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"Tracey Takes On..." -- the bookA Review Originally published December 23, 1997 What will Tracey Ullman take on next? She's taken on television (with "The Tracey Ullman Show" and "Tracey Takes On..."), pop music ("They Don't Know"), Broadway ("The Big Love") and film ("I Love You To Death" and "Pret-a-Porter", to name but two). And that's just in North America. Now she's taking on the world of publishing with her new book called, appropriately enough, "Tracey Takes On..." (Hyperion, $24.95). It is a tie-in to her HBO series of the same name, which is entering its third season in January. On the series, she has a roster of some 20-odd characters/alter egos, and we hear from most of them in the book -- flight attendant Trevor, cab driver Chic, the member of the Royal Family known only as Her Royal Highness, etc. The bulk of the book consists of material from the first two seasons of the series. Some of it is directly transcribed from the episodes, while some of it has been slightly adapted to be more print-friendly. For example, the sketch featuring the Bugge's renting their home to a film crew has been turned into excerpts from Virginia Bugge's diary. Similarly, the sketch featuring veteran actress Linda Granger being stalked by a crazed fan has been transformed into an interview with her agent, in which he tells the story. There is some all-new material, such as a draft screenplay by college student Hope and an encounter between Her Royal Highness and President Clinton. To top it off, each section is introduced by some comments from Tracey as herself, where she tells us about such things as the occupational hazards of fast makeup changes, her early jobs, and her children's encounters with royalty. If you are already a fan of Tracey's, you'll likely be familiar with the sketches and some of the stories, so most of the book will not be new to you. But you will learn something new about the characters and about Tracey herself, why they are who they are. I see the book as a good companion to the series. It's not a substitute; if you really want to know what makes Tracey and her characters special, watch the series AND read the book. Since the book only covers the first two seasons of the series, it's quite possible that we might see "Tracey Takes On... Vol. 2" in a few years. I, for one, would love to see that. I'd also love to see an audio version of the book. SUMMARY: An excellent introduction to Tracey, her characters, and the series, as well as a good compilation of some of the best material from the first two seasons RATING: 3 1/2 stars Published in hardback January 1998 This review is Copyright 1998 R. W. Reini Page written by Roger
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