Tag Archives: HBO

TV teaser: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2

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We’ve already been treated with a sneak peek into the second season of HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones, but that’s nothing compared to this 45-second teaser. King Robert’s brother Stannis Baratheon (who we haven’t been acquainted with yet) narrates here, claiming “the Iron Throne is mine by right.” Season 2 will consume what author George R.R. Martin wrote in his second book in his A Song of Fire and Ice collection titled A Clash of Kings. In the chilling teaser we are forewarned that many of our beloved and hated characters (I’m looking at you Joffrey) will indeed clash in the upcoming season.

The cold winds are rising and April 2012 cannot get here fast enough.

‘Game of Thrones’ season one releases on Blu-ray March 6

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HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones is coming to Blu-ray ($79.98) and DVD ($59.99) on March 6, 2012. In addition to all 10 episodes, the season one package is bundled with a ton of extras including never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, making-of features, and interviews. Eye the rundown provided by EW after the break. Continue reading ‘Game of Thrones’ season one releases on Blu-ray March 6 →

TV reminder: ‘Bored to Death’ returns tonight at 9PM on HBO

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This post marks the end of the This week in NEW TV installments. Over the course of the next three weeks, three new shows (2 returning and 1 new) will premiere. It begins with…

HBO’s Bored to Death returns tonight for its third season at 9PM. Have you been missing author-turned-P.I. Jonathan Ames, his best friend Ray Hueston, and his boss George Christopher in your life? Well tonight white wine lover Jason Schwartzman, pot smoking Zach Galifianakis, and the versatile, sex-driven Ted Danson (he now stars in this show and CSI) are back in the season three premiere entitled “The Blonde in the Woods.” That happens to be the name of Jonathan’s new book. Also happening in the premiere: Ray hangs out with his sperm donation and George reunites with his daughter. If you’re not watching this show you should be; it’s a riot. Check out stills from tonight’s episode in the gallery below.

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[Images via IGN]

This week in NEW TV: ‘American Horror Story’

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Last year I posted my Fall TV Preview. This time around I’m breaking that idea in pieces with a new kind of post called This week in NEW TV. Essentially they will serve as expanded versions of my usual TV Reminders. These posts will crop up through October as new TV shows premiere this fall. I will recommend new shows to watch and remind you when returning favorites are coming back. If you want a broader overview of all the new series airing on the big four networks, check out 2011-12 Upfronts coverage.

Note: This week contains only 1 new program, so I thought I’d take the time to comment on some fan-favorite returning series, too.

::SUNDAY::

How To Make It In America  — HBO — 10:30PM

Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam (Victor Rasuk) are back to make the big dream come true in NYC. In the season 2 opener the boys return from a successful business trip in Tokyo with CRISP-branded jeans in tow. We’ll also check in with Cam’s overbearing cousin Rene Calderon (Rene Calderon) and his Rasta Mansta energy drink empire, Domingo Brown (Kid Cudi) will become a more familiar face on the show this year, and Lake Bell’s Rachel still isn’t over ex-boyfriend Ben. Now, you’re going to want to look after the break for some HTMIIA goodies: a Luis Guzman-inspired music video, a season 1 recap, a mixtape, and more! For now, look in the gallery below for some stills.

::MONDAY::

House — FOX — 9PM

In the season 8 premiere, we find Dr. Gregory House in jail. Why? Because in last season’s finale he recklessly drove his car into Cuddy’s house and nearly killed her, her daughter, and other guests. While in lockup, House meets Breaking In star Odette Annable and quickly takes a liking to her. Is it because of her looks, her brains, or both? We’ll have to tune in to find out. Rounding out the Hugh Laurie, Jesse Spencer, Omar Epps, Peter Jacobson, and Robert Sean Leonard-led cast is newcomer Charlyne Yi, a comedian best known for her Knocked Up role as the spacey Jodi. It’ll be interesting to see how she blends in with this veteran ensemble cast. It will be equally interesting to see who fills in Cuddy’s shoes to become the new Dean of Medicine; Lisa Edelstein is out (as is movie star Olivia Wilde) and word has it that the new Dean will be selecting internally. I was leaning towards Leonard as my top pick, but now I’m imaging Omar Epps in the position. We shall see… Also note that this may very well be the final season of House. Everything is up in the air for now, and we should receive word from FOX executives in the months ahead. Journey below to view some key art and stills from the premiere.

::WEDNESDAY::

American Horror Story — FX — 10PM

Here’s the new show worth checking out this week. American Horror Story comes from Nip/Tuck and Glee collaborators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and it’s being billed as the scariest project developed for TV in quite some time. Dylan McDermott (The Practice) and Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) headline a stacked cast that find themselves mentally trapped inside a haunted house. Described as a psychosexual thriller, [the show] centers on a therapist and his wife who, dealing with the aftermath of the husband’s adultery, move along with their kids into a new house that seems to know all about their fears and plays on them. The promotional campaign for this show has been nothing short of bizarre, and the trailer snippets that have leaked are oh-so-intriguing to say the least. You can read more about the development of American Horror Story in a previous post, and check out stills from the spooky series below.

South Park — Comedy Central — 10PM

The second half of South Park season 15 begins Wednesday night. The network hints that “everything must change” following the cynical finale that last aired. In the episode titled “You’re Getting Old” it seemed like creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker were taking a stand against their recent material by calling it stale. So they decided to make at least one major change: Stan’s parents are getting divorced. Whether or not this new development will remain canon as the new season unfolds is still up for discussion. Stone and Parker might just pull their usual and “restart” everything–who knows. When the mid-season premiere passes, let’s just hope that the material is fresh. No matter what, though, South Park has been renewed through 2013 so the pop culture icon is staying put for at least a little while longer. Continue reading This week in NEW TV: ‘American Horror Story’ →

If ‘Game of Thrones’ was an RPG

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The talented folks at College Humor have really outdone themselves this time. They’ve transformed the HBO series Game of Thrones into a role-playing game! The video basically goes through all the major events that happened in the first season, so beware of spoilers. From the pixelated animation to the 8-bit score, Game of Thrones the RPG is simply spectacular and I want to play it right now.

[Via CollegeHumor; thanks Allie K.]

Comic Con 2011: ‘Game of Thrones’

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Like the Fringe panel, the Game of Thrones panel was not heavy on upcoming season spoilers. In fact, much of the panel was just Jason Mamoa (he played Khal Drogo) and Peter Dinklage (The Imp) making jokes and George R.R. Martin geeking out over his own creation. Anyway, here are the few takeaways from the packed panel:

  • The panel consisted of actors Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, a brunnette Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Jason Momoa; showrunners/executive producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff; and author George R.R. Martin, who served as a knowledgeable moderator. Star Sean Bean was noticeably absent.
  • Benioff shared, “Well, those who’ve read the books know what to expect, but we’ve got a bunch of new characters coming in. It’s time to meet the Red Priestess. It’s time to meet Stannis Baratheon. There’s bad stuff lurking north of the wall. This will be a season of exploration.”
  • The Battle of Blackwater will take place in season 2, and Martin is penning the script for it.
  • The panel discussed the nature of the show and how it will follow the books in terms of how much each season will cover. Book 1–Game of Thrones–managed to fit into ten episodes. A Clash of Kings will likely also fit nicely into a ten-episode arc, but by the time they get to the beefy A Storm of Swords that story will likely encompass one-and-a-half or even two seasons. Benioff said that as long as the team behind the show makes it through the pivotal event he referred to as “RV” (so as not to spoil it for non-readers) he will consider the HBO adaptation a true triumph.
  • The season 1 DVD & Blu-ray packages won’t come with any deleted scenes simply because the creative team managed to stuff everything they shot into the season. The cast’s audition tapes will be included.
  • When a fan asked why so many characters get killed in his A Song of Ice and Fire series Martin replied, “I’ve always believed that I want people emotionally involved in my stories. I want the readers almost afraid to turn the page because they don’t know who’s going to win.”

Pictures from the Game of Thrones panel below.

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‘Entourage’ movie: It’s matter of when, not if

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At the the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour, Entouage creator Doug Ellin and executive producer and inspiration Mark Wahlberg reassured fans that a movie based on the HBO hit series is definitely in the works.

Said Ellin: “We’re going to do a movie. We’re going to do it. It’s a question of when and how quick. We’ll sit down and come up with an idea…and then we’ll make it happen.”

Wahlberg added: “If I had to finance it myself, I would do it. I’ve been telling Doug, The Hangover is to me very much like Entourage, and look at all the recent success of R-rated movies. I certainly hope that this has a chance to become a feature film.”

Jeremy Piven, Entourage‘s Ari Gold, chimed in, “I think [the final season] is a gratifying way to finish, yet I also feel we could transition into a movie.”

So there you have it. Saying goodbye to the boys in August will certainly be bittersweet, but at least you’ll be able to rest at night knowing Vince and co. will return for one last hurrah on the big screen sometime in future.

Entourage airs Sunday nights at 10:30PM on HBO.

[Via Deadline; TVLine; EW]

TV Reminder: Entourage premieres tonight at 10:30PM on HBO

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The boys are back for one last hurrah. The eighth and final season of Entourage premieres tonight at 10:30PM on HBO. The shortened six episode season will air every Sunday at this timeslot; the series finale falls on August 28.

In an interview with Vulture, creator Doug Ellen says longtime viewers can expect a return to original form. “I wanted to get back to the early roots of the show, and get back to the guys sticking together, really looking out for each other” he says. “I wanted it to be a little lighter this season; obviously, the third episode is pretty dark, but I think we come out of that in a good way that’s realistic but also comedic.” As for the post-HBO run Entourage movie that’s in the works, Ellin says that the final season will not lead into the movie simply because the storyline for the feature film has not been decided yet. In his words: “I wish I was smart enough — everybody’s like, ‘Oh, you gotta leave it open, and do this and this.’ Every year I do the best I can and it ends somewhere and hopefully it satisfies. But it has nothing to do with any plan for the movie, because at this point there is no plan except [that] we’re gonna do one.” The plan is to ship the boys off to Europe in the movie, but beyond that Ellin’s taking his time in creating a satisfying conclusion for Vince and his friends.

Jump after the break to watch the season 8 poster animate and the latest trailer that teases what’s in store for the six-episode story arc ahead. Continue reading TV Reminder: Entourage premieres tonight at 10:30PM on HBO →

TV teasers: HBO’s ‘How To Make It In America’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’

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This week HBO released teaser trailers for the upcoming sophomore seasons of How To Make It In America and Boardwalk Empire. The former is a teaser in the very sense of the term; shots of New York City are mingled with stills of the characters who include Bryan Greenberg’s Ben Epstein, Victor Rasuk’s Cam, Lake Bell’s Rachel, Eddie Kaye Thomas’s David Kaplan, Kid Cudi’s Domingo Dean, and Luis Guzmán’s Rene Calderon. Can’t wait to see how far Ben and Cam have come along with Crisp and Rene his energy drink Rasta Monsta when HTMIIA returns to HBO this September.

The much more beefier trailer for Boardwalk Empire is located after the break. In it you’ll see Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) more ready than ever to take down and replace Nucky (Steve Buscemi) as gangster king of the Prohibition Era. Continue reading TV teasers: HBO’s ‘How To Make It In America’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ →

HBO renews ‘Game of Thrones’ after a decent debut in the ratings

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Well that was quick. Just two after its series premiere, HBO has gone ahead and renewed fantasy series Game of Thrones for a second season. The next season will bow next year (a specific timeline has not been worked out yet), and it will be based on George R.R. Martin’s next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings.

Michael Lombardo, president of HBO: “We are delighted by the way David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have brought George R.R. Martin’s amazing book series to the screen, and thrilled by the support of the media and our viewers. This is the continuation of an exciting creative partnership.”

No matter how the show did in the ratings it was destined to return for at least second season. Adapting Martin’s vast world of Westeros is a huge undertaking, there’s no way it all would have been squandered after just one hack at it. It did, however, fare decently in the ratings. 2.2 million viewers tuned into the 9PM premiere; for comparison’s sake this is down 54% from the Boardwalk Empire premiere which drew 4.8 million viewers in September. HBO was smart to air the premiere in three time-slots and across their various channels Sunday night. They picked up an additional 1.2 million and 800,000 viewers for the second and third telecasts, respectively. All together, a solid 4.2 million people watched the Game of Thrones premiere that night, and we’ll have to wait and see how these numbers hold up come next Sunday. Whatever the case, fans of the book series can rejoice in knowing that so much more is in the works.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9PM on HBO.

[Via EW, here & here]

HBO finally gets it, brings HBO Go service to iOS, Android

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HBO first unveiled the HBO Go service in February 2010, promising subscribers access to their favorite premium TV shows and movies inside their browser. It never really caught on. Today HBO revealed its plan to bring the on-demand service to the mobile front, and I’ve got a feeling this will get the motors revving. Come May 2, HBO subscribers will have instant and unlimited access to every episode of every season available through HBO on their mobile devices. Featured content includes “HBO original series, blockbuster hits, sports, specials and more.” The company has specified it’ll be coming to iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad as well as Android-powered ones. The service is free for (paying) HBO subscribers and it’ll work over WiFi and 3G. The interface mimics the one they’ve been using inside the browser and it’s pretty slick; check it out in the video above.

[Via Engadget]