House of Lies is an American comedy television series created by Matthew Carnahan. The show, which premiered on Showtime on January 8, 2012, is based on the book House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time, written by Martin Kihn, a former consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. It follows a group of management consultants who stop at nothing to get business deals done. On May 17, 2016, Showtime canceled the series after five seasons, with the series finale airing June 12, 2016.
Premise[]
The show focuses on both the personal and business lives of Marty Kaan, a manipulative, charming and opportunistic management consultant.
Originally, Marty was a highly successful partner at consultancy firm Galweather Stearn, where he headed up a pod consisting of engagement manager Jeannie van der Hooven, and associates Clyde Oberholt and Doug Guggenheim. He later leaves this position to head up his own firm, Kaan & Associates.
In addition to the questionable business practices of Marty and his team, the series also focuses on Marty's personal life. He deals with his disagreeable management consultant ex-wife Monica, his retired-psychiatrist father Jeremiah and his confidently flamboyant son Roscoe. The main character, Marty, often breaks the fourth wall; he talks to the viewers in a freeze-frame bit in which he alone moves and the others in the background 'freeze' but continue where they left off. Alternatively, he talks to the audience while everyone moves but the others seem oblivious to the fact that he is on a monologue.
Cast[]
- Don Cheadle
- Kristen Bell
- Ben Schwartz
- Josh Lawson
- Dawn Olivieri
- Donis Leonard Jr.
- Glynn Turman