Just what does FOX’s latest attempt at live-action comedy success have in common with a 200-million dollar 10-part HBO miniseries? Perhaps a little more than you might think! See for yourself after the jump.
| SONS OF TUCSON | THE PACIFIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere: | Sunday March 14 at 9:30PM on FOX (Thursdays at 9:30PM on Global in Canada) | Sunday March 14 at 9PM on HBO (HBO Canada in Canada) |
| Precursor: | Produced by Justin Berfield (Reese) and directed by Todd Holland, FOX’s latest attempt at live-action comedy success wouldn’t have happened without the once-ground-breaking comedy hit MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE that ran on the network from 2000 – 2006. | An epic 10-part miniseries that tells the lesser known tale of World War II from the Pacific perspective would not be here without the critically acclaimed Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks miniseries BAND OF BROTHERS that came before it in 2001. |
| Budget: | 2 million dollars per episode (approx.) | 200 million dollars for the 10-part series. |
| Characters: | Revolves around three young brothers Brandon (Matthew Levy), Gary (Frank Dolce) and Robby (Benjamin Stockham) who hire a twenty-something slacker named Ron Snufkin (Tyler Labine) to play “Dad” so that they aren’t split up and sent to Foster Care. | Follows three young soldiers, Leckie (James Badge Dale), Sledge (Joe Mazello) and Basilone (Jon Seda) who, in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, are sent overseas to fight an elusive enemy they knew very little about throughout the equally mysterious islands of the Pacific. |
| Enemy: | A loan shark named Tony. | All of Japan. |
| Horrific happenings: | An unspeakable event at Ron’s grandmother’s house prompts middle brother Gary to make a pact to, “never speak of it again.” | Considering THE PACIFIC comes from the men who brought us BAND OF BROTHERS and Saving Private Ryan, you do the math. |
| Lessons learned: | Three unsupervised brothers at a school fair + lighter fluid = a guaranteed trip to to the Principal’s office. | You mean aside from appreciation and admiration for what “the Greatest Generation” did for us? Simply put, war is hell. |
| Grade: | B- | A |