Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Encyclopedia
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union is an American sketch-comedy series starring comedian Tracey Ullman
. The series is written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner
. Gail Parent
and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. On May 17, 2010, it was announced that State of the Union would not be returning for a fourth season. Producers stated that they felt that the show had "run its course."
, and pop culture, with Ullman impersonating and portraying famous and non-famous characters and celebrities.
, Showtime.
A second season of seven episodes debuted on April 12, 2009. Arianna Huffington
, one of Ullman's frequent parodies, revealed that she and Ullman had tea together. Ullman was looking to collect more material for the series' second season.
Season three begin airing January 25, 2010 on Showtime. It was directed by Tracey Ullman.
. The show is shot in cutaway fashion.
"It's her kind of sketch show, where she plays many, many characters. No sketch is longer than a minute and a half. Each episode is a day in the life of the United States. You pop in on people all over the country, really quick visits. You'll go to some famous people. You'll see some recognizable faces and some regular Americans. You revisit characters from episode to episode. You'll go in and out, like the Google map of the U.S., in and out from the outer atmosphere. You'll go to Iowa and visit two women on a farm and then you'll pull out and go to Los Angeles and see Arianna Huffington
, played by Tracey, in her boudoir, and then pull out and go to Washington, D.C. and see a woman who's an anchor for the evening news. Tracey will play 90 percent of the characters, men and women", as described by Showtime network executive, Robert Greenblatt.
From the Showtime press release, "
Tracey tackles the country's celebrity-obsessed, 24- hour news culture by portraying a variety of characters from celebrities such as, Cameron Diaz
, Renee Zellweger
, Dina Lohan
, Tony Sirico
, David Beckham
, Nancy Pelosi
and Arianna Huffington. Additionally, Ullman has created a new line-up of original characters that reflect a cross-section of American society from an Indian pharmacist to a homeless woman without health insurance to a soldier on temporary leave from Iraq."
Much of the show's soundtrack, as well as the title music, is taken from Dvořák's Symphony No. 9
, popularly known as the "New World Symphony".
Each sketch lasts from a few seconds, to a few minutes, much like a Youtube
clip, a style Ullman was looking to achieve. The series is narrated throughout by, Peter Strauss
.
The series was inspired by a PBS commercial which featured a tractor and talked about a "farmer waking up in the Midwest to provide a high-quality breakfast to a child on the Pacific rim." "I just thought, 'What a nice journey across America,'" says Ullman.
Celebrity impersonations has become a new addition to Ullman's comedic repartee, something that she had not dabbled in since her early days at the BBC
, nearly thirty years prior. The slightly famous to the infamous are skewered in, ‘’State of the Union’’. Reaction to the parodies were fast coming from the actual celebrities themselves.
One of the very first reactions came from actress Renée Zellweger. In a sketch, Zellweger is featured on a press junket for her new movie, where her character has a condition called "chronic narcissistic squint." The real Zellweger was shown a picture of Ullman doing an impersonation of her on The Late Show with David Letterman. Ullman revealed that she wore no make-up to get her Zellweger appearance. She simply donned long eyelashes, very much like Shari Lewis
’ Lambchop
. "This is why I need therapy… I better watch what I say. Look at what happens when I've done nothing to her." She went on to say that Ullman looked like her transvestite twin brother.
Political pundit Arianna Huffington's voice and obsession with blogging receive numerous jabs throughout the series. The word "blog
" is often substituted for various nouns and verbs. While filling out an Internet dating profile, Huffington types, "Must enjoy nice long blogs in the rain." She clutches her laptop in her arms and kisses it goodnight upon going to sleep. Huffington takes the parody in good humor, saying, "I actually loved it." Huffington continued, "She does a really good imitation of me... And you know....she ends a lot of her imitations of me by saying 'blogs and kisses,' which is kind of something pretty good. I like that.
Huffington's parody is generally lighthearted. The same cannot be said for show's take on the American news media and its "fear mongering." Real-life CNN news anchor Campbell Brown serves as the vessel in which this is made apparent. In one episode, "Horror, terror, horror, terror, nightmare, horror, fear. Back to you, Brian", serves as the entire report issued by Brown. Campbell issued a statement regarding the parody saying that she "loves, loves Tracey Ullman, and is a huge fan of the show. " Brown even wants to book Ullman on her 8 p.m. program.
Celebrities Laurie David and Dina Lohan, who also take hits in the show, had no comment.
In the end, Ullman contends that celebrities "love being impersonated".
On January 28, 2010, Ullman paid a visit to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow
, and did her impersonation of her. Tracey does an impersonation of Maddow in the third season of her series. Maddow's reaction was: "flattering" and "causes excruciating embarrassment".
"We're obsessed with India and Bollywood," Ullman revealed about herself and her husband, ‘Union’ co-producer, Allan McKeown. McKeown runs a production company in India producing television programmes. Padma Perkesh, Ullman's Indian character, is a pharmacist who sings the medication side-effects to customers in Bollywood-styled routines. "There are so many Indian pharmacists in America," says Ullman, whose own pharmacist is Indian.
After handing clients their prescription, Perkesh begins her Bollywood chant, as the stock shelves behind her pull out revealing a colorful dance stage, filled with Indian decor. Padma rips off her white coat, and dances with her fellow stock workers, (and sometimes customers).
Lyrical excerpts from Bipolar medication song:
There's no shame in being Bipolar
A bit like having your mood up in rollers
One minute you feel happy -- a ha a ha
The next you want to cry -- boo hoo hoo hoo
You shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die
I say that I must warn you
The side effects are bad
Far more traumatic
Than your molesting dad
Even Diet Pepsi
Can trigger epilepsy
While shopping at Ikea
Explosive diarrhea
In Season 2, Padma's songs are broader. No longer are they just about prescription side effects.
Its Youtube-format garnered a few complaints. "...She can do so much, initially she's doing too much. Though fun, the opener's skits are too short, and the characters too numerous, for any one joke to register. But give the show a week to settle, and the strengths of Ullman's concept come to the fore. As the show grows clearer and funnier, you may even find yourself anticipating the return of favorite characters..."
Commenting on the writing, a critic noted, "Ullman is obviously great at impressions, but it's the sharpness of the writing that sets this show apart from other sketch comedies. Ullman tosses off so many excellent one-liners along the way, it's hard to keep track of them all."
"It may take "Saturday Night Live
" a season to put out this many funny characters and celebrity portrayals. But the glossy "State of the Union", narrated by Peter Strauss, churns out a dozen or more in each week's half-hour."
's debut total of 795,000). Pre-airings of "State of the Union" were available through cable television's OnDemand service, weeks before its official premiere on the network.
Also returning in the second season are celebrity impersonations of Dina Lohan, Renee Zellweger, and Arianna Huffington. Ullman will also impersonate, Jonah Hill, as well as a take on Celine Dion's emotional appearance on Larry King
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
.
make-up room, and a Michael Jackson
tribute. Characters include, Rachel Maddow, Barney Frank, Meghan McCain, Christiane Amanpour, and Ruth Madoff.
2009
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
. The series is written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner
Bruce Wagner
Bruce Alan Wagner is an American novelist, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director based in Los Angeles known for his acerbic view of the Hollywood entertainment industry.-Personal life:...
. Gail Parent
Gail Parent
Gail Parent is an American television and screenwriter, television producer, and author.Parent's writing career began with a 1971 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show...
and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. On May 17, 2010, it was announced that State of the Union would not be returning for a fourth season. Producers stated that they felt that the show had "run its course."
Premise
The series takes a satirical view of the day in the life of America, lampooning political, socialSocial
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
, and pop culture, with Ullman impersonating and portraying famous and non-famous characters and celebrities.
History
The series' first season debuted on March 30, 2008, on premium cable networkTelevision network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, Showtime.
A second season of seven episodes debuted on April 12, 2009. Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, one of Ullman's frequent parodies, revealed that she and Ullman had tea together. Ullman was looking to collect more material for the series' second season.
Season three begin airing January 25, 2010 on Showtime. It was directed by Tracey Ullman.
Show direction
The first season of the series is directed by Troy MillerTroy Miller
Troy Miller is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. Miller is best known for his work in directing.- Stand-up comedy :Miller has produced and/or directed comedy shows and specials for a variety of comics including Robin Williams, Martin Short, Katt Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Brian...
. The show is shot in cutaway fashion.
"It's her kind of sketch show, where she plays many, many characters. No sketch is longer than a minute and a half. Each episode is a day in the life of the United States. You pop in on people all over the country, really quick visits. You'll go to some famous people. You'll see some recognizable faces and some regular Americans. You revisit characters from episode to episode. You'll go in and out, like the Google map of the U.S., in and out from the outer atmosphere. You'll go to Iowa and visit two women on a farm and then you'll pull out and go to Los Angeles and see Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, played by Tracey, in her boudoir, and then pull out and go to Washington, D.C. and see a woman who's an anchor for the evening news. Tracey will play 90 percent of the characters, men and women", as described by Showtime network executive, Robert Greenblatt.
From the Showtime press release, "
Tracey tackles the country's celebrity-obsessed, 24- hour news culture by portraying a variety of characters from celebrities such as, Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
, Renee Zellweger
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
, Dina Lohan
Dina Lohan
Donata "Dina" Lohan is a television personality and occasional actress who rose to fame as the mother and manager of actress/pop singer Lindsay Lohan, and Lindsay's younger sister Ali Lohan, with whom Dina co-starred in the reality show Living Lohan.-Family and marriage:Lohan was born and raised...
, Tony Sirico
Tony Sirico
Genaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. is an American character actor who is most famous for his role as Paulie Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.- Background and career :Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn...
, David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
and Arianna Huffington. Additionally, Ullman has created a new line-up of original characters that reflect a cross-section of American society from an Indian pharmacist to a homeless woman without health insurance to a soldier on temporary leave from Iraq."
Much of the show's soundtrack, as well as the title music, is taken from Dvořák's Symphony No. 9
Symphony No. 9 (Dvorák)
The Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 , popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 during his visit to the United States from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular in the modern repertoire...
, popularly known as the "New World Symphony".
Each sketch lasts from a few seconds, to a few minutes, much like a Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
clip, a style Ullman was looking to achieve. The series is narrated throughout by, Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss is an American television and movie actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s.-Personal life:...
.
The series was inspired by a PBS commercial which featured a tractor and talked about a "farmer waking up in the Midwest to provide a high-quality breakfast to a child on the Pacific rim." "I just thought, 'What a nice journey across America,'" says Ullman.
Celebrity impersonations and reaction
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, nearly thirty years prior. The slightly famous to the infamous are skewered in, ‘’State of the Union’’. Reaction to the parodies were fast coming from the actual celebrities themselves.
One of the very first reactions came from actress Renée Zellweger. In a sketch, Zellweger is featured on a press junket for her new movie, where her character has a condition called "chronic narcissistic squint." The real Zellweger was shown a picture of Ullman doing an impersonation of her on The Late Show with David Letterman. Ullman revealed that she wore no make-up to get her Zellweger appearance. She simply donned long eyelashes, very much like Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s...
’ Lambchop
Lamb Chop (puppet)
Lamb Chop is a sock puppet sheep created by comedian and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. In 1957, Lamb Chop, a ewe, first appeared with Lewis on Hi Mom, a local morning show that aired on WNBC in New York....
. "This is why I need therapy… I better watch what I say. Look at what happens when I've done nothing to her." She went on to say that Ullman looked like her transvestite twin brother.
Political pundit Arianna Huffington's voice and obsession with blogging receive numerous jabs throughout the series. The word "blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
" is often substituted for various nouns and verbs. While filling out an Internet dating profile, Huffington types, "Must enjoy nice long blogs in the rain." She clutches her laptop in her arms and kisses it goodnight upon going to sleep. Huffington takes the parody in good humor, saying, "I actually loved it." Huffington continued, "She does a really good imitation of me... And you know....she ends a lot of her imitations of me by saying 'blogs and kisses,' which is kind of something pretty good. I like that.
Huffington's parody is generally lighthearted. The same cannot be said for show's take on the American news media and its "fear mongering." Real-life CNN news anchor Campbell Brown serves as the vessel in which this is made apparent. In one episode, "Horror, terror, horror, terror, nightmare, horror, fear. Back to you, Brian", serves as the entire report issued by Brown. Campbell issued a statement regarding the parody saying that she "loves, loves Tracey Ullman, and is a huge fan of the show. " Brown even wants to book Ullman on her 8 p.m. program.
Celebrities Laurie David and Dina Lohan, who also take hits in the show, had no comment.
In the end, Ullman contends that celebrities "love being impersonated".
On January 28, 2010, Ullman paid a visit to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
, and did her impersonation of her. Tracey does an impersonation of Maddow in the third season of her series. Maddow's reaction was: "flattering" and "causes excruciating embarrassment".
Original
Recurring impersonations in seasons one, two and three
- Arianna HuffingtonArianna HuffingtonArianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
: Political commentator, blogger. - Campbell BrownCampbell BrownCampbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
: News reporter.
Season three
- Carla BruniCarla BruniCarla Bruni-Sarkozy is an Italian-French songwriter, singer, actress, and former model...
: singer, and wife of French President Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. - Caroline KennedyCaroline KennedyCaroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
: daughter of U.S. PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and First LadyFirst Lady of the United StatesFirst Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Jacqueline Bouvier KennedyJacqueline Kennedy OnassisJacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
. - Debbie RoweDebbie RoweDeborah Jeanne "Debbie" Rowe is an ex-wife of pop singer, Michael Jackson, and the mother of two of his children. She currently lives in Palmdale, California.-Early life:...
: surrogate mother to Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's children. - Susan BoyleSusan BoyleSusan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
: Singer. - Kate WinsletKate WinsletKate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...
: Actress. - Rachel MaddowRachel MaddowRachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
: MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
political talk show host. - Meghan McCainMeghan McCainMeghan Marguerite McCain is an American columnist, author, and blogger. She is a daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain and Cindy Hensley McCain. McCain first received media attention in 2007 for her blog, McCain Blogette, on which she documented life on the campaign trail and mused about...
: daughter of Senator John McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, and political blogger. - Barney FrankBarney FrankBarney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
: United States House Representative. - Christiane AmanpourChristiane AmanpourChristiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
: News correspondent. - Angela Suleman: Mother of Octomom, Nadya SulemanNadya SulemanNadya Denise Doud-Suleman , known as Octomom in the media, is an American woman who came to international attention when she gave birth to octuplets in January 2009. The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States...
. - Ruth Madoff: wife of Bernie Madoff.
- Matthew McConaugheyMatthew McConaugheyMatthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
: Actor. - Candy SpellingCandy SpellingCarole Gene "Candy" Spelling is an American author and socialite. She is the widow of Aaron Spelling.-Life and career:...
: mother to ToriTori SpellingVictoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
. - Sonia SotomayorSonia SotomayorSonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
: United States Supreme Court Justice. - Penélope CruzPenélope CruzPenélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
as Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
: Actress.
Recurring impersonations in seasons one and two
- Tony SiricoTony SiricoGenaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. is an American character actor who is most famous for his role as Paulie Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.- Background and career :Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn...
: Actor. - Dina LohanDina LohanDonata "Dina" Lohan is a television personality and occasional actress who rose to fame as the mother and manager of actress/pop singer Lindsay Lohan, and Lindsay's younger sister Ali Lohan, with whom Dina co-starred in the reality show Living Lohan.-Family and marriage:Lohan was born and raised...
: Mother of Lindsay LohanLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
. - Renée ZellwegerRenée ZellwegerRenée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
: Actress.
Season two
- Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader GinsburgRuth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
: United States Supreme Court Justice. - Jodie FosterJodie FosterAlicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
: Actress. - JK Rowling: Author of Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series. - Len GoodmanLen GoodmanLeonard Gordon 'Len' Goodman is a British professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He is a leading personality on television dance programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars and runs a ballroom dance school in Dartford, Kent.-Early life and career:Goodman was...
: Judge on America's Dancing With The Stars. - Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
: Singer. - Miuccia PradaMiuccia PradaMiuccia Prada is an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur. She also has a Ph.D. in Political Science.Prada was born in Milan, the youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, founder of the company. According to: Forbes.com's The World's Richest People 2001: "She and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli,...
: Fashion designer. - Tom BrokawTom BrokawThomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
: American news anchor. - Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
: Former First LadyFirst LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
. - Seth RogenSeth RogenSeth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
: Actor. - Jonah HillJonah HillJonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
: Actor. - Donna KaranDonna KaranDonna Karan is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.-Early life:...
: Fashion designer. - Silda Spitzer: Wife of former New York governor Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
. - Heather Mills: Ex-wife of Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.
Season one
- Laurie DavidLaurie DavidLaurie David is an American environmental activist. She serves as a trustee on the Natural Resources Defense Council and a member of the Advisory Board of the Children's Nature Institute and is a contributing blogger to The Huffington Post.-Personal life:David was born as Laurie Ellen Lennard, and...
: Environmental activist. - Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
: Speaker of the House of Representatives. - Rita CosbyRita CosbyRita Cosby is a television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best selling author. She is currently a Special Correspondent for the CBS syndicated program Inside Edition, specializing in interviewing newsmakers and political figures...
: News reporter. - David BeckhamDavid BeckhamDavid Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
: Star player for the Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. - Victoria BeckhamVictoria BeckhamVictoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
: Wife of David Beckham. - Judi DenchJudi DenchDame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
: Actress. - Andy Rooney: Journalist.
- Cameron DiazCameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
: Actress. - Suzanne SomersSuzanne SomersSuzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step....
: Former actress, turned entrepreneur. - Dame Helen Mirren: Actress.
Bollywood
After handing clients their prescription, Perkesh begins her Bollywood chant, as the stock shelves behind her pull out revealing a colorful dance stage, filled with Indian decor. Padma rips off her white coat, and dances with her fellow stock workers, (and sometimes customers).
Lyrical excerpts from Bipolar medication song:
There's no shame in being Bipolar
A bit like having your mood up in rollers
One minute you feel happy -- a ha a ha
The next you want to cry -- boo hoo hoo hoo
You shoot a man in Reno, just to watch him die
I say that I must warn you
The side effects are bad
Far more traumatic
Than your molesting dad
Even Diet Pepsi
Can trigger epilepsy
While shopping at Ikea
Explosive diarrhea
In Season 2, Padma's songs are broader. No longer are they just about prescription side effects.
Critical reception
The series received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many critics dissecting elements of the show, including the length of the sketches, the show's format, and its celebrity mock-ups. Suggesting that Ullman's stronger portrayals are found in her original characters, rather than the famous, one reviewer wrote, "Ullman's satire is at its best when she inhabits the little people." Others praised its collection of famous, and semi-famous impersonations, including Arianna Huffington, "who sleeps with her laptop and has a dramatic Eva Gabor accent and penchant for using "blog" in every part of her speech." "Her best moments came as Arianna, Dina [Lohan] and Laurie [David]", stated April MacIntyre, of Monsters & Critics.Its Youtube-format garnered a few complaints. "...She can do so much, initially she's doing too much. Though fun, the opener's skits are too short, and the characters too numerous, for any one joke to register. But give the show a week to settle, and the strengths of Ullman's concept come to the fore. As the show grows clearer and funnier, you may even find yourself anticipating the return of favorite characters..."
Commenting on the writing, a critic noted, "Ullman is obviously great at impressions, but it's the sharpness of the writing that sets this show apart from other sketch comedies. Ullman tosses off so many excellent one-liners along the way, it's hard to keep track of them all."
"It may take "Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
" a season to put out this many funny characters and celebrity portrayals. But the glossy "State of the Union", narrated by Peter Strauss, churns out a dozen or more in each week's half-hour."
Ratings
‘’State's’’ premiere episode raked in 907,000 viewers for its first night of three airings, 776,000 combined for 10PM and 10:30PM, (just short of Showtime series, CalifornicationCalifornication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
's debut total of 795,000). Pre-airings of "State of the Union" were available through cable television's OnDemand service, weeks before its official premiere on the network.
Season two
On November 1, 2008, Ullman was interviewed briefly by Showtime during the Darchinyan vs. Mijares boxing match. She announced that she had completed filming and did 52 characters for the series' second season, due to premiere in 2009. Among the new season's celebrity impersonations were, Tom Brokaw, Dancing With The Stars judge, Len Goodman, Tony Sirico (season 1), and Laura Bush (a year after leaving the White House). Alternate endings were filmed depending on the outcome of the American 2008 Presidential Election.Also returning in the second season are celebrity impersonations of Dina Lohan, Renee Zellweger, and Arianna Huffington. Ullman will also impersonate, Jonah Hill, as well as a take on Celine Dion's emotional appearance on Larry King
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Season three
Season 3 has been dubbed Ullman's most "ambitious to date". Sketches include Ullman playing 5 characters in an MSNBCMSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
make-up room, and a Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
tribute. Characters include, Rachel Maddow, Barney Frank, Meghan McCain, Christiane Amanpour, and Ruth Madoff.
Remake
On November 6, 2008, it was announced that "State of the Union" would be remade for Germany starring comedian, writer, Mona Sharma, under the title Lage Der Nation.Broadcast worldwide
| Region | Channel |
|---|---|
 United States |
Showtime |
 Australia |
ABC2 ABC2 ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia... |
 Brazil |
GNT GNT This article is about a Brazilian TV channel. For other uses, see Gnt .GNT is a Brazilian cable/satellite television channel. Originally launched as GNT: Globosat News Television, a news and information network. With the launch of Globo News, in 1996, the GNT acronym became meaningless, and the... |
 Canada |
The Movie Network The Movie Network The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories... |
 Finland |
Nelonen CH4 Nelonen Nelonen is a Finnish commercial TV channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1989 on the HTV cable network, which name was changed first to PTV4 and then to Nelonen. It started on June 1, 1997. Nelonen, in Finnish, means the glyph of the number four. The channel is... |
 Sweden |
TV4 Komedi TV4 Komedi TV4 Komedi is a sister subchannel of Swedish TV4, owned by TV4 AB. The channel focuses on comedy only with sitcoms, comedy shows and talk shows... |
 Israel |
Yes Stars Comedy Yes Stars Comedy Yes Comedy is an Israeli television channel carried by the Israeli satellite television provider - yes, which broadcasts American and British TV shows of the sitcom, dramedy and comedy genres... |
Region 0
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Season One | November 11, 2008 | 5 | This one-disc set contains all 5 episodes of Season 1, along with extras which include: 30 minutes of bonus footage including blooper reel, character makeup tests with Tracey commentary, making of the opening sequence with Tracey commentary, extra material and deleted scenes. |
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Season Two | May 4, 2010 | 7 | This two-disc set with a running time of 201 minutes, contains all 7 episodes, and 20-minute documentary, outtakes and deleted scenes, "How It Was Done", and 4 sing-alongs. |
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Season Three | August 20, 2011 | 7 | This two-disc set is only available through Amazon.com Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and... . Each set is printed on demand through Amazon's print-on-demand service. The two discs comprise of all 7 episodes, plus 40 minutes worth of extras: The Making of State Of The Union Season 3/Behind The Scenes with commentary from Tracey/Outtakes/A Twist on Outsourced Call Centers. The total running time is 117 minutes. |
Region 2
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Season One | 2010 | 5 | Extras unknown. |
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Season Two | 2010 | 7 | Extras unknown. |
Region 4
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union: Complete Series One and Two | October 1, 2009 | 12 | This two-disc box set includes all 12 episodes of Seasons 1 and 2. Season 1 contains the same extras as the Region 0 release. Season 2 contains a 20-minute documentary, outtakes and deleted scenes, and 4 sing-alongs. |
Nominations
2008- Emmy – Outstanding Makeup For A Single-camera Series (non-prosthetic) - WON
- Emmy – Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-camera Series
- Emmy – Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
- Satellite AwardsSatellite AwardsThe Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
- Best Comedy Series - WON - Satellite Awards - Best Performance in a Comedy Series, Tracey Ullman - WON
2009
- Screen Actors Guild AwardsScreen Actors Guild AwardsA Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
- Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Tracey Ullman, "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union"
- Art Director's Guild - Variety, Music or Nonfiction, "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union -- Episode 3" (Dan Butts)
- Emmy - Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
- Emmy - Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series
External links
- Showtime's State of the Union web site
- Official Facebook page
- Showtime Press Release For Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
- Tracey Ullman Does Posh & Becks Video
- First Look At Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
- Official Showtime Press Release confirming March 30, 2008 airing
- Official Showtime Press Release announcing the second season of State of the Union
- Photo gallery of season 2 characters
- New Video: Tracey Ullman Gets Candid About Sarah Palin