Six Scenes' is a shiny, familiar Woody Allen bauble. 26 September 2016. USA Today. 12 June 2024. 16 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516154921/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/09/26/amazon-woody-allen-crisis-in-six-scenes-elaine-may-miley-cyrus/91103212/. live.
  16. Web site: Lloyd. Robert. Review: As a TV series, Woody Allen's 'Crisis in Six Scenes' offers many pleasures of a Woody Allen movie. 29 September 2016. Los Angeles Times. 12 June 2024. 22 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240222185817/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-crisis-in-six-scenes-review-20160927-snap-story.html. live.
  17. Web site: Hale. Mike. Review: 'Crisis in Six Scenes,' a Mere Ghost of Woody Allen Past. 29 September 2016. New York Times. 13 June 2024. 6 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240206054409/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/arts/television/review-crisis-in-six-scenes-woody-allen-amazon.html. live.
  18. Weinstein . Shelli . Woody Allen to Create His First Television Series for Amazon . Variety . January 13, 2015 . June 18, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150113190853/https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/woody-allen-to-create-his-first-television-series-for-amazon-1201403742/ . live . January 13, 2015.
  19. Web site: The Woody Allen Interview (Which He Won't Read) . Galloway . Stephen . . May 4, 2016 . May 4, 2016 . May 6, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180506034902/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/woody-allen-interview-he-wont-889678 . live.
  20. News: Zeitchik. Steven. May 15, 2015. Cannes 2015: Woody Allen sings a bleak tune. Los Angeles Times. June 18, 2015. limited. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111142410/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-cannes-woody-allen-irrational-man-premiere-emma-stone-20150515-story.html. January 11, 2020. live.

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