Entourage S1-8

First things first: Entourage is based on exec producer Mark Wahlberg’s life and the idea for it was sparked when Mark’s assistant asked if he could film him and his buddies.

Adrian Grenier plays Vincent Chase, a hotshot movie star from Queens who’s arrived in LA to enjoy his newfound fame. Along for the ride is his group of misfit pals. From his best-friend manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) and goofy actor brother Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillion), to bumbling buddy Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), there’s no shortage of hijinks. The real scene-stealer is Vinny’s brash OTT manager Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), based on Mark’s real-life manager.

Don’t worry about leaps in time, with Vinny’s movies going from casting to wrap party in the space of two episodes. It’s the gang you’re here for. Most of their trouble is real as the entourage live the lifestyle of their rich and famous friend. There are also loads of cameos – actors Bob Saget, Pauly Shore and John Cleese, rapper Eminem, basketball star Lebron James and Mark Wahlberg himself.

Ray Richmond at Hollywoodreporter.com says: “Its characters are so unremittingly hedonistic and narcissistic that it’s nearly impossible to care about them. But that passes quickly since the show is such good nasty fun.”