The Business (2003 TV Series)

The Business is an American-British comedy television series airing on NBC that satirises the inner workings of modern American media industry. The series debuted on August 20, 2003, and features Peter Capaldi as Stephen Baratheon, the CEO and Founder of the fictional entertainment and technology conglomerate Baratheon Industries, alongside an ensemble supporting cast that includes Mark Addy, Julie Bowen, Bill Irwin, Sullivan Stapleton, Daniel Cudmore, Freida Pinto, Joley Richardson, Tim Blake Nelson, Julliete Lewis, and Rob Lowe.

The writers researched local California politics for the show, and consulted with urban planners and elected officials. Capaldi's character of Stephen Baratheon underwent minor changes after the first season in response to audience feedback that he seemed unintelligent and "violent". The writing staff tried to incorporate current events into their episodes, such as a government shutdown in New York inspired by the real-life global financial crisis. Several guest stars have been featured in the show, and these characters often appear in multiple episodes.

The Business received generally mixed reviews during its first season. However, after a reapproach to its format and tone, its second and subsequent seasons received much higher critical acclaim. The Business has received several awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, four Emmy nominations for Capaldi, Irwin, Lowe's performances, and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. In Time's 2012 year-end lists issue, The Business was named the number one television series.

In October 2013, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to release a film based on the show. It is set for release on August 21, 2015.

Cast and characters

 * Stephen Baratheon (Peter Capaldi) - Season 1-present - The aggressive, profane, deadly and feared Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Baratheon Industries. He serves two main roles: acting as the President's enforcer to ensure the cabinet ministers all follow the party line, and managing the government's crisis management PR - usually in the form of spin. He regularly uses rumours, smears, or threats of extreme violence to achieve his ends. He is usually seen talking to various people on his mobile.
 * Frank Simmons (Mark Addy) - Season 1 - Simmons was the Chief Product Officer (COO) of Baratheon Industries until he was killed by human majority protesters in Season 1 Episode 12 (Conspiracy Theory). Following his death, Marc Talbot was promoted to COO in the following episode (Bad Patriot).
 * Linda Haverton-Baratheon (Julie Bowen) - Season 1-5 - A nurse and political outsider who gradually becomes more involved in Pawnee government through her relationship with Stephen, until her execution in Season 5 Episode 14 (Baelor).
 * Hugh Mostow (Bill Irwin) - Season 1-present - Hugh is an investor in Baratheon's entertainment industry fund. A long-standing friend of Stephen's since the campaign days, he acts as his chief adviser. He is generally politically adept, often being a voice of sense within the series, although due to his age is often ignored and emasculated by younger members of staff.
 * Thomas Linsberger (Sullivan Stapleton) - Season 1-present - Tom is the equivalent of Stephen for President-in-waiting Worthington. However, he was made to look disloyal to Tom via a series of schemes implemented by Marc in Season 4 Episode 13 (Indefinite Access). He had considered himself a candidate for the Baratheon's Director of Communications, but lost out when the job was given to Marc again.
 * Glenn Tucker (Daniel Cudmore) - Season 1-present - Stephen's sarcastic and underachieving subordinate, who eventually begins to consider leaving his city hall job to pursue his own entrepreneurial interests.
 * Marc Talbot (Rob Lowe) - Season 1-present - Talbot is the excessively positive and extremely health-conscious Baratheon Industries COO. Lowe, who plays Talbot, left his starring role on The West Wing, another show on NBC during the fourth season of that show to join The Business.
 * Cliff Lawton (Bruce Davison) - Season 1 - Cliff Lawton is forced to resign as the CEO of Baratheon by Marc Talbot in pilot episode of the series. He is later referenced as bearing a grudge against Talbot, although it is unclear if this is simply Stephen's spin. Bitter about his treatment, he later appears in the specials as Jamie's stalking horse during the leadership contest. Jamie unceremoniously ditches him after Cliff's identity is leaked to Malcolm.
 * Kurt Hendricks (Josh Holloway) - Season 1 - Kurt was an inept press officer prone to making inappropriate comments, whose big fringe is supposedly there to "hide the lobotomy scars." He was killed by Stephen very early in the series in Season 1 Episode 6 (Amateur Marijuana Typhoons) while trying to point out that he was going to over take the professional marijuana sales.

Future seasons
On November 3, 2011, an agreement was reached to keep The Business going through season 15 in 2017.