Topic: HBO

The Call Sheet

Look at These Old Men Wild 'N Out

Today in show business news: Here's our first look at the old Oscar winners in Vegas comedy Last Vegas, HBO is heading to Silicon Valley, and The CW is trying to figure out Wonder Woman.

By Philip Bump

May 14, 2013

Half of Internet Traffic in North America Is Just to Watch Netflix and YouTube

According to new data, everything that you do on every website besides Netflix and YouTube combined generates about the same amount of peak web traffic as those two sites alone. Netflix itself is bigger in every metric than HBO.

Comments | 4,523 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 10, 2013

'Family Tree' Is a Quiet Success

It's been seven long years since we last entered the world of Christopher Guest, the brilliant satirist/mockumentarian behind the comedy masterpieces Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. While his new HBO show Family Tree mostly registers at a low-key murmur, it's nonetheless a warm and funny little oddity worth spending some time with.

Comments | 611 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 6, 2013

What We Watched

There Might Be Big Changes Ahead for 'Game of Thrones'

One scene last night represented maybe the biggest change from page to screen that we've had so far, in this third season full of misdirection from the most exciting stretch of the books to the unpredictable adaptation by HBO. Or at least the oddest.

Comments | 9,626 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 2, 2013

The Rock Is the Savviest Cheese Monger in Hollywood

As he continues to dominate the box office and TV, on Thursday came news that Dwayne Johnson will star in and co-produce a new pilot for HBO. The other producers are Entourage veterans, and you can groan all you want, but the sweet smell of Entourage cheese is exactly what The Rock is good at cooking.

Comments | 596 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

May 1, 2013

The Dream of Cheap, Streaming HBO Is Dead

Just when we were getting excited about a standalone streaming service from HBO — like HBO Go, except without paying for a cable subscription — HBO now says it was just kidding and won't cut that cord... ever.

Comments | 2,569 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 22, 2013

What We Watched

A Slight Warning About 'Game of Thrones'

Great Game of Thrones last night, huh? Yeah, it sure was good. But I'm afraid I have to put my annoying "guy who read the books" hat on and tell you one maybe possibly deflating thing about last night's excellent episode.

Comments | 15,732 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 5, 2013

'Veep' Is Even Better the Second Time Around

The most richly satisfying comedy on television, Veep is an assured, but manic, delight. And it benefits hugely from the second season settle, when a show has worked out the kinks and can truly hit the ground running come premiere time.

Comments | 4,294 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 5, 2013

Eulogies for Nora Ephron Are Coming to HBO

As we mourn the passing of Roger Ebert, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that another film and journalism icon who recently died, Nora Ephron, will be the subject of an HBO documentary. 

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By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 1, 2013

What Michael Douglas as Liberace Really Looks Like

Now we've got some actual footage of the whole glittery HBO extravaganza, Behind the Candelabra, in the form of a teaser trailer. Let's break down this important, even more glittery update.

Comments | 6,047 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 29, 2013

The State of 'Game of Thrones' Is Great

Prepare yourselves! HBO's blood 'n' boobs 'n' Baratheons fantasy series returns on Sunday night, meaning the long wait of the superfans is nearly over. And based on what we've already seen, that wait was worth it — and the third season is a thrill.

Comments | 3,698 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 26, 2013

A Guide to Catching Up for the Third Season of 'Game of Thrones'

If you're showing up late to Game of Thrones, you have only a little time to prepare for the third season premiere this Sunday. To aid you in your epic journey, we've put together a little primer to help you understand what you're watching in the first two seasons without having to read the damn books.

Comments | 5,407 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 25, 2013

Harvard's Ultimate Streaming TV Deal Is Too Free to Last Forever

Because Harvard is paying for a service called Tivli, the Ivy Leaguers can burn through HBO's Girls, Game of Thrones, and a bunch of other cable TV content for free. Unfortunately, the ultimate student streaming model doesn't sound like it's built for the rest of us.

Comments | 1,914 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 22, 2013

Movie Review

'Phil Spector' Doesn't Do It

David Mamet's new HBO film Phil Spector begins with a disclaimer stressing that what we are about to watch is a work of fiction. What follows the disclaimer is a weightless film, both a dodge and a halfhearted apologia.

Comments | 2,947 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Mar 21, 2013

HBO Is Preparing for Life Beyond Cable

In what would be the most exciting single development for cord-cutters and their quality television since Hulu launched six years ago, the head of HBO hinted Thursday at the development of viable, legitimate standalone streaming service for people who don't pay for cable TV — any cable TV, not just premium. It might even be pretty cheap.

Comments | 11,679 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 20, 2013

'Enlightened' and the Lessons of Letting Go of a Great TV Show

We should not be angry that Mike White and Laura Dern's brilliant show just got cancelled. Sad, sure. Disappointed, of course. But the most productive way to work through those feelings is not to beat our chests and scream at HBO. It's to evangelize about the Enlightened that exists.

Comments | 1,727 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 18, 2013

Plot Twists

A Wishlist for Season Three of 'Girls'

Goodnight, bittersweet season two of HBO's Girls. You gave us a lot to think about. And now, hope springs new again, because season three could really bring anything. 

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 18, 2013

'Girls' Season Two Finale: Together ... Forever?

Last night brought us the season two finale of Girls, an episode with the unusually rom-com-esque title, "Together." It's been an interesting ride this season, full of discomfort and displeasure, cringing and awkwardness for characters and viewers alike, and this 30-minute season ender was no exception.

Comments | 2,931 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 11, 2013

'Girls': When the Watching Is Painful

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Sunday's episode of Girls was about pain. Physical, mental, and emotional pain, and all three, together. And most of all, the pain of watching people in pain.

Comments | 4,046 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 4, 2013

The Joy of Dreading the Next Season of 'The Newsroom'

Though we've still months to go before it premieres, it's not too soon to start dreading season two of Aaron Sorkin's yesterday's-news-today drama The Newsroom.

Comments | 1,737 Views

By Jen Doll

Mar 4, 2013

'Girls': You Are Fine and Good, You Are Good and Fine

"It's Back" is the title of last night's episode of Girls. It refers most obviously to the reappearance of Hannah's OCD. But it's a phrase that applies to nearly every major character on the show in some way or another.

Comments | 6,035 Views

By Richard Lawson

Mar 1, 2013

You Really Should Be Watching 'Enlightened'

HBO's Enlightened, a metaphysical, half-hour tragicomedy that is in danger of disappearing once its second season, concludes on Sunday night and is, in many ways, the finest and loveliest thing to appear on television in many years. Yes, it's that good.

Comments | 11,185 Views

By Connor Simpson

Feb 23, 2013

No One Wants to Watch This New 'Game of Thrones' Trailer, Right?

So, there's this show about people who wear old clothes and fight with swords and stuff, and people say it's pretty popular but there's no evidence to back that up. No one wants to watch a trailer for some show called Game of Thrones first thing Saturday morning, right?

Comments | 4,985 Views

By Jen Doll

Feb 18, 2013

'Girls': Little Women and Little Men

Last night's episode of Girls was titled "Boys." True to its name, it gave us the opportunity to spend more time with Adam, Ray, and Booth Jonathan than we have in any other episode this season, and certainly more time than anyone should ever need to spend with Booth Jonathan.

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Richard Lawson

Feb 12, 2013

Lena Dunham Bears It All

While everyone was worried about "female breast nipples" and other sexual horrors at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, over on HBO Lena Dunham, star and creator of the acclaimed series Girls, was busy baring it all with impunity. And the Internet went crazy!

Comments | 80,515 Views

By Jen Doll

Feb 11, 2013

'Girls': Weird, but Not Bad Weird

Who hasn't wanted to say forget it to the toils and troubles of daily life and instead move into a castle, or brownstone, with a handsome older person who can take care of us and maybe even save our lives?

Comments | 4,200 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Feb 6, 2013

Is George R.R. Martin About to Bring the 'Game of Thrones' Prequel to HBO?

Though he just signed a two-year development deal with HBO, the Game of Thrones author's fans are already salivating over what could be a plan to adapt his novella series The Tales of Dunk and Egg.

Comments | 3,530 Views

By Jen Doll

Feb 4, 2013

'Girls': Growing Up Is Hard to Do

After the complicated emotions last week's Girls inspired, episode four, "It's a Shame About Ray" — hark, a Lemonheads reference! — went a long way toward redeeming and refocusing the show.

Comments | 1,633 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 1, 2013

The Economics of Netflix's $100 Million New Show

With Netflix's foray into original, high quality programming today, the streaming TV network wants to turn into the HBO of Internet TV, but can Netflix afford it?

Comments | 123,556 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Feb 1, 2013

Apple TV Is Running Late

So, Apple's big plan to talk cable companies into making the iPod of the television industry thus far involves getting Time Warner to let it put HBO Go on its box (if you buy a cable subscription!), something other similar boxes already do. How very unexciting.

Comments | 2,069 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Jan 29, 2013

Like It or Not, the 'Entourage' Movie Is a Go

After six months — or years, depending on how you count it — of rumors and speculation, Warner Brothers gave the green light to a movie based on HBO's Entourage series on Tuesday night.

Comments | 2,934 Views

By Jen Doll

Jan 28, 2013

'Girls': How Can Good TV Feel So Bad?

If art's great power is making the person who interacts with that art feel something, you could argue that HBO's Girls is highly successful television. But if a TV show consistently makes a watcher feel bad, can it be good?

Comments | 7,384 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 18, 2013

The Smart Set

Lance Armstrong Kinda Saves Oprah

Today in show business news: The ratings are in for the big Oprah/Armstrong interview, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg head back to war, and a look at the pilots currently in development for next season. 

Comments | 7,902 Views

By Jen Doll

Jan 14, 2013

'Girls' Season Two: Different But the Same

On a night in which the HBO show won two Golden Globes — Best Television Series and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for Lena Dunham — Girls was back with a season premiere. What happened?

Comments | 2,241 Views

By Richard Lawson

Jan 11, 2013

'Girls' Returns to Earth

In the second season, Lena Dunham's show is blessedly less concerned with defining an era or a generation and more relaxed in its own particular conventions. And that's a good thing.

Comments | 2,586 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jan 7, 2013

What the Next Season of TV Looks Like, Right Now

More networks will reveal new details throughout the week at the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour, but here's what we've learned so far, from Steve Carrell's return to Donald Trump's real reality-show future.

Comments | 1,731 Views

By Richard Lawson

Dec 18, 2012

The Call Sheet

'Project Runway' Is Doomed

Today in show business news: Lifetime makes some bad changes to its once big show, Game of Thrones gets supersized, and Natasha Lyonne is back. 

Comments | 7,917 Views

By Richard Lawson

Dec 12, 2012

The Call Sheet

The CW to Send People to the Woods to Die

Today in show business news: A Hunger Games-style new reality show is in the works, HBO gets back in the Game Change game, and the award for worst nudity has actually gone to someone.

Comments | 7,809 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Dec 4, 2012

Netflix Looks a Lot More Like HBO Now

A big, juicy new deal with Disney means that Netflix will be the first and only place to show its new releases — a privilege generally reserved for places like HBO, Starz, and Showtime.

Comments | 1,808 Views

By Richard Lawson

Nov 29, 2012

The Call Sheet

MTV Mates 'Jersey Shore' with 'Honey Boo Boo'

Today in showbiz news: MTV sends us to West Virginia with its new show Buckwild, a Stephen King series is headed to CBS, and more Sundance films have been announced.

Comments | 2,629 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Nov 13, 2012

Lena Dunham's Chauffeured Mercedes Is Hurting Her Cred

Esquire's Q&A with Lena Dunham in its December issue is getting plenty of attention. It's not because the Girls creator/writer/director said anything particularly illuminating or scandalous. It's because we found out that Dunham rides around Manhattan in a chauffeured Mercedes. 

Comments | 3,677 Views

By Richard Lawson

Nov 12, 2012

The Call Sheet

'Girls' Will Be On Forever

Today in showbiz news: HBO might already have a third season of Girls planned, E! renews an important series, and Louis C.K. is doing another comedy special.

Comments | 3,938 Views

By Richard Lawson

Nov 1, 2012

The Call Sheet

'Gossip Girl' Has an Expiration Date

Today in showbiz news: The CW gets ready to send its one-time flagship show off on an ice floe, Jamie Foxx might soon be a super villain, and HBO gets back into the Stephen Merchant business. 

Comments | 5,343 Views

By Richard Lawson

Oct 24, 2012

The Call Sheet

At Long Last, CW Shows Whenever You Want Them

Today in show business news: Your favorite network is finally going On Demand, Johnny Depp boards a mysterious new project, and Oprah Winfrey has things cooking with both HBO and Justin Bieber.

Comments | 1,465 Views

By Richard Lawson

Sep 19, 2012

The Call Sheet

The Improbable Rise of NBC

Today in show business news: NBC is doing remarkably well right now, Comedy Central renews a very bad show, and James Gandolfini is heading back to HBO.

Comments | 9,219 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Sep 17, 2012

The Call Sheet

'Girls' Gives Us a Tease

The Voice has two new voices, Robocop gets a makeover, Smash adds a Hairspray alum, and the first-look at the second season of Girls

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Aug 30, 2012

HBO Is Finally OK with Cord Cutting (In Scandinavia)

HBO, the content provider that has said many times that it has no interest in offering HBO Go as a standalone service, will now offer its content through a standalone streaming service. Don't get too excited: This isn't happening here in the good ole U.S.A but rather in Norway, Finland and Denmark.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Richard Lawson

Aug 27, 2012

What We Watched

'The Newsroom' and 'True Blood' Save Their Best for Last

Bellyaching about The Newsroom and True Blood are hallowed traditions. And yet we keep watching, episode after episode. Why?  Well, because of season finale episodes like the one that aired last night. Just when we think we're done with the show, they go and reel us back in at the last minute. The jerks.

Comments | 7,505 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Aug 7, 2012

A Real-Life Fruit Ninja and 138 Falling Skydivers

Every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the video clips that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention

Comments | 672 Views

By Connor Simpson

Aug 1, 2012

The 'Newsroom' TCA Presser Was Uncomfortable for Everyone

Oh boy, the reports from The Newsroom's TCA presser was this evening and Aaron Sorkin spent the whole time defending himself and being combative with reporters, while Jeff Daniels fell asleep (maybe) waiting to charm the room when he was finally called to speak. 

Comments | 3,419 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Jul 25, 2012

Netflix Moves Away from Movies with End of Epix Deal

During yesterday's quarterly earnings report, Netflix mentioned a possible end to its relationship with Epix -- one of its movie providers -- as if it were no big deal to lose a contract that provides many popular new release movies.

Comments | 4,765 Views

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