By ANDREW SOULSBY
Using New York City as the backdrop to a television show isn’t new. However, HBO’s How to Make It in America does away with the traditional and takes a fresh approach to the comedy-drama genre.
The show’s second season premiered Oct. 2 and kicked off with Ben and Cam – actors Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk – in Japan after successfully selling the first T-shirt for their up and coming apparel line called Crisp.
Created by New York native, Ian Edelman, the show continues to maintain the same level of realism it developed last season by shooting at diverse and unique New York locations. The show provides the viewer with a sense of having been to New York due to its ability to present the glamorous side of the Big Apple while contrasting it with the gritty.
Unlike HBO’s other 30-minute series, Entourage (which aired its last episode earlier this year), the protagonists are not rich and famous, but merely everyday guys trying to make their dreams a reality, something we can all relate to.
Despite the fact that the actors and actresses could double as models and that they wear tailor-made clothing designed by New York’s top fashion designers, the dialogue between characters is fresh and realistic while not trying too hard to be cool.
Set against a backdrop of locales unique to America’s cultural epicentre, the show is driven by a soundtrack of well-known artists and those that are still trying to make it big.
The reoccurring theme of contrast between those who have made it and those who haven’t is present during every episode. The show’s locations and characters are constantly being contrasted with one another, from the Wall Street banker to the reformed gangster, to the haves and the have-nots. The show’s greatest appeal comes from the fact that we can all relate to the characters in the show in one way or another. Further, one can’t help but compare the show to its older sibling, Entourage, with its West Coast relaxed demeanour to that of the East Coast’s upbeat, high energy aggressiveness.
How to Make It airs every Sunday at 10:30 p.m.
