K Street (TV series)
Encyclopedia
K Street is a 2003 HBO television series about lobbyists
and politicians in Washington, D.C.
It was named for a street that is home to many lobbying and legal firms.
, usually focused around the major political news of the week. This required that the show be shot within days of its air date in order to keep the episode fresh with current events.
K Street featured a fictional, bipartisan consulting firm led by husband and wife duo James Carville
and Mary Matalin
as themselves, as well as three fictional characters. The show featured cameos from numerous real-life political figures, some of whom were aware of the fictional plot, with others seemingly unaware. The show made a notable impact on the 2004 Democratic Primary when Carville gave a line to Vermont
Governor and Presidential hopeful Howard Dean
to use in a debate. Local appearances by the show's producer, actor
George Clooney
(director Steven Soderbergh
was also involved in the project), caused considerable stir with frequent mentions in the "Style" section of The Washington Post
.
The show was quite popular in the Washington, D.C. area and received a fair amount of critical acclaim, but failed to find a broader audience. HBO declined to renew the show after the initial 10 episodes on November 24, 2003.
, Alessandra Stanley wrote, "Much has been written about the growing resemblance between Hollywood and Washington. As seen from K Street, Foggy Bottom is just another La Brea Tar Pit, where dinosaurs from past campaigns continually surface to be restored and preserved". Tom Shales, in his review for the Washington Post, wrote, "K Street is highly unlikely to become a national sensation, but in big cities of the East it ought to be quite the conversation piece - for a little while anyway. In a sense, the show comes off like a marvelous party, but one to which many of us are bound to feel profoundly uninvited". Variety
magazine's Phil Gallo wrote, "Director Steven Soderbergh uses a guerilla style of filmmaking to capture behind-the-scenes players with a fervent urgency; if K Street holds its course, it could serve as a primer in understanding modern-day politics". In his review for The New York Daily News, David Bianculli wrote, "Its starkness - no music, no opening credits and no identification of the show's real and imagined players until the end - is a stylistic choice, but an unsatisfying one". Adam Buckman, in his review for The New York Post, wrote, "I didn't quite believe my eyes when I watched K Street, but like a UFO, I'm eager for a second look". USA Today
gave the show one-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "sitting through K Street was like watching a group of show-off kids hanging around amusing each other when they should be working. You'd think these people would have better things to do with their time, particularly the ones who are drawing a salary from the public treasury. Taxpayers and HBO subscribers should demand better for their money".
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
and politicians in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It was named for a street that is home to many lobbying and legal firms.
Format
Each episode was largely improvisedImprovisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
, usually focused around the major political news of the week. This required that the show be shot within days of its air date in order to keep the episode fresh with current events.
K Street featured a fictional, bipartisan consulting firm led by husband and wife duo James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
and Mary Matalin
Mary Matalin
Mary Joe Matalin is an American political consultant, well known for her work with the Republican Party. She was an assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney until 2003. Matalin has been chief editor of Threshold Editions, a conservative publishing imprint...
as themselves, as well as three fictional characters. The show featured cameos from numerous real-life political figures, some of whom were aware of the fictional plot, with others seemingly unaware. The show made a notable impact on the 2004 Democratic Primary when Carville gave a line to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
Governor and Presidential hopeful Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
to use in a debate. Local appearances by the show's producer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
(director Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
was also involved in the project), caused considerable stir with frequent mentions in the "Style" section of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
The show was quite popular in the Washington, D.C. area and received a fair amount of critical acclaim, but failed to find a broader audience. HBO declined to renew the show after the initial 10 episodes on November 24, 2003.
Reception
In her review for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Alessandra Stanley wrote, "Much has been written about the growing resemblance between Hollywood and Washington. As seen from K Street, Foggy Bottom is just another La Brea Tar Pit, where dinosaurs from past campaigns continually surface to be restored and preserved". Tom Shales, in his review for the Washington Post, wrote, "K Street is highly unlikely to become a national sensation, but in big cities of the East it ought to be quite the conversation piece - for a little while anyway. In a sense, the show comes off like a marvelous party, but one to which many of us are bound to feel profoundly uninvited". Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine's Phil Gallo wrote, "Director Steven Soderbergh uses a guerilla style of filmmaking to capture behind-the-scenes players with a fervent urgency; if K Street holds its course, it could serve as a primer in understanding modern-day politics". In his review for The New York Daily News, David Bianculli wrote, "Its starkness - no music, no opening credits and no identification of the show's real and imagined players until the end - is a stylistic choice, but an unsatisfying one". Adam Buckman, in his review for The New York Post, wrote, "I didn't quite believe my eyes when I watched K Street, but like a UFO, I'm eager for a second look". USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the show one-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "sitting through K Street was like watching a group of show-off kids hanging around amusing each other when they should be working. You'd think these people would have better things to do with their time, particularly the ones who are drawing a salary from the public treasury. Taxpayers and HBO subscribers should demand better for their money".