Marty Brings Omar Back To HBO

I don't usually post about television shows that have just started production and have no premiere date set. If I where to do that I'd be posting two hundred times a day and half of the shows mentioned would never make it to the screen. Because of this I tend to hold off writing about shows until I know they're going to air. I'm not trying to be the next Variety or anything.

I do make exceptions when I get really excited about something, though, and now's one of those times. The Hollywood Reporter let out that Michael Kenneth Williams will be joining the cast of Boardwalk Empire. I had yet to hear about this project so I checked it and thought "This is awesome on so many levels", so I'm gonna break it down:

1. He played my absolute favorite bad-ass to ever appear on television: The Wire's Omar Little
2. It's going to be on HBO
3. It's being directed by Martin Scorsese
4. Also stars Steve Buscemi, who always plays an awesome sleaze bag
5. The premise makes me think Deadwood and Gangs of New York meets The Sopranos
   

The project is based on a book of the same title and the description pretty says it all:

A bustling little city by the seashore, totally dependent upon money spent by tourists, Atlantic City’s popularity rose in the early 20th century and peaked during Prohibition. The resort’s singular purpose of providing a good time to its visitors—whether lawful or not—demanded a single mentality to rule the town. Success of the local economy was the only ideology, and critics and do-gooders weren’t tolerated.

By 1900, a political juggernaut, funded by payoffs from gambling rooms, bars, and brothels, was firmly entrenched. For the next 70 years, Atlantic City was dominated by a partnership comprised of local politicians and racketeers. This unique alliance reached full bloom in the person of Enoch “Nucky” Johnson—the second of three bosses to head the Republican machine that dominated city politics and society.

In Boardwalk Empire, Nucky Johnson, Louis “the Commodore” Kuehnle, Frank “Hap” Farley, and Atlantic City itself spring to life in all their garish splendor. Author Nelson Johnson traces “AC” from its humble beginnings as Jonathan Pitney’s seaside health resort, through the notorious backroom politics and power struggles, to the city’s astonishing rebirth as an entertainment and gambling mecca where anything goes.

Boardwalk Empire is a colorful, irresistible history of a unique city and culture. Here is proof positive that truth is stranger—and more compelling—than fiction.

So, gambling, political corruption, race relations, racketeering...all sounds pretty damn good to me. Production has just started, so let's keep our fingers crossed and maybe we'll be watching Boardwalk Empire in the 2010 season.

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Mad Men Confirmed For August 16th

While announcing they had worked out a way to squeeze more ad time from Mad Men, AMC confirmed the series will be returning for it's third season on Sunday August 16th. It's slated to run in the 10pm time slot, which is famously HBO territory when it comes to high quality scripted programming in the cable world.

In years past HBO had become known for the 9pm-11pm Sunday evening slots with the success of Sex And The City and The Sopranos. After Sex and Sopranos ended, other cablers like USA moved in with In Plain Sight and then AMC dipped it's toe into the water with Breaking Bad and then season two of Mad Men.

It must have worked because they're sticking with it.

Regular networks had always been hit heavy with Sundays, especially ABC who airs their Desperate Housewives/Brothers & Sisters duo then. And of course football is always a big winner for the night.

The big hoopla with more time for advertising has been worked out, apparently. AMC wanted to add two more minutes of ads during the hit show in order to make up for the higher licensing fees the third season was demanding. Since the beginning it had been noted that AMC wasn't even paying producers enough to cover their entire budget.

The studio and producers were so sure they had a hit on their hands that they were willing to wait for DVD sales and whatnot to make up for it. Now that the show has proved itself as a huge hit and won numerous awards the network, I assume, has probably reached the point were they have no choice and have to pay enough fees for the entire budget.

The deal struck between the creatives and suits means that each episode will still run 47-48 minutes, about 5-6 minutes longer than network fare and 3-4 minutes longer than most cable shows, but will air from 10pm-11:02pm. They've also worked out the kinks, assuring all that the technical side of things are being handled so that DVR's will not cut off at 11pm sharp.

I wish all networks, cable or not, would wake up and follow AMC's lead. Cable network FX is already really good about this while sister broadcast network Fox is terrible.

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Sho Denies L Word Spin Off

Showtime shot down four pilots this month. That's a bit surprising considering some of the names included. I imagine things can get a bit awkward when you turn down a new show by the creator of one of your most popular shows that's still on the air, such as Weed's creator Jenji Kohan, who's comedy Ronna and Beverly was passed on (though if the name is any indication...). The meeting at which they turned down a spin off of The L Word, featuring Leisha Haley, was probably a little uncomfortable, too.

Showtime has never (to my knowledge) worked on an original series with Tim Robins or Matthew Perry, but they were both turned away, too. Robbins' show, Possible Side Effects, had Josh Lucas starring and Perry was producing and starring in The End of Steve. All four shows featured big names on both sides of camera, which is what's so surprising.

I'm hoping one or two of these pop up on other networks. Pilots being resurrected elsewhere is not outside the realm of reality. Fox famously passed on The Sopranos only to have it picked up by HBO. We all now realize The Sopranos would not have been half as great had it been on a broadcast network, so sometimes the original network may not be the right one.

It also makes me wonder just what will they be airing? If a network isn't picking anything they're bound to run out of original programming sooner or later. I don't know about anyone else, but I only subscribe to Showtime for the original series. With the news last week that The Tudors has just been renewed for a fourth and final season, The L Word having just concluded it's run, ITV has yet to announce a third season of Secret Diary of A Call Girl and there's also been no word of a fourth season of This American Life, I'm a little worried about that.


Check them out at iTunes: The L Word, Weeds, This American Life, The Sopranos, The Tudors.




     
 

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The Beginning

First post. For no reason, of course. This is something to ease into, I suppose.

I watch TV. Alot of it. More than most people. More than is considered healthy.

Favorite shows of all time: Gilmore Girls, The West Wing, Gossip Girl, In Treatment, Friday Night Lights, The Wire, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, The Sopranos.

My viewing habits are all over the place. From teen dramas to cop shows, comedies to night time soaps, you'll come to find I watch a little of pretty much everything. That "pretty much" is referring to "reality" TV. From this point on I'll borrow the great words of Aaron Sorkin and use the phrase "illiterate programming" when writing about such drivel.

I never watch anything live. DVR viewing only. As such, when I say "Delayed Blogging (insert TV show)" that means I'm live blogging my thoughts, but watching on a DVR. You'll see this from time to time.
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