It’s all about men

There’s no wedding nor state visit in the TV series, two of the usual events many associate with the word. But Entourage is definitely about men, friendships and male bonding. The TV series premieres on July 30, 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Signature.

Touted as the male version of Sex and the City, Entourage starts slow but establishes well the "who’s who" in this man show.

Jimmy Kimmel, one of the hosts of The Man Show, appears on a cameo role as a clean-cut host, minus the women in skimpy bikinis jumping on the trampoline and the overflowing beer.

Entourage revolves around the unusual relationship of an actor named Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) with his two friends Eric or E (Kevin Connolly) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and his half-brother Johnny "Drama" (Kevin Dillon).

Although set in the US, with characters played by actors with thick American accent and blue eyes, the theme is not uncommon. Pinoys, especially men, can relate to it. The TV series is about sticking together and sharing what one has. It’s the typical Pinoys’ dictum of pakikisama, or one for all and all for one. This is no question since the lead, Vince, lets his buddies live with him under one roof and work for him. His brother, Johnny "Drama," a has-been actor, prepares the breakfast and food. E, whom Vince trusts so much as far as his career is concerned, tries to be Vince’s manager without any formal training and experience in talent management the Hollywood way. Turtle, who drives the boys in expensive cars – be it a Hammer or a Rolls Royce, does the dirty work. Written in an episodic way just like Sex and the City, Entourage is really a man’s show featuring men of different sizes and shapes and their takes on love, relationship and life in general.

It also shows the playful side of men. There are tomcats on the prowl who love putting up impromptu, intimate parties with one-night standers in their midst and picking up well-endowed ladies by just showing their new wheels and attending events to fish girls for a night.

The series is also for women who wish to understand their men. The HBO Original reveals that men are really from Mars and women are from Venus. Entourage is a light drama-comedy televiewers will surely enjoy.

It’s hard to compare the characters to Sex and the City leads because Carrie and her friends are all professionals and have a life outside their friendship. The guys of Entourage, on the other hand, are dependent on each other. Their means of survival primarily relies on Vince’s fame and fortune. Whether this will bring more drama and comic scenes in the TV series is something to look forward to.

HBO says Entourage is based on the life of Mark Wahlberg, star of The Italian Job, Basketball Diaries and Three Kings and executive producer of the series. Mark used to be a member of the boy band New Kids on the Block, a hip-hop and pop singer and a Calvin Klein underwear model before he entered the movies. With Mark in the think tank department, Entourage is also about Hollywood, fame and how to handle it.

To bring in the ambiance of Hollywood, stars like Mark himself, Ali Larter, Jessica Alba, Jimmy Kimmel, Luke Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Sara Foster and Val Kilmer lend their acting skills.

"Celebrities get babied," says Adrian Grenier of Hollywood life in the sound bites prepared by HBO. "They get used to it. Then, when they don’t get something, they cry. We’re all just little children inside and when you start spoiling little kids, they whine when they don’t get what they expect."