Maybe Jeremy Piven can pass for a brash, early 20th century American entrepreneur in Great Britain, but to this American he’s still playing his over-the-top “Entourage” character, Ari Gold — eating scenery like it’s his last meal.
Piven is the point man in PBS’ mostly pointless “Mr. Selfridge,” debuting tomorrow night. And despite its hit status in the UK, it plays like a desperate attempt to recreate all the wonder of “Downton Abbey”— but with no characters to care about.
Writer Andrew Davies, working from the book “Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge,” wrote this miniseries, but it lacks the joy, pain and, well, humanness of his many other series (including “Pride and Prejudice”).
Piven plays brash, annoying, refuse-to-take-no-for-an-answer American retailer Harry Gordon Selfridge, transplanted to England, who changed the face of retailing when, in 1909, he opened the first flashy department store bearing his name in London.
Not exactly the stuff of heroic drama — unless you will gasp at the vast assortment of gloves on display and the astonishing attention to detail in the haberdashery aisle.
The series opens with Mr. Selfridge — who has arrived from Chicago on the heels of his success with the Marshall Field’s department store — ready to change the way people shop in London. To that end, he takes out massive loans, loses partners and even, when broke, spends like a pasha to create a store worthy of a king. Or something.
To save his business he gets financing from the dubious Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly), much to the concern of Nervous Nelly accountant Mr. Crabb (Ron Cook).
Mr. Selfridge is married to Rose (Frances O’Connor), but really married to — yes! — his dream of changing the way women shop. Prior to Selfridge’s, the rich women of England had their dresses made by their personal dressmakers — and “going shopping” was what others did for them.
There’s also the rags-to-success story of beaten-down shop girl Agnes (Aisling Loftus), and the story of Henri, the hyper, brilliant window dresser (Gregory Fitoussi, who steals the show, if not the merchandise).
I still don’t get how Piven got mercury poisoning a few years ago from eating too much fish when he’s such a giant ham!