Thirty Something's Miles Drentell: American Television's Greatest Bad Guy
Who is the greatest bad guy ever portrayed on an American television show? The first answer to come to the mind of many would probably be JR Ewing of Dallas. But let’s face it, JR was about as subtle as a Scooby-Doo masked villain. Cut me a break.
Those of a certain stripe might suggest Catwoman as portrayed by Julie Newmar. But I’m not talking specifically about the sexiest villain ever, so she’s out.
The Borg? Scary as hell, to be sure, but again not particularly dimensional. And besides, I’m thinking of a human being, not a collective being.
As far I’m concerned the single greatest villain ever portrayed on an American television show was Miles Drentell on Thirtysomething, brought to life by the extraordinary David Clennon. It is far more than a low down dirty shame that Thirtysomething is neither available on DVD nor currently in daily syndication on any major network.
(Instead, we get 72 hours a day of Law & Order reruns.) Thirtysomething was one of the leaders in the golden age of TV drama that marked the mid-80s through the late-90s, along with St. Elsewhere, Twin Peaks, Picket Fences, Deep Space Nine, X-Files, Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and others.
Although knocked as a series about self-indulgent yuppies, the characters on the show were no more self-indulgent yuppies than the equally acclaimed LA Law, and the show was far more interesting than that overrated piece of claptrap. Thirtysomething initially focused on a group of friends in Philadelphia, especially the families of Michael Steadman and Elliott Weston, who ran a small ad agency. But at the end of the first season Michael and Elliott were forced to close down their agency and the next season went to work for a much larger ad agency run by the inimitable Miles Drentell.
Those of a certain stripe might suggest Catwoman as portrayed by Julie Newmar. But I’m not talking specifically about the sexiest villain ever, so she’s out.
The Borg? Scary as hell, to be sure, but again not particularly dimensional. And besides, I’m thinking of a human being, not a collective being.
As far I’m concerned the single greatest villain ever portrayed on an American television show was Miles Drentell on Thirtysomething, brought to life by the extraordinary David Clennon. It is far more than a low down dirty shame that Thirtysomething is neither available on DVD nor currently in daily syndication on any major network.
(Instead, we get 72 hours a day of Law & Order reruns.) Thirtysomething was one of the leaders in the golden age of TV drama that marked the mid-80s through the late-90s, along with St. Elsewhere, Twin Peaks, Picket Fences, Deep Space Nine, X-Files, Xena, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and others.
Although knocked as a series about self-indulgent yuppies, the characters on the show were no more self-indulgent yuppies than the equally acclaimed LA Law, and the show was far more interesting than that overrated piece of claptrap. Thirtysomething initially focused on a group of friends in Philadelphia, especially the families of Michael Steadman and Elliott Weston, who ran a small ad agency. But at the end of the first season Michael and Elliott were forced to close down their agency and the next season went to work for a much larger ad agency run by the inimitable Miles Drentell.
- Miles Drentell was the head of an ad agency at which Michael and Elliott worked.
- Drentell played Mephistopheles to Michael's Faust through the course of the show.
- Drentell was brilliantly portrayed by David Clennon.
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Comments
Bette
(Guest)
(Guest)
08/23/2009
Absolutely agree with you. And you've captured the mystique of Miles perfectly. As well, you've given much-deserved kudos to Clennon, whose performances -- I think of the episode "A Stop at Willoughby" in which he explains advertising to Michael -- are some of the most subtle and piercing ever aired. Thanks for re-awakening folks to this great show. The first DVD is set to come out soon. Finally!
I thought Miles was rather zen. Especially after his appearances on Once & Again.
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