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Buzz In: What Do You Think of HBO's New Sunday Night Lineup?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:30:44 -0700

While the Emmys were going down on CBS last night, HBO unveiled its latest Sunday lineup. True Blood and Hung may be out for now, but in their place, the network brought in another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and new show Bored to Death to air before Entourage.

I'm curious to hear what you guys think about the schedule and this week's episodes. Curb has been getting a ton of hype thanks to the upcoming Seinfeld reunion, but I was a little underwhelmed with the premiere - there was no Seinfeld alum in sight, and it seems like the cast's cameo may still be weeks away. And while Bored to Death looks promising, it's still finding its footing. HBO usually has a strong showing on Sundays, but without True Blood in the mix, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose a few viewers - especially when you have Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, and other shows competing for the same time slot.

So tell me, did you catch HBO last night? What do you think about the network's new lineup? Will you watch?

HBO Might Make a Show Based on "Savage Love" Column

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:30:52 -0700

When I was in college I used to read Dan Savage's sex column because, while not always particularly relevant to my experiences, it was always entertaining. Savage's column, "Savage Love," is wickedly funny, often racy and very honest. Now, HBO may be home to a TV series based on the raunchy column. Here's more:

Quoting from a draft press release for the show, Savage said the possible show "will focus on current events and cultural trends with sex as the filter."

Added Savage: "I'm hoping to bring a new kind of conversation to TV about sex - an honest conversation, one that's informed without being (too) wonky, funny without being (too) cruel, sexy without being (too) cheesy."

Sex and the City was a series about a relationship columnist, but as scandalous as some scenes in that show have been, something tells me Savage's show will be a whole other animal. As a fan of his column, I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Laura Dern and Mike White Get Enlightened at HBO

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:20:15 -0700

Are enlightened folks the new nurses, when it comes to TV trends? Just a couple of weeks after Showtime announced a religion-themed show called Revelation, HBO is developing a series of its own called Enlightened.

Enlightened, from School of Rock writer (and recent Amazing Race contestant) Mike White, will star Laura Dern as "a formerly self-destructive woman who, after having a spiritual awakening, becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work." White developed the half-hour comedy specifically for Dern, who had told HBO she'd be willing to do a show only if she found the right material. White said:

There are so many dysfunctional types of characters populating cable television, and she is equally as dysfunctional as any of them, but her impulse is to get healthy, to make the world a better place even though it creates havoc.

Between this and Diane Keaton's recently announced comedy project, HBO is definitely lining up some big talent for its new comedies. What do you make of this show? Do you want to see Dern as a comedy series lead?

A Seinfeld Reunion - and Other News From HBO

BuzzSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:35:49 -0700

HBO took the stage at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday and came out with plenty of big news, including a Seinfeld reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm, new seasons of several shows, and a new animated series from the folks behind The Office. Want to know more? Here goes:

First of all: Seinfeld reunion! Larry David had long insisted such a thing would never happen, but then he decided it might be funny to do it on the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm - so he is! The idea of a Seinfeld reunion will be a major plot on the upcoming season, which will premiere Sept. 20. Jerry Seinfeld will appear in five episodes throughout the season, and Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards will also appear in four to five episodes each, though not necessarily all together. Said David:

We'll see writing, see aspects of the read-through, parts of rehearsal, see the show being filmed, and see it on TV. You won't see the entire show. You'll see parts of the show. You'll get an idea of what happened [to the Seinfeld characters] 11 years later. Within the show, it will be incorporated into regular Curb episodes.
HBO also officially renewed three shows: the new comedy Hung and veterans Entourage and - confirming what we heard at Comic-Con - True Blood. All will return sometime in 2010, with True Blood a lock for a Summer slot.
One of the announcements that excited me most: HBO has officially ordered an animated comedy series from The Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, based on their podcasts with Karl Pilkington.
The official word on a possible third season of Flight of the Conchords: "When they're ready, we're ready."
Ideally, Treme (from The Wire creator David Simon) will premiere in the Spring. The fates of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and In Treatment remain undecided. And Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire is practically guaranteed a series order.

Will you tune into Curb for the Seinfeld reunion? Does any of this other news excite you?

TV Tonight: Prom Night in Mississippi

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:30:20 -0700

Ever since I read a New York Times story about the enduring tradition of segregated proms at some Southern high schools, I've been curious to see the documentary Prom Night in Mississippi. The film, which premieres on HBO tonight, tells the story of Charleston, Mississippi, which held its first integrated prom in 2008 with the urging (and funding) of Morgan Freeman.

Sounds uplifting . . . but there's more to the story. Though the prom is embraced by both the school administration and the students themselves, some parents organize a separate "whites only" prom and ban their children from attending the integrated dance. The filmmakers' cameras were forbidden from the "whites only" dance, too - so those parts of the story are told through graphic novel-style segments based on the memories of students who did attend.

But despite the conflict, says HBO, "When prom night arrives, the event is a huge success, with live soul and rap music, a packed dance floor and a pre-recorded appearance on a big screen by Freeman, who cannot attend in person due to a prior acting commitment. There is a sense that history is being made, and that the students have somehow grown from being a part of the process." Did that happen? A follow-up, Prom Night in Mississippi: One Year Later, is available OnDemand and revisits the school this Spring, telling the story of the second integrated prom - held alongside another "whites only" dance.

To check out a preview for this film, just read more.

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Sarandon, Goodman Join Pacino in HBO's Dr. Kevorkian Movie

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:30:54 -0700

HBO Films' biopic of Jack Kevorkian, You Don't Know Jack, already has its Dr. Kevorkian in Al Pacino. Now Pacino has castmates in Susan Sarandon and John Goodman. The biopic is loosely based on the book Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia. Goodman will play one of the authors of the book, Noel Nicol, Kevorkian's friend and co-worker whose "medical training as a corpsman and laboratory technician enabled him to assist Kevorkian on many occasions, while his laboratory supply company often provided materials for Kevorkian's efforts."

Meanwhile, Susan Sarandon will play Hemlock Society activist Janet Good "who becomes one of Jack's staunchest supporters, working side by side with him to make humane suicide available to the terminally ill and suffering. After she is herself diagnosed with terminal cancer, she avails herself of Kevorkian's services, choosing her own time to die, surrounded by her friends and loved ones."

Sarandon and Goodman already starred together in last year's Speed Racer, though this project will obviously be quite the drastic departure from that one. It is good to see great actors getting some substantial roles, though I'm awaiting this particular project with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.

Are you interested in seeing a Dr. Kevorkian biopic?

Middlesex to Become One-Hour Drama Series on HBO

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:36:44 -0700

Not to be overly dramatic or anything, but at first glance this news made my stomach do somersaults. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides), is one of my all-time favorite books, and I've always assumed (with some sadness) that it would eventually be adapted for the big or small screen. Sure enough, now there's news that HBO may be developing a one-hour dramatic series based on the novel.

After the initial "aw, man!" I'm coming around to the news a little, as I trust HBO to do something cool and Rita Wilson would apparently be an executive producer on the project. The series would follow "the life of Calliope Stephanides and the epic family history that may hold the answer to her complicated sexual identity."

Like Revolutionary Road, which I read long before there was news of a movie, the writing in Middlesex is so rich and evocative, I can't imagine how a screen adaptation could possibly do it justice. Then again, I'm relieved that it'll be a TV series and not a movie, so hopefully they can take their time with this story and avoid trying to cram everything in (while also sacrificing crucial elements) from the book.

Have you read Middlesex? Have you ever seen book-to-screen adaptation news that got a rise out of you?

First Look: Schwartzman, Galifianakis in HBO's Bored to Death

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:30:37 -0700

A weekly dose of Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis on my TV? Yes, please! HBO has released a teaser for its newest half-hour comedy series Bored to Death, which will premiere in September. Zach Galifianakis was recently added to the show, which is pretty brilliant casting given the success of The Hangover. The comedy star power doesn't end with those two - as you'll see in the trailer the series also features Ted Danson, Parker Posey, and Kristen Wiig. So great!

Schwartzman plays Jonathan, a struggling writer living in Brooklyn who drinks a lot. For no apparent reason he decides to become a private detective. Galifianakis plays his friend who writes comic books. The whole thing looks pretty funny and full of promise. To check out the trailer and tell me what you think, read more.

Alan Ball Says Season Two of True Blood Is "Sexier and Gorier"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:30:41 -0700

The second season of HBO's True Blood kicks off tonight and doesn't waste any time jumping into the scary murder madness that has engulfed the citizens of Bon Temps.

According to the show's creator, Alan Ball, everything intensifies this season: vampires are more monstrous, sex scenes are even sexier, shape-shifters become more, er, shape-shiftery, and the anti-vampire movement becomes even more zealous.

Here are more highlights from the conference call Ball recently held with reporters:

Talking about the serial killer: "The first season we, the audience, did not know who the serial killer was. In this season, as the show progresses, we know there is a character who is up to no good and is dangerous long before any of the other characters on the show know it."
Describing the anti-vampire cult and whether or not it's a metaphor for our current political climate: "That whole conflict becomes deadly serious. Given the nature of the political debate in this country, I think it's very easy to look at it in a satirical light. I've been clear from the beginning: they really believe they have a mission to save the world."

To see what Ball has to say about Evan Rachel Wood's character and the real-life romance between the show's two stars, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, read more.

On Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer's real-life relationship: "They are such consummate professionals, both of them, that it doesn't affect filming whatsoever. It only affects filming in the sense that they're incredibly comfortable with each other and their chemistry translates to the screen."
Talking about the changes Ryan Kwanten's character, Jason Stackhouse, will go through in season two: "In the books, Jason is very much the hot guy in town who is the womanizer. Once we started to flesh him out, no pun intended, we saw that he is sexually compulsive. Ultimately, Jason is a scared little boy that has been abandoned by everyone he has ever loved. In the second season, he is very much aware of the deep hole in his soul and he’s looking to fill that. As many people do, he latches onto religion and becomes part of an organization that makes him feel special. But of course, as time goes on . . . let’s just say Jason can’t leave his clothes on too long."

On making Alexander Skarsgård's character Eric, even scarier, and not shying away from the sexiness of the show: "This season, I did not feel like we needed to up the ante just to up the ante. I did feel like it was important to make Eric more frightening and see more of his monstrous side because as we progress we see more of his more human side. There is a scene where Sookie and Bill make love in the first episode that basically on the page it said 'Sookie and Bill make love.' Then I saw the dailies cut together . . . and I was like ‘Oh, wow! OK.’ I love it and I think that’s part of the appeal of the show. I don't think we do anything gratuitously. But it's important to show that between Sookie and Bill, there is this incredible, erotic chemistry."
On who Ball thinks is the most evil character: "I would hesitate to say Maryann is the most evil but she revels in chaos and destruction. She doesn't look at it from the polarities of good and evil."
Describing Evan Rachel Wood's character: "She is going to be playing the vampire queen of Louisiana. Each state has a king or queen and the buck stops there in terms of the [vampire] politics. Evan's really beautiful and very, very pale. And she looks like a vampire to me!"
On feeling any pressure to win awards or live up to the show's hype in season two: "I don't really think about those things. I feel like that is a real trap. I just feel like I try to do the best I can do. I don't feel more pressure, I really work very hard to stay in a little bubble in that regard because otherwise you go crazy."

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First Look: HBO's Hung

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:15:43 -0700

Apparently, we really need to pay our teachers more in this country. First, Breaking Bad's Walt White turned to drugs to provide for his family. Now, Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) - the protagonist of HBO's upcoming series Hung - is envisioning a way out of his underpaid, underappreciated life by rising to fame and fortune on the strength of his . . . well, you know.

Yes, Ray - reeling from a divorce from his wife (Anne Heche) and a fire that damages his home - has identified a particular, er, "winning tool" that could bring him some success. And he's going to work that asset, venturing into the worlds of male escorts, porn, and other such escapades. Let's just say this already looks like the kind of show that only premium cable could make.

Hung premieres on HBO this Summer, but you don't have to wait to see if it gets a rise out of you. (That's what she said.) (Sorry.) To check out the trailer, just read more.

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