I’m not going to lie to you. When I first found out about ABC’s Revenge I was a little annoyed to hear that none of it would be filmed in the Hamptons. When it premiered this fall, I watched one episode—and thought it was okay—but the whole time I was screaming at the television in my living room, “OH MY GOD, THAT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE HAMPTONS!!!”
I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder when the show was announced last spring, and I decided that I couldn’t get behind it. Coworkers were clearly enjoying the twists and turns, telling me I’d love Emily Van Camp, but they couldn’t suck me in. Every once in a while I’d get an e-mail that would read something like, “Dude! Do you watch Revenge? I’m totally addicted!” And I would respond with a simple, “I don’t watch it.”
Clearly this has been a mistake, because Revenge has become one of the top shows on TV. Am I over the fact that the show is filmed in some town in North Carolina and that I was not asked to be an extra? NO, I AM NOT! But I guess I’m going to have to watch it nonetheless.
CNN.com raved this morning: In the time it took for one alphabet network drama to get the axe, another garnered 8 million viewers and a full season pickup.
After all, “Revenge” is a language we all understand.
The modern day “Count of Monte Cristo” reels audiences in with characters viewers seem to love—and love to hate. Not to mention plot twists to die for. Still, the primetime soap doesn’t venture into campy territory. Not even while playing with traded identities and crimes of passion.
The “primetime soap” thing might not be my typical TV choice, but I’ve been assured they do it in a good way, like the early days of Desperate Housewives.
In terms of how they portray the actual Hamptons, there’s apparently some room for improvement, my trusted Hamptons sources assure me. From a bar in a Bizarro World version of Montauk to a green bus that looks eerily similar the Hampton Jitney yet is labeled something like “Hamptons Bus,” I’m starting to look forward to seeing how exactly why so many people watching TV across the country are loving this TV version of the Hamptons.
Are you into Revenge? Do you recommend it?
David! Yes! Watch this show! It’s totally a guilty pleasure of mine!
Cheesy doesn’t even describe this show. Your giving it too much credit. Pure crap might work a little better.
The show stinks like seagull poop. I don’t see any of MY friends or family or beaches in the show either Dave. It just gets me ruffled up.The writers must visit here so that I can “Educate” them! The water looks different, the tourist are so different, the cars are different, I could go on forever but the show is not worth the time. They missed the boat. The millions that know what the Hamptons are about were not consulted??? No patience for that… got to fly!
We enjoy playing a game called “Hamptons” or “SHAMptons”. When something is portrayed as being “Hamptons” we rate it as real, believable or no friggin’ way – on Royal Pains at least many things are real or believable – I was excited for Revenge, but quickly realized it was all “no friggin’ way”. I still enjoy the show though.
Start watching from the beginning. Whether it portrays the Hamptons accurately or not doesn’t mean a lot to me. I watch it for the drama. The writing is spectacular and the storyline is twisty and interesting with all kinds of available possibilities for the future.