Dirt (Series one)
Here’s the dirt …
Go on, admit it: as soon as you read that, you leant in a little and wanted to know more.
Dirt. It’s dug up, dished out and flung around. Maybe it’s part of our social make-up, but there’s something about discovering sordid little details about others that appeals to us. Most of us maintain our respectability by focusing on celebrities rather than people we know. It satisfies our need to reinforce our social standing – and standards – without sacrificing friendships. That’s probably the only healthy aspect of our obsession with “dirt”, and it would be nice to think that’s what fuels the obsession with celebrity that churns out millions of magazines each week: magazines such as DirtNow.
You haven’t heard of DirtNow? The hybrid magazine edited by Lucy Spiller doesn’t ring a bell with you? Then you haven’t been watching … Dirt.
It’s a TV show, co-produced by Courtney Cox and her husband, David Arquette, revolving around magazine editor Lucy Spiller (spill the dirt?), and the friends, family and colleagues in her life. The show’s catchphrase (and Spiller’s mantra) is: “The Truth Will Set You Free”. But will it?
Spiller is a ruthless, workaholic gossip magazine editor who relishes and abuses the power over celebrities’ careers that her position bestows upon her. She’s completely unscrupulous. Gradually, as she goes from being tough, to tough and troubled, we learn what makes her tick. Is she driven by righteousness or revenge? We also learn more about the other people in her life: a young actor whom Spiller is attracted to, and the actor’s wife, whose star status begins to fade. There’s also a journalist ingénue and her sleazy older boss. (It’s rewarding to see the balance of power shifting in that relationship).
In all, it’s the cast that provides the strength of the programme. Cox has a fairly one-dimensional range. Although Spiller is an ice maiden, there are times when she softens and even experiences pain. But Cox doesn’t always pull it off. The emphasis seems to have been her wardrobe and frequent shots of her slightly startled facial expression, with varying degrees of mouth gaping.
Nevertheless, Cox deserves credit for not monopolising the show, and for allowing the other characters to evolve and add depth to the series.
Which brings us to another character: Spiller’s schizophrenic photographer sidekick and loyal buddy, Don Konkey (Ian Hart). Why an obsessive perfectionist like Spiller would rely so heavily on such a man is dubious, but he provides a quirky touch to the series. He also provides recap voiceovers at the top of each episode, which become increasingly anarchic and humorous as the series progresses. In one episode he chastises the audience, saying: “You really should keep up”.
Watch out, too, for Josh Stewart as actor Holt McLaren. Stewart bears an uncanny resemblance to Sean Penn. His acting skills and on-screen presence could see him transition easily into feature film.
Dirt boldly explores the dog-eat-dog machinations of celebrity: of the parasitic nature of those who rely on celebrities to make a living, and the degree to which people are prepared to sell out for fleeting fame.
There are shades of another series, Huff, in Dirt (an absent mother, mentally ill character with bizarre hallucinations). But that’s not to say it’s not original. Visually elegant, and with each episode providing a puzzle that needs to be solved, Dirt is entertaining fare. The character arcs will satisfy those who like to get involved in a TV show.