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San Francisco's Nicole Hollis Channels Power For The Borgias Unveiled

Angela Swinderman Elias — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:20:28 PDT

Are you watching The Borgias series on Showtime? The show merges the sexiness of Renaissance-era opulence with the scandal of a crime family saga, telling the story of the infamous Borgia family, whose corrupt patriarch, Rodrigo Borgia, gained political power in 15th century Italy. To kick off the premiere of the second season, Showtime selected designers in 10 cities to create gorgeous Borgias-themed displays in exclusive storefront windows, with each window representing a single word that resonates with the series.

San Francisco-based designer Nicole Hollis tackled the theme of power by creating a stunning display at Zinc Details. We caught up with Nicole to get her styling secrets for pulling off old-world style in a modern storefront. Keep reading to find out which Renaissance trends are still hot today, her go-to design resources, and tricks for creating high-impact style in any home.

Get Kristen Bell's Gorgeous Beaded Dress From the Showtime Premiere!

Allison McNamara — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:38:26 PST

Kristen Bell stepped out in LA last evening for the premiere of her new TV series, House of Lies, in a stunning minidress by Zuhair Murad. The hand-beaded applique and illusion sleeves exposed the perfect amount of skin, making it equal parts sexy and sweet. Want to channel Kristen's look for a night out? Watch today's FabFlash for some great options.

Showtime Axes United States of Tara, Renews Nurse Jackie

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:29 PDT

Well, this is a bit surprising: Showtime is pulling the plug on United States of Tara. The third season of the Toni Collette comedy, which is currently airing on the network, will be its last. Meanwhile, Nurse Jackie has been renewed for a fourth season, along with freshman series The Borgias. United States of Tara earned good ratings and critical acclaim out of the gate (not to mention award season love), but audiences have been dropping off since season two. Will you miss Tara and her wacky slew of personalities?

Photo courtesy of Showtime

Pilot Scoop: The Borgias

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:00:00 PDT

Now that The Tudors is long gone, the folks over at Showtime are attempting to fill the void with their brand new historical series, The Borgias. Before the show premieres tonight, here's a rundown on everything you need to know.

What it's about: Jeremy Irons stars as Rodrigo Borgia, a cardinal who rises to power when he seizes the Roman papacy through corrupt means during the Renaissance. As Pope Alexander VI, he struggles to stay one step ahead of his enemies and protect his family, which includes sons Cesare and Juan, and daughter Lucrezia. Cesare has his own inner conflict as a bishop who would rather be a warrior like his brother Juan, while teenage Lucrezia represents an opportunity to add to her family's power through a conveniently arranged marriage with someone of her father's choosing - even if that's not what she wants.

Where it works: It's hard to deny the gorgeous sets and costumes as The Borgias takes us back to Renaissance Italy and all that comes with it. Irons gives a rich performance that's entertaining and sparks intrigue, and I was also impressed with François Arnaud as Cesare.

Where it doesn't: Showtime has been touting the show as a historical version of The Godfather, as it centers on one of the biggest crime families in history. Unfortunately, the pilot just doesn't pack much punch. It's pretty, but the plot moves at a snail's pace and none of the characters are truly captivating. It's possible that we're just getting the tip of the iceberg here, but I wanted more soapiness and drama - even with a few sex scenes, this is no substitute for The Tudors.

Am I hooked? I'm sorry to say that I'm not. I'll stick with it for a few more episodes, but if it doesn't pick up the pace soon, I'm afraid it's going to have a hard time finding an audience that will keep coming back.

To watch a preview for the show, just

Photo courtesy of Showtime

Is Netflix About to Get in a Fight?

Kristen Hawley — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:12:50 PDT

After securing its own original series earlier this month, things seem to be changing for Netflix. Showtime recently announced changes to its Netflix deal that excludes new show episodes from being available on Netflix streaming shortly after they air. Now, Starz has followed suit, declining to add their content to Netflix streaming the day after they air.

As networks start to see Netflix as a competitor rather than an ally, this behavior is likely to continue. In fact, Starz has said it plans to enact a similar policy for movies after the current contract expires in 2012. So, is Netflix just becoming another premium network? I say they are, especially given devices like Apple TV, Google TV, and even mobile devices like the new 3DS with Netflix access. With the right moves, Netflix is poised to be a major threat.

Still, the service is only as good as the content it provides, which means that networks do still have some control over its success and failure. Its first original series won't hit the Internet for at least another year or more, so I'm interested to see what happens in the mean time.

First Look: William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum in Shameless

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:45:01 PDT

Back at the Summer TCA, I was treated to first looks at Showtime's new shows, including its adaptation of the British series Shameless. William H. Macy stars as Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic raising six kids on his own in Chicago.

The first half of the preview is packaged as comedy - though the subject matter is dark, Frank narrates about each of his kids as we get a peek at each of their maladjusted daily lives. Then, things start to take a more serious turn as we see his eldest, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) trying to revive Frank after a bender, and a confrontation between two of the kids about an affair with a married man.

The delicate balance between comedy and drama is what sparks my intrigue about the show. It looks rife for black comedy and gags about rebellious kids, but there are also plenty of opportunities for heavy subject matter here. Plus, Showtime has been hitting it out of the park with its new series lately, and having William H. Macy as a leading man pretty much ensures great performances.

The series doesn't air until next January, but check out the funny, poignant preview when you

Exclusive Interviews and a Tour of the Showtime House 2010!

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:30:00 PDT

On Tuesday, the third annual Showtime House opened its doors in Manhattan, showcasing high design and cutting-edge interiors inspired by the network's original series Californication, Dexter, Nurse Jackie, United States of Tara, Weeds, The Big C, and The Borgias. It's open to the public on Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 27. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds benefit Harlem Children's Zone.

I got in touch with the stellar group of interior designers and architects responsible for this year's inspired interiors and asked them each a couple questions about how their rooms came together. Check out this slideshow to read the designers' responses and get a peek at all of the fabulous rooms!

Photos courtesy of Andrew French

Link Time - Cynthia Nixon Returns to TV For The Big C

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:30:33 PDT

Cynthia Nixon joins the cast of Showtime's The Big C - Vulture
Nathan Fillion and Eva Longoria are thisclose to roles in The Avengers - Cinematical
Hanson covers Aldous Snow (yes, as in Get Him to the Greek) - MTV Movies Blog
Jamie Foxx plans to shop a TV mob drama to cable networks - Collider
Create a Scott Pilgrim avatar! - First Showing
Jason Reitman options Simon Rich's novel Elliot Allagash - Cinema Blend
A rant about NBC's Outsourced - TV.com
Passion Pit covers the Smashing Pumpkins hit "Tonight Tonight" - Spinner
Mos Def joins HBO's Enlightened - Deadline
Which movie features a hotter Tom Cruise? - TresSugar

TV Tonight: The Tudors Finally Bids Adieu

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:00:59 PDT

For four seasons on The Tudors, we've watched as Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) romanced his many wives (and women who were not his wives), while growing more tyrannical. Tonight, it seems we'll be laying the infamous king - and the show - to rest.

In the series finale, the great ruler is facing mortality as his physical health and a bad leg worsen. Will the show end with his death? It seems highly plausible, but it being the last episode, I wouldn't be surprised if we see more characters besides Henry die off. The king's past wives will also reportedly cameo (hopefully with their heads intact).

Will you tune in? What are your hopes for the finale? And is it me, or is older Henry kind of channeling The Godfather? Two clips from tonight's farewell when you

Photo courtesy of Showtime

HBO vs. Showtime – Battle of the Networks

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:15:00 PDT

The following post is from melzey, who posted it in the OnSugar blog My DisFunkshion.

It’s been an ongoing battle between these two movie channels. And no, the competition doesn't necessarily surround the films they air, but each channel's reputation for airing provocative, nail-biting, and addicting TV-MA shows/series. Here are a few shows that are the reasons why it's so hard to choose a loyalty for one channel over the other.

HBO:

Entourage: I feel like viewers want to live vicariously through Vince, the fictitious and hot movie star played by Adrian Grenier, who basks in all of the hot Hollywood parties, smokin' groupie girls and ridiculously expensive cars. The sixth season finale left us with Vincent leaving for Italy to film the Enzo Ferrari flick, E getting engaged to Sloane, Ari Gold finally buying out his own agency, Drama in the works for a new show and Turtle finally realizing he won't be with Jamie after all. In its seventh and last season, premiering June 27, I'm wondering what's in store for the boys.

True Blood: Based off of The Southern Vampire Mysteries books, Anna Paquin plays the telepathic waitress, Sookie, who falls in love with a vampire, Bill, played by Stephen Moyer. And instead of a werewolf, one of the main characters is a shapeshifter. I've never seen an episode, but my friends call it the adult Twilight, since apparently there are a lot of risque and sexual scenes between characters. The season three premiere is June 13.

To read her thoughts on Showtime, just read more]