‘Beggars’ takes wry look at TV

It may be saddled with an inscrutable title, but “Beggars and Choosers” still rates as a wry, satiric look at the TV business.

The title refers to those with ideas, programs and talents to sell (the “beggars”) and the handful of powerful network decision-makers they woo (the “choosers”). The new comedy, which debuts with a 90-minute episode at 10 tonight on Showtime before starting hour-long shows next Saturday, takes viewers inside the turmoil at the Luddin Global Television Network, which sits perennially in last place (think UPN, only less successful). A good night for LGT is when one of its programs reaches fourth place.

Brian Kerwin (“Murphy’s Romance,” “Jack”) stars as Rob Malone, LGT’s beleaguered vice president of programming, who’s getting hammered from all sides. His ancient network boss, Emory (E.L.) Luddin (played by Bill Morey), is coming to Los Angeles to review the troops, and he expects Malone to line him up some “female companionship.” Malone delegates this task to his VP of talent relations, Malcolm Laffley (Tuc Watkins), a closeted gay man.

Ready to stab Malone in the back is Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross), his VP of development, who’s involved in a kinky phone-sex relationship with super agent Brad Advail (William McNamara), who represents LGT’s lone star, Seinfeldian comic Parker Meridian, and is in prickly contract negotiations with the network. To make matters worse, Malone’s 21-year-old daughter, Audrey (Keegan Tracy), has just moved in with Meridian (Paul Provenza), who is only two years younger than her father.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for Malone, but it could be a train. A new show, “Mountainmen,” about a group of men who go back to nature to follow the tenets of Thoreau and Emerson, has captured the public’s fancy and is actually winning in the ratings. But the series’ whacko creator, Kendall Gifford (Stuart Margolin), has written and aired an episode in which the “Mountainmen” build a huge bonfire and burn consumer goods, and this doesn’t put LGT in good stead with either advertisers or the other networks.

Kerwin is convincing as the last sane man in an insane business. Ross’s ambitious Lori and McNamara’s rapacious Brad are a well-matched pair of vipers, who love to wallow in the muck of Hollywood. Veterans Morey, Margolin and Carol Kane are all fine, flamboyant additions to the cast.

The major obstacle that “Beggars and Choosers,” the last TV project designed by Brandon Tartikoff, faces is whether the viewing public truly cares about the behind-the-scenes machinations of the TV industry. Shows set in mass-communications fields (TV, radio, magazines, movies, newspapers) are generally much more interesting to the “choosers” that set network programming than to the viewers at large, who feel more comfortable with series in a home-based setting. Also the show takes advantage of the liberties that being on Showtime allows, with a good deal of profanity and a small bit of nudity, which will offend some viewers.

Still “Beggars and Choosers” continues Showtime’s comedic winning streak, following last year’s introduction of “Linc’s” and “Rude Awakening,” both of which return this summer. It’s a series viewers should definitely choose.