This series was another gem I found this month.
This Hulu series starrs Kumail Nanjiani (“The Boys”), Murray Bartlett (“The Last Of Us”), Adam Ray (“Gaslit”), Kathryn Hahn (“Glass Onion”), just to name a few.
This series was directed by Matt Shakman (“The Boys”),
This Hulu series was released on November 22nd 2022. It has eight episodes in its first season.
This Hulu series is a Biography and Drama.
Onto the premise: The origin story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the Indian-American entrepreneur who started the stripper troupe Chippendales.
In episode one, Indian immigrant Somen “Steve” Banerjee works at a gas station and spends his nights dreaming of being the next Hugh Hefner. A chance encounter with a centerfold and her promoter husband sends his business plan in a new direction.
In episode two,As Chippendales takes flight, Steve assembles his dream team-including a shy accountant who may be more than just a business hire.
In episode Three While Steve is away in India, Nick cooks up his next creative triumph. But when Steve returns home, he has other plans for the show.
In episode Four As Steve’s new calendar flies off the shelves, a fed-up Nick makes a pitch to New York investors. A snub from Steve provides Otis with a sobering wake-up call.
In episode five While Nick takes the Big Apple by storm, Steve is back in LA staring down a discrimination lawsuit. Jealousy flares when Nick becomes a media darling — and the face of the brand.
In episode sixAs Steve’s financial woes mount, Nick offers a lifeline in the form of a proposal that would take Chippendales global. A printing error has disastrous consequences for Steve.
In episode Seven Nick’s success on the road infuriates Steve, who turns to Ray to spy on him. As Steve reaches his breaking point with Nick, Irene reaches hers with her husband.
In episode eight, the season finale, In a bucolic Swiss village, Steve’s sins finally catch up with him. As he stares down the consequences of his actions, he makes a final, fateful choice.
There’s a bunch of creative liberties, I’m sure, but the writing and acting seem to be on point. The show is pretty fast-paced in terms of how the club progressed compared to how the documentary laid it out, but I think it’s because they want more time to develop the characters (so you are be able to see their good sides before you see their bad sides).
I’m super impressed by the accuracy of the costumes, hair/makeup and even the cinematography. They actually try to make it look like a show that was filmed back then with the filters and shooting styles (e.g. Slow pan ins from far away). If you’re a film buff, you’ll appreciate the subtleties.
I’m excited to see where this goes and hope it stays on track. I’m also hoping they give some time to develop storylines for some of the dancers, since in the documentary they had a lot of stories to tell – plus, it’s always interesting to see from a different side of the business.
was drawn to Welcome to Chippendales right out of the get-go.
Even though I’m much too young to have ever experienced the troupe live in their heyday, you can chalk it up to my fascination with vintage YouTube videos, documentaries and podcasts. There are many movies and shows that do amazing things with true crime sagas and there are some that struggle.
I can say that this mini-series really reminded me of “Hefner” and “Magic Mike”. Despite its predictability I enjoyed it.
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Movie reviews with ceren 