Has anyone ever seen this show? I watched a special about Robert Altman and they said it was one of the best shows of the 80's.

I think they said that it had been on HBO...anyone know where these can be watched?

I thought I'd revive this insanely old thread, rather than start a new one...

Did anyone watch Tanner '88 last night on Sundance? I taped it since I was out for the evening.

For those who don't know about the show, it was a miniseries originally aired on HBO in 1988. It was written by GB Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. It starred Michael Murphey as a candidate (the titular Tanner) trying to win the Democratic nomination for President. I don't know much more about it than that. I remember some clips from it when it was originally aired, but that's about it. I think it was shot in the now ever so popular "mockumentary" style.

The only Tanners I watched in '88:

I vaguely remember this show (never saw it, but I remember that it was 'critically acclaimed'). Criterion released a laserdisc way back when, if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't mind catching it at some point... as it seems to have many parallels with the current state of politics today. Of course, I don't have Sundance channel.

I'm watching this on Sundance (never seen it before).

Its got very low production values - but then its a pseudo documentary so it makes sense. But it is very Alman-esque with the overlapping dialogue. That one campaign-helper girl is hilarious. And of course the cameos from real life politicians is great, since we know how the story ends.

Although, some of us younger viewers may not be thoroughly familiar with the 1988 political scene and, thus, may miss out on some of that.

Just wanted to update this thread with this info, which I caught on Fox News (of all places):

"Altman's big news is that he's filming three new half hour episodes of his famous series, "Tanner '88" for the Sundance Channel. The shows will use the same cast as in the original series — Michael Murphy, Pamela Reed and "Sex and the City's" Cynthia Nixon — showing them older and wiser. Altman has already filmed the trio for "bumpers" to be used around the existing episodes, and will film part of the new shows at the Democratic National Convention in Boston this July."

Should be pretty cool... Hopefully, after all this is over, we'll get a DVD or something.