Tanner '88

Genre: Comedy

Premiere: 1988

Network: Sundance

IMDB Rating: 7.9/10

Sessons: 2

Full Episodes: 16

Watch Stream Online:

Full Show Summary

It still looks like one of the most adventurous projects ever undertaken for television: to concoct a fictional presidential candidate and follow him as he mingles (often improvising) amongst the real-life candidates on the campaign trail. Tanner '88 was the brainchild of director Robert Altman and "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who executed this on-the-fly series for HBO during the 1988 primary season. Thus we get "former Michigan congressman" Jack Tanner (Altman regular Michael Murphy) sorting out his messy professional and personal life as he hobnobs with the likes of Bob Dole, Pat Robertson, Kitty Dukakis, and real-life journalists. Some of these meta-fictional encounters are cameos, but some are remarkable full-blown sequences, such as Tanner's heart-to-heart with Bruce Babbitt as they stroll beneath Washington's cherry trees. (But then you always knew politicians were basically actors.) The deft supporting cast includes Pamela Reed and Cynthia Nixon. For fans of satire, Tanner is smart and sometimes mind-bending; for fans of Altman, it's the director at the top of his characteristic game: a multi-layered, many-sided ensemble picture that happens to be all about America.

Last Episode, 26 October 2004: Season 2, Episode 4: The Awful Truth

Episode Guide
Cast

Date Aired	Tanner '88 Episodes
Season 1
15 February 1988	Season 1, Episode 1: The Dark Horse (1)
15 February 1988	Season 1, Episode 2: The Dark Horse (2)
14 March 1988	Season 1, Episode 3: For Real
12 April 1988	Season 1, Episode 4: The Night of the Twinkies
02 May 1988	Season 1, Episode 5: Moonwalker and Bookbag
16 May 1988	Season 1, Episode 6: Bagels with Bruce
06 June 1988	Season 1, Episode 7: Child's Play
20 June 1988	Season 1, Episode 8: The Great Escape
11 July 1988	Season 1, Episode 9: The Girlfriend Factor
17 July 1988	Season 1, Episode 10: Something Borrowed, Something New
11 August 1988	Season 1, Episode 11: The Boiler Room
22 August 1988	Season 1, Episode 12: The Reality Check
Season 2
05 October 2004	Season 2, Episode 1: Dinner at Elaine's
12 October 2004	Season 2, Episode 2: Boston or Bust
19 October 2004	Season 2, Episode 3: Alex in Wonderland
26 October 2004	Season 2, Episode 4: The Awful Truth