Why I Need HBO

Time to compliment another show worthy of Raye-praise. Another instance of me being BEHIND the times - but since I don't get HBO I feel mildly off-the-hook this time. This weekend I realized the genius that is "Entourage". Lucky for me, the Season 2 DVD comes out on Tuesday so I got my timing right. Unlucky for me, the third season starts on June 11 and I, as stated above, do not have HBO.

What I do have is a serious crush on the goings-on of Vince, Eric, Drama, Turtle and Ari. Okay - maybe not so much Turtle and A LOT more Ari. Honestly, I can't believe it took me this long to get around to this show since it features my crushboy Jeremy Piven and is a Hollywood tale full of fun cameos and "inside" jokes. It's also fast-paced, down-to-earth, profane and entertaining as hell.

The show is based on Mark Wahlberg's early days in H-wood when he brought his "boys" with him everywhere as he navigated the waters to stardom. This time the crew is from New York and Adrian Grenier plays our actor lead - Vince Chase. If you have never heard of Grenier I wouldn't be surprised but don't miss out on him - he has the goods. The group is rounded out with Kevin Connolly as Eric - for whom I am developing a serious jones and watching him and Piven go toe-to-toe is hot; Jerry Ferrera - the obnoxious Turtle who's scamming really keeps it real; and Kevin Dillon as Drama - Vince's less-hot, less-talented, less-famous older brother (the shades of Donnie Wahlberg are chilling!).

The show is definately not everyone's cup of tea. If you are someone who won't know who the guest cameo is then you may not enjoy much of the action. If you don't give a damn about stardom, read movie credits, or enjoy shows that are unconventional then maybe stick with whatever the basic network is offering up. But if you want a solid dish of smart starry-eyes then this is one entourage worth joining.