Tag Archives: HBO

HBO grants ‘Game of Thrones’ a third season

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No surprise here. Today HBO made it official that its highly rated and praised fantasy series Game of Thrones will return for a third season in 2013. Like the two seasons before it, the next one will also consist of ten episodes. What’s different, however, is that ten episodes isn’t enough time for the show to tell the entirety of A Storm of Swords, the third book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series. So the tale will be told over the course of two seasons–that is, if Thrones lives on to see a fourth season (and it most certainly will). Martin confirms on his blog that he will pen the script for season three episode seven already titled “Autumn Storms.”

HBO president Michael Lombardo commented on today’s not surprising but nevertheless great news. “Series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss raised our expectations for the second season – and then surpassed them. We are thrilled by all the viewer and media support we’ve received for the series, and can’t wait to see what Dan and David have in store for next season.”

Game of Thrones airs Sunday nights at 9PM on HBO.

TV trailer: Jeff Daniels in Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ for HBO

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From the mind of Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing and screenwriter of The Social Network and Moneyball,  comes The Newsroom,  a behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable-news program. Focusing on a network anchor (played by Jeff Daniels), his new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), the newsroom staff (John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel) and their boss (Sam Waterston), the series tracks their quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles-not to mention their own personal entanglements.

The Newsroom is a drama you clearly do not want to miss out on: stellar acting mixed with smart writing and compelling stories make up the agenda of this upcoming political drama with humor. Watch the buzzy trailer above and anticipate the season premiere that lands on Sunday June 24 on HBO.

TV reminder: ‘Game of Thrones’ returns tonight at 9PM on HBO [Update: record ratings]

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Ten months, five trailers, numerous posters, and one 22-minute featurette later, HBO’s wildly popular fantasy series Game of Thrones is finally back. War is coming, friends, and the battle for the Iron Throne is already in progress. We return to the Starks and the Lannisters breathing down each other’s necks, Jon Snow leading the Night’s Watch beyond the Wall into supernatural territory, and Daenerys training her dragons. The season 2 opener is titled “The North Remembers” and it starts precisely tonight (4/1) at 9PM on HBO.

The gallery below contains some new posters hyping tonight’s must-see event. Warning: one contains a major season 1 spoiler, so if you haven’t caught up yet (what are you waiting for?!) don’t go digging just yet.

Update:  The ratings are in and boy are they spectacular. So many more people tuned into the second season premiere of Game of Thrones compared to the first season. Here are the record-setting facts. A grand total of 3.9 million viewers tuned into “The North Remembers” at the 9PM hour; that’s up a significant 74 percent from the first season premiere. This is also the most watched episode of Thrones to date; it beat out the previous record holder, the season one finale “Fire and Blood” (that episode clocked in just over 3 million viewers). When you factor in all three airings from Sunday night, a grand total of 6.3 million viewers took in the premiere. HBO greenlighting season 3? Now it’s only a matter of time.

Xbxo 360’s video selection grows with HBO GO, Comcast Xfinity TV, and MLB.tv

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On Tuesday Microsoft launched three new video apps on Xbox 360: HBO GO, Comcast Xfinity TV, and MLB.tv. All three apps require that you be a subscriber to each of their respective services, obviously. With HBO GO, Xbox owners can now access every episode of every season of HBO’s most popular programming like Game of Thrones and The Sopranos. If you’re a Comcast subscriber, you can now view on-demand content via your console. And MLB.tv gives sports fans yet another way to stream live every out-of-market regular season game in HD with features like split-screen, a mini guide, and a personalized My Teams page. These apps come baked with Kinect integration, meaning you can put the controller down and use gestures and your voice to control the menus and playback. If you’ve got an Xbox 360, turn it on and download these video apps for free today. Game of Thrones returns to HBO for a second season tomorrow night, so this just might be the best way to catch up quick.

In related news, Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi told the LA Times that Xbox owners are spending more time with the “video game” console to watch video and listen to music than play games. “What we’re seeing is that people are turning on the Xbox to play games and then keeping it on afterwards to get other types of entertainment,” he said. With Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Verizon FIOS and now HBO GO, Xfinity TV, and MLB.tv, the term “video game console” is starting to get blurry as “entertainment hub” starts to come into view, at least in regards to Microsoft’s Xbox brand.

Jump after the break to watch the new video apps in action.

[Via MajorNelson] Continue reading Xbxo 360’s video selection grows with HBO GO, Comcast Xfinity TV, and MLB.tv →

HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ returns in one week; here’s a 22-minute refresher course

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HBO has put together an extensive featurette that serves as a refresher course for potential and returning fans of the cable network’s highly rated fantasy series Game of Thrones. The video titled “You Win or You Die”, which clocks in at just over 22 minutes, tells the grand tale that was Thrones season 1 and it even journeys into season 2 territory to whet the appetite for those who just can’t wait any longer. Thankfully, this meaty overview and teaser should subside eager fans’ eager collective longing for Westeros. In the featurette you’ll hear from series showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, as well as many of the actors including a naturally brunette (and still stunning) Emilia Clarke who plays Daenerys.

Game of Thrones returns in one week: April 1 at 9PM on HBO.

TV teaser 4: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2

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HBO has released yet another trailer promoting the upcoming second season of its fantasy series Game of Thrones, and I am quick to say that this might just be the best one yet. It features brand new, never before seen footage playing over a chilling track from Florence and the Machine called “Seven Devils.” War is coming, and here is proof.

Game of Thrones returns April 1.

TV teaser 3: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2

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Here we go again. HBO has let loose a third look at the second season of the network’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones. This one’s titled “Power and Grace” and it hints at a love interest for Robb Stark, Daenerys’ dragons, fear of the unknown beyond the Wall for Jon Snow, and oh-so-much more. War is coming April 1.

Enticing ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2 photos enclosed [Update: teaser poster, too!]

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If the previous two trailers weren’t enough to amp you up for the return of Game of Thrones, this collection of photos should do the trick. Open the gallery below and check out what your favorite GoT characters might be up to in season 2; there are even a few newcomers thrown into them mix. The HBO fantasy series returns April 1.

Update: A tantalizing teaser poster awaits after the break.

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[Images via IGN] Continue reading Enticing ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2 photos enclosed [Update: teaser poster, too!] →

TV teaser 2: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2

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Happy Sunday, everyone! Here is the sneek-quel to the “Cold Winds Are Rising” peek at the second season of HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones. In “You Win or You Die,” listen very carefully to Lord Varys’ words for “a very small man can cast a very large shadow.” The stakes are pushed higher in this extended look at what’s to come in George R.R. Martin’s epic tale of warring Houses.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 1.

Mark Wahlberg talks ‘Entourage’ movie, hasn’t given up on ‘How To Make It’ just yet

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In an interview with GQ released yesterday, actor/producer Mark Wahlberg promoted his upcoming action thriller Contraband and (luckily for us) dropped a few surprise nuggets about his two HBO series that recently concluded. Wahlberg confirmed that he and series creator Doug Ellin are in the process of cooking up a story for the big screen. He revealed that making an Entourage movie was always in the works because “people were complaining that episodes were too short.” What can we expect when Vince, Drama, Turtle, and E return once more? Wahlberg said, “I think a 90-minute movie of sheer craziness—the guys getting back to just being about the guys, you know? Lose the ladies. Go crazy. Give people what they want.” And the question that’s surely on your mind: when can we expect it? Wahlberg says he’s waiting on Ellin to write the script. Currently Ellin is working on his next HBO series 40 starring Ed Burns, so perhaps he’ll pick up where the Entourage series finale left off after 40 wraps.

Now get this. GQ mentioned Wahlberg’s latest HBO creation How To Make It In America, and instead of harping on its failure to reach a broad audience (which led to its cancellation last month) he talked about its potential future. “Well, the wheels are always turning and we’ve talked to the networks and we may pair it up with another network. You know, you can only have so many shows on the air [at HBO], but we’re talking about putting it elsewhere. One of the great things is also that we have a couple of things that are really geared toward guys that we’ve been developing that [HBO] feels are really close to going.” Color me intrigued. However, I wouldn’t allow yourself to get too excited just yet. Transitioning a show from one network to another is not so common these days. It is assuring to know, though, that Wahlberg and likely the entire creative team behind How To Make It is aware of the series’ cult fanbase and that they’re attempting to resurrect the show before the dust settles. Ya know I be keeping my ear to the ground with this one.

[Via GQ]

HBO cancels ‘How To Make It In America’ & ‘Bored To Death’

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Just when I thought this TV season was coasting along just fine, this brunt of bad news knocked me unconscious today. HBO has decided to part ways with three of its cult comedies: How To Make It In America, Bored To Death, and Hung. How To Make It only managed to score two seasons before getting the axe, and fans of the show will never get to see if Ben and Cam, well, make it in America as fashion icons with the Crisp brand. They were definitely going places; season 2 managed to top the premiere season in almost every way and still the show was doomed in the end. Also concluding is Jonathan Ames’ Bored To Death starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis, and the talented Ted Danson. This series lasted a total of three seasons and rightly deserved many more. What started as a detective-story-of-the-week quickly turned into a more serial adventure exploring the eccentric lives of the title characters. Though I must say, the season three finale thankfully wraps things up and leaves viewers pleasantly satisfied. Why did HBO suddenly feel the urge to clear out its Sunday night lineup? Ratings is to blame, as is usually the case (according to Variety How To Make It and Bored To Death were “down about 25% from their respective previous seasons”), plus the premium cabler is making room for new shows in the pipeline for next year. They did keep one, however. Enlightened starring Lauren Dern is coming back for a second season despite rather dismal ratings. Perhaps the comedy’s recent Golden Globe nomination came into play.

Ben and Cam’s hustle and the zany adventures of Jonathan, Ray, and George have come to an end. Triumphant tears are shed in their honor for making it this far.

[Via Deadline]