Synopsis

Ed Pekurny, a carefree video store clerk, agrees to let television cameras follow him around the clock for a new reality show. As his ordinary life becomes a national sensation, fame brings money and excitement but destroys his privacy. Matters become even more complicated when Ed falls for the girlfriend of his brother, turning a private family conflict into must-see television.

Factoids & Trivia

• EDtv is an American adaptation of the 1994 Quebec film Louis 19, King of the Airwaves, which also centers on an ordinary person whose life is broadcast continuously.

• The film was developed while The Truman Show was in pre-production. Both projects dealt with televised surveillance, but EDtv was conceived as a comedy rather than a dramatic satire.

• After The Truman Show became a major success in 1998, Universal's marketing reportedly emphasized EDtv's broader slapstick elements, even though the finished film also included romance and social commentary.

• Filming took place from March 31 through July 16, 1998. Locations included San Francisco, St. Augustine, and the arena now known as SAP Center in San Jose.

• The advertisements visible at the bottom of the fictional EDtv broadcasts grow larger and more nationally prominent as the program becomes more successful.

• A sign above Ed's bed reads "Longview - 12 miles," a reference to the Texas hometown of the performer playing Ed.

• EDtv was screened out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

• Made for a reported $80 million, the film earned approximately $35.2 million worldwide and became a notable box-office disappointment.