Swingtown

2008

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
7.6| 0h30m| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 05 June 2008 Ended
Producted By: CBS Studios
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/swingtown/
Synopsis

This period and relationship drama takes viewers back to the 1970s for a look at suburban households testing the murky waters of sexual revolution following swingers throughout open marriages, "key parties" and other swingers extravaganzas.

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Reviews

Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
lqueral This almost makes "Cavemen" look good. It has an incessant 70's soundtrack playing practically all the time, just to remind the viewer, and there probably are only a few, that this ridiculousness takes place in the 70's. It features characters most won't care about and subject matter that is probably improper for kids younger than about 13 years old. I can just imagine the questions that will be asked by pre-teens! This slop is not likely to be renewed for a second season and if it is, it's a sad commentary on the total lack of originality and good writing on TV lately. But - you can now purchase the first (probably last) season on DVD and watch it until you hurl (grin).
liquidcelluloid-1 Network: CBS; Genera: Period Drama; Content Rating: TV-14 (for frequent strong sexual content, some drug use and pervasive adult content); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4); Seasons Reviewed: 1 season In the summer of 1976, three very different married couples come together under the allure of sexual freedom, experimentation and burgeoning feminism. Susan (Molly Parker, "Deadwood") and Bruce (Jack Davenport, choking on a phony American accent) move next door to Trina (Lana Parilla) and Tom (a hilariously laid back Grant Show) who during an eye-opening 4th of July party reveal themselves to be true blue, Qualude popping swingers in an open marriage. The conservative Susan and Bruce begin a journey of experimentation pulled in one way by Trina and Steve, having problems with the lifestyle themselves, and another by old friends Janet (Miriam Shor) and Roger (Josh Hopkins, "Pepper Dennis") in the proverbial "uptight" married couple role."Swingtown" is a juicy piece of pulp summer fun. Blessed with a great ensemble that is better than the writing deserves and an attention to time period detail that has no rival on network TV (not since "Freaks and Geeks"), it is an alternately dry and predictable and soaking wet hot boundary-pusher for Les Moonves' geriatric-skewing network that runs from risk like it's allergic to sunlight. But the wife swapping, the 3 ways, 4 ways (no joke) and student/teacher action (I'll get to that) are just the beginning, with creator Mike Kelley dutifully exploring everyone of these characters, their inner turmoil and the desire to express themselves in an increasingly complex web of incestuous heat-swapping amongst the cast. The show lacks the wit of, say, "Nip/Tuck", but it has those Ryan Murphy guts. There is no doubt that "Swingtown" would find a happier home and draw a bigger audience on FX, Showtime or HBO where it belongs.While the promise of sex, and the show's long playlist of well placed 70s hits just begging to delay a DVD release while producers scrounge for the copyright money, makes the show fun, it doesn't make the show good. What I like about it, what the 5 people who complained about it don't get, is that "Swingtown" is actually about something. A dissection of the very thing people think it promotes. Simply put, it's a network TV surface level look at honesty's role as paramount in a marriage and how that is defined. No better place can that idea be taken to it's extreme than in a climate of key parties and successful open marriages where cheating on a spouse has less to do with sex with another person and more to do with openness and honesty with each other. "Swingtown" explores the success and failure of that idea with it's conflicted characters - not promoting or decrying it - and no more perfect time could the show's metaphors have come than in the arch conservative contemporary American culture.Still, all is not sunny here. Like CBS's "The Unit", Kelley's series feels pulled apart by network mandates to give it family appeal that it doesn't have. Shoe-horned into the meaty adult stories is banal "drama" involving their kids. Putting the breaks on the show fast is Susan and Bruce's son who has a crush on a neighbor girl and his friend - x and x's son - is a jerk. Worse, their teenage daughter (Shanna Collins ) begins dating - yes - her teacher if you haven't seen that story line enough. If Jack Davenport (so perfect on "Coupling", here put in the nice-guy-who-can't-do-right-enough role) awkwardly slogging through an American accenting doesn't pull you out of the show's world, the kids sure will.A mixed recommendation for a show that itself is mixed, between dull, predictable, seen-before-drama and a truly risqué and enjoyable piece of work. Not for the sex, but for the ideas.The cast in this case really elevates "Swingtown" beyond it's cracks. Aside from how fun it is spotting character actors like Erin Daniels and Mark Valley in 70s garb. Two performances stand out. After thankless roles on "Boomtown" and "24" Lana Parilla gives a true break-out performance, owning slinky sexpot Trina's every curve and arguably commanding the series. We also get a break-out performance from Miriam Shor who takes what could have been another Bree VanDeKamp and gives Janet and inexplicable twinkle of more. Janet grows to possibly the most interesting character on the show.* * * / 4
emerson-9 With nothing else to watch, I gave the first episode a chance. Initially, I felt like,, "yeah,, then..?..",,,,But, in the same way as shortcuts, people's stories and life's connects and then, then the "drama" begins. For me,, this is a really good and fun show to watch. They don't take anything to far just to make impression, instead it's a great balance that's moves between different people and different couples. There's no black/white role-casting, no heroes or villains,, just an ever changing look at life and values and what effect different actions have.For me personally, it's a REALLY great show, it shows most of all the importance of every type of communication...And,, this is something I really wasn't excepting after the 1st half of the initial episode.
iLoveTacoma I love the show "Swingtown"! being born in 1962 I remember much of the 70's. I grew up in a strict Catholic household, I was not exposed to much in the outside world so this show is a joy to see! I enjoy seeing all the 1970's decor, the grocery store scene, clothes and the cars. What fun it is to see many items which I remember seeing in homes where I babysat that are similar on this show; the same glassware, furniture and decor.I am hoping the BEST this show lasts a long time! Besides I LOVE Molly Parker and hope to meet her someday! I loved her in "The Wicker man". I look forward to each episode! Thank you

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