The Ratings Game

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = The Ratings Game
image_sized = The Ratings Game.jpg
imagesize = 240px
caption =
format =
runtime = 102 minutes
creator =
director = Danny DeVito
producer = David Jablin
writer = Michael Barrie
Jim Mulholland
starring = Danny DeVito
Rhea Perlman
Huntz Hall
Kevin McCarthy
Michael Richards
Vincent Schiavelli
music = David Spear
country = USA
language = English language
network = The Movie Channel
released = December 15, 1984
imdb_id = 0087979
amg_id = 1:40355

"The Ratings Game", a.k.a. "The Mogul", is a 1984 cable TV-movie directed by Danny DeVito and produced by David Jablin.

Plot

Vic (Danny DeVito) is a successful New Jersey trucking magnate with a desire to make it big as a Hollywood producer - but he has no talent. He hawks his scripts and ideas from one network executive to another, but he is turned down at each attempt.

Finally, he meets an executive who has just been fired, and to revenge himself, he accepts Vic's script and arranges for a pilot episode to be filmed. The resultant episode is abysmally awful, both in acting and story, but Vic is only inspired to greater heights. He decides to act as well as write and direct.

He throws a huge party to make himself known to "le tout Hollywood", but no-one comes, except Francine (Rhea Perlman), a statistician at a ratings agency. They fall in love.

When Francine is passed over for a promotion by her philandering and incompetent boss, she reveals to Vic how the ratings system can be by-passed and results fixed. They conspire to run a scam that will make Vic's programmes the most-watched on television.

The scam works and Vic is voted best new actor at a grand awards ceremony. But the agency has now discovered the scam, and as soon as Vic has accepted his award, he is arrested by police.

Francine and Vic are married in jail.

Notes

This feature marks the final appearance of Huntz Hall of "The Bowery Boys."

External links

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