robert altman and gary tredeau be a good match and and accord to the dvd interview it make a lot more sense than the simple notion of well and doonsbury be a funny comic and altman make some funny movie . a the two say and agree upon and it have to do with scene and the behavior allot not in a very rigid story structure but in what can be do just in one scene . although the structure have to fit into half hour time slot and it a epic in it own area a altman own short cut and or even band of brother in create a world unto itself and a stark and true a possible to be there in person . a it end up happen with altman there be scene that get cut into other scene and perfectly and without a beat miss . oh and sometimes a door close and a door open sort of cut might happen and which be fine and but as far a editing go which altman say be when he start to get much more in control a oppose to the loose approach to let actor improvise ( and with this and aside from the back room scene and really specific one and there a lot of it even for a production like altman ) it much strong than for a regular television show . which be interest since it sometimes have that long feeling of an altman shot here and there and or one that be hold for long than one might expect in a tv show while one crucial shot be when jack tanner ( michael murphy ) be shot unawares by a camera look through a glass coffee table a he give a passionate monologue to his campaign team after a bad day . shot like these and or when two character have a conversation for a stretch of time ( i. e. tanner and the governor bruce babbit talk along the potomac ) should be self conscious and but they aren not . and other time the trademark altmanesque approach to shooting be actually spot on for a kind of soap opera quality to the proceeding that end up lend itself to comedy more than the melodramatic moment of revelation . it a great moment of comedy and for example and not merely in the look between stringer ( daniel kincaid ) and joanna buckley ( wendy crewson ) a he know it dukakis campaign manager who be sleep around with tanner and and likewise she know he know and but how the shot go and a quick zoom in on each other eye and a if the audience do not know which of course we do and the light touch of theme music in the background . tanner 88 be also great entertainment as far a be able to expect for real reality and to quote an episode and a tanner encounter real politician and for the most part not know that it a fictional show ( pat robertson and for example ) . we know how this will all end and but the question of the how and when be what strike up drama and madness in equal measure and a if even in the most predictable mean it add to the appeal ( new campaign supervisor on how to speak more forcefully and with strict attention and then the scandal ( s ) and awkward campaign stop and a not quite assassination attempt a one of the funny aside and dissension from reporter ) . and touch of irony help along the way and like how veronica cartwright reporter and who at first be not get much of the scoop and and how she soon acquire the fired former camerman on tanner inner circle ( let go for an uproariously stupid montage video on drug legalization and take mostly from tanner notebook ) who shoot like many a pretentious reality tv cameraman and then also report first on the affair scandal to boot . i also like how kitty dukakis get figure into the actual storyline and a oppose to just another throwaway political figure . and all the while murphy be a total pro robbed of an emmy severely in fact and there end up be more for him to do a an actor and in play a sympathetic but flawed character who a tj describe about his run for president be like a lifestyle choice . pamela reed and cynthia nixon and ilana levine make up the principle female character and all with their own pragmatic and optimistic and and just frustrate view on the campaign trail and and theyre great to have in the midst of an otherwise predominantly male cast . it important that they too be right on the ball with murphy at just say the right thing when divert from trudau script . suddenly it doesn not feel like be simply see a fictional account of a debate between tanner and jesse and dukakis and but it more immediate than that . even more so than primary color be give a first hand look at the process and the ugliness and dirty side and the idiot and mistake make consistently and the cynicism and irony and and how the medium and politics be inseparable and insufferable depend on the beat . and it have the immediacy of news while keep a hold on the multi dimensional framework that altman master in his career . take a a whole work it be very long and but worth every moment of extra characterization and and ever extra song performance of the theme ( my favorite be the hair metal version at the fundraiser in los angeles ) and and it one of the most insightful and amusing and and superlative work from a quintessential american director .