Tag Archives: HBO

HBO renews ‘Togetherness’ for a second season

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Mumblecore heroes Jay & Mark Duplass have more than sufficiently entertained viewers with their new series Togetherness, so much so that HBO has renewed it for a second season after airing only two episodes.

“We began our love affair with HBO in our parents’ living room in 1983, and to have these brilliant creative people put a ring on our fingers with a second season of Togetherness is a real-life dream come true,” said the brothers Duplass upon hearing the great news.

Mark, along with ensemble cast members Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet and Steve Zissis, have constructed a show that is inherently funny, fascinatingly introspective, and most of all, fun. A husband and wife with kids, his best friend and her sister living under one roof in Los Angeles just trying to make their way and find meaning in their lives–even after just two airings Togetherness manages to captivate with its unapologetic realism and strife. Plus, Zissis is a breakout star whose fame is long overdue (see previous Duplass works Baghead, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon).

Togetherness airs Sundays at 10:30pm on HBO.

Early series renewals at CBS, FOX, The CW, and more

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A smattering of networks are showing extreme confidence in some of their series by renewing them for another season. In brief:

CBS has renewed three freshman dramas Scorpion, Madam Secretary and NCIS: New Orleans.

“These freshman dramas have each made a big impact on key nights of the week,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler. “Creatively distinctive, the series are backed by strong showrunners with amazingly talented casts, and have resonated with a big, broad audience.”

FOX is bringing back cult animated series Bob’s Burgers for a sixth season.

“This gem of a series is a rare feel-good blend of sharp wit and genuine heart that fans and critics alike have continued to love throughout its five seasons on Fox,” said network heads Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “We are proud of Loren and Jim and the extremely talented voice cast who bring these unique characters to life with both humor and charm each week.”

The CW is renewing a whopping eight series to return next fall and they include breakout rookies The Flash and Jane the Virgin and returning series The Originals (for a season 3), Reign (season 3), The 100 (Season 3), Arrow (season 4), The Vampire Diaries (season 7), and Supernatural (season 11).

“Each of these series have helped define what The CW is today, a network that is home to smart, provocative, quality programming, targeting a savvy adult audience,” said CW president Mark Pedowitz said. “By picking up these shows now, our executive producers can start planning next season’s storylines, and rolling these shows out throughout next season guarantees. The CW will have more proven original series for our fall, midseason and summer 2016 line-ups.”

Elsewhere, HBO renewed Girls for a fifth season prior to its season four debut which aired this past Sunday and Netflix is bringing back original series Marco Polo for a 10-episode second season.

‘Game of Thrones’ comes to IMAX theatres this month [Update: New release date & more participating theatres)

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It’s not Game of Thrones The Movie, but it’s as close as we’ll ever get to that. HBO has partnered up with IMAX to bring a couple episodes of the critically acclaimed fantasy series to the enhanced silver screen. This marks the first time ever that a TV series is being formatted for and screened in IMAX. From January 23 through the 29th, upwards of 150 IMAX theatres across the nation will showcase the final two episodes from season 4. As a refresher, those are “The Watchers on the Wall” (featuring the epic battle in which the Night’s Watch defend Castle Black from the wildlings) and “The Children” (the memorable season finale with deaths galore). In addition to showing these digitally re-mastered episodes, the event will also screen an exclusive trailer including never-before-scene looks at the highly anticipated upcoming fifth season of the series. Stick it here to find out if a theatre near you will host Game of Thrones in IMAX.

“The cinematic brilliance and grand scope of the series is perfect for the IMAX format,” said Pamela Levine, HBO’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We are always looking to provide fans with new and exciting ways to experience the show, and viewing two key episodes, along with the new trailer, on such an impressive platform makes for a great event.”

“IMAX always seeks innovative ways to provide moviegoers a unique and differentiated experience and today’s partnership with HBO and Game of Thrones achieves just that,” added IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond. “This deal also furthers our efforts to offer exhibitors the opportunity to participate in alternative forms of content in a new and exciting way.”

Update (1/14): Switch-up! IMAX has shifted the Game of Thrones limited-time screening event by one week. The two episodes plus the trailer will now hit big-screen theatres on Thursday, Jan. 29 and will extend through Feb. 5. The move was “prompted by extraordinary consumer response that drove online mentions for IMAX to record heights,” says IMAX, and the shift allows for a more expansive rollout; the event will now reach upwards of 200 theatres (that’s up from the previous count of 150). IMAX is also offering up the list of participating theatres now. Preorder tickets starting tomorrow, Jan. 16. And, if you’re one of the first 300 ticket holders you will be gifted a limited edition GoT poster at participating venues; eye them at that link.

TV reminder: 10 premieres to look out for in January

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New year, new TV. It’s time for the latest installment of what to watch this month! There are a total of 10 new and returning shows to look out for in January so let’s get right to it, after the break. Continue reading TV reminder: 10 premieres to look out for in January →

Stephen Merchant’s cringe-tastic HBO series ‘Hello Ladies’ returns to wrap things up

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Stuart Pritchard is never one to bow out without a fight. Though HBO cancelled the low-rated but highly enjoyable comedy Hello Ladies last January, creator and star Stephen Merchant (The Office, Extras) managed to put together an 80-minute special that promises to wrap up the short-lived series. Hello Ladies was a uniquely qualified show in that it would effortlessly swing the pendulum between uproarious laughter and more-than-subtle sadness, grief, and despair. Merchant’s protagonist Stuart played this gawky, frequently awkward Englishman transplanted in Los Angeles always on the prowl for women way out of his league. “Cringe-worthy” is the term that always came to mind when friends asked me to describe the series to them. It’s true: some scenes were so awkward that they forced me to turn away in utter embarrassment for poor Stuart who could never win at his own game (episode 5, “Pool Party,” instantly comes to mind). But across all eight episodes of the first and final season of the show, I grew to feel empathy for Merchant’s odd character who–at his core–was a dickish yet romantic guy reaching too high. Friends including divorced Wade (Nate Torrence), wheel-chair bound, profane Glenn (Sean Wing), wacky work colleague Rory (Kyle Mooney), and tenant/love interest Jessica (Christine Woods) helped elevate Hello Ladies to its cult status. I’m happy to report all are returning for the special. On a final note, it’s definitively sad to see this promising young series leave the airwaves prematurely, but not every cancelled show gets the chance to properly wraps things up like this. We’ll always have eight episodes and a movie.

The logline for Hello Ladies: The Movie goes like this: “When Stuart learns that his British ex-girlfriend is planning to visit Los Angeles with her husband, he sets out to impress them with his glamorous lifestyle, enlisting a Russian model he’s just met to play the role of his beautiful girlfriend. What could go wrong?”

As much as I want Stuart to “get the girl” or simply get with a girl (whether it be Woods’ Jessica or just a smokin’ hot model), I am largely expecting the series to conclude with poor Stuart sprawled out on his couch at home, alone. This is, after all, Hello Ladies. (P.S. Jenny Slate reprising Jessica’s arch-nemesis Amelia would be the cherry on top!)

Hello Ladies: The Movie airs this Saturday night (11/22) at 10PM on HBO. Hop after the break to watch a new promo and an invitation to the set with commentary from Merchant and other members of the cast. Continue reading Stephen Merchant’s cringe-tastic HBO series ‘Hello Ladies’ returns to wrap things up →

Premiering this month: Marvel special & the final season of ‘The Newsroom’

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November is a relatively quiet month in terms of flashy new premieres, but there are two you simply cannot miss.

First up is an ABC special called Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop! Emily VanCamp (Revenge, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) hosts the hour-long special celebrating Marvel’s 75th anniversary with exclusive interviews and an exploration of the company over the years. It promises to shed light on comic book/movie studio enterprise’s history, as well as peek into its future; perhaps viewers will be privy to new looks at Avengers sequel Age of Ultron or even the now-in-production Ant-Man. It airs this Tuesday (11/4) at 9pm on ABC.

And then there’s the final season of HBO’s award-winning political drama The Newsroom. The final episodes kick off Sunday, November 9 at 9pm. Fans of the fictional News Night with Will McAvoy will get to say goodbye to Aaron Sorkin’s journalistic jamboree over the course of six tight episodes that conclude on December 14. “Every story needs a final word” reads the tagline of the show’s third season, and it’s certainly sad to say that time has come now. Click here to watch a trailer.

‘Girls’ season 4 trailer [Update: New trailer inside]

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Here’s our first real look at the upcoming fourth season of HBO’s Girls. Lena Dunham’s Hannah Horvath and company are back in a season that’s about “the girls making smarter choices and realizing that life is still hard.” Preview season 4 in the video embedded above and see how many guest stars you can find.

Girls returns early next year.

Update (11/7): HBO’s released another look at Girls season 4. Watch it after the break. Continue reading ‘Girls’ season 4 trailer [Update: New trailer inside] →

Jemaine Clement of ‘Flight of the Conchords’ is working on a new project for HBO

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Big news, but not so fast. Initially, in an interview with The Guardian promoting his new film What We Do in the Shadows, one half of the New Zealand comedic folk duo Flight of the Conchords Jemaine Clement shared the following:

HBO have commissioned a new, four-episode comedy show from Clement and [director Taika] Waititi, he reveals. “It was supposed to be this year but then we decided to put What We Do in the Shadows out ourselves,” [said Clement].

The interview made the rounds, the Internet went into a frenzy (myself included), and shortly thereafter Clement jumped onto Twitter to clarify his statement. He posted Complex’s article covering the exciting news and attached the tweet: “Before this rumour gets out of hand – we are not working on a 4 ep Conchords show for hbo…” He concluded, “I am working on another idea with them though, hence the mix-up.”

In other words, the new project from Clement is not a continuation of the cult musical comedy Flight of the Conchords but instead an entirely new concept. Still, you must admit your level of excitement simply cannot drop at that. Any new material from this guy (whether or not it’s directly related to FOTC) is sure to be pure comedic gold with, of course, more than a hint of some beautiful, beautiful sounds.

Since FOTC ended its two season run on HBO in 2009, Clement went on to star as the baddie in Men in Black 3 while his Conchords partner Bret McKenzie continued to star in the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit films and contributing to the new Muppets movies providing the lyrics and music for the soundtracks. (In 2013 the two participated in the sequel Muppets Most Wanted with Clement acting and McKenzie producing the music.)

In sum, Clement and McKenzie are not resurrecting Flight of the Conchords for HBO. Clement is working on a new project with the premium cable network with director Taika Waititi, and we can only hope and pray McKenzie is involved.

Now, you might be asking yourself, what is the future of FOTC, then? Clement did touch upon that in his aforementioned interview. “We talk about a movie every so often,” he said. “Sometimes it feels like we lost a lot of impetus over the last couple of years. But Bret, James [Bobin, lead director] and me, we all want to do a musical. It would be good to do something all together … I miss playing Flight of the Conchords gigs.”

Future episodes? No. A movie, a musical? Maybe. Long live Flight of the Conchords!

Stick it here to learn more about Clement’s in-development HBO project as soon as details release.

‘The Newsroom’ season 3 teaser

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The third and final season of Aaron Sorkin’s HBO political drama The Newsroom premieres this November. To kick off the hype train the premium cable network released this “Copier Tease” starring a Xerox machine printing out actual (?) script pages from the new season. The big shocker: Jeff Daniels’ Will McAvoy utters “Well…I think it’s time for me to quit.” Is the face of ACN ready for retirement? Watch then discuss below.

Hannah rides a bike in brief tease at ‘Girls’ season 4

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There’s not much here, but for fans of HBO’s Girls anything is something. Star Lena Dunham rides a bike clumsily in this season 4 tease. When we last saw Hannah Horvath she decided to ditch NYC to participate in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Might this be her failed attempt to make it to class? Hannah’s story continues when Girls returns to HBO early next year.

HBO renews ‘The Leftovers’ for a second season

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“Who knew one could feel so ecstatic about such a depressing show!” I tweeted upon hearing the news of renewal. HBO’s The Leftovers, from Lost’s Damon Lindelof and Leftovers author Tom Perrotta, continues to depress and infuriate its viewers with gory, out of left field violence (read: the shocking death-by-stoning of GR member Gladys) and mystery perpetually left unresolved (Perrotta’s book never explains what happened to The Departed; will the show?). So far in its first season the series has managed to captivate with its unapologetic dreary outlook. It’s proven it can tell interesting character studies by using full episodes to further flesh out backstories (see: Rev. Matt Jamison and Nora Durst’s tales of faith and discovery). And then there’s our protagonist, the flawed, enigmatic Kevin Garvey, Jr. played expertly by Justin Theroux whose life eloquently weaves in and out of dreams always living on the edge of sanity. Garvey is the glue whose actions have repercussions not only on his depressing town but also on the main mystery that lights a fire under the series: where did everyone go and why? Whether or not Holy Wayne’s army of pregnant Asian women hold the key to “bridging” the gap between The Leftovers and The Departed, it’s too much fun despising the chain-smoking, white-clad Guilty Remnant and picking out the Lost-like clues Lindelof is leaving along the way. With just three episodes left this season, we are on the precipice of finding out if this show truly contains any answers or if it will continue to force viewers to journey into a bleak and hopeless unknown that is, at the same time, a supremely hypnotic and tantalizing place to be.

“We are thrilled to bring back The Leftovers for a second season with the exceptional talents of Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta,” HBO programming head Michael Lombardo said in a statement today. “It has been truly exciting to see the overwhelming response to their provocative and original storytelling. We look forward to continuing the journey as the show delves deeper into the lives of those who remain.”

The Leftovers airs Sunday nights at 10PM on HBO.

Visual reel takes a magnifying glass to ‘Game of Thrones’ digital universe

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So much of the universe featured in HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones is made up of computer generated content you probably didn’t even know it! It’s true; the series has traveled to distant lands like Iceland and Scotland to capture actual vistas of beauty. But not everything is as it seems on screen. Visual effects house Macklevision has released a beefy reel that peels back the layers of what’s real and what’s fake in the televised version of Westeros. So sit back and let the “movie” magic unravel.