HBO continues to prepare for a post Sopranos world. There has been a lot of talk about their upcoming shows lately, including adapting George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, David Milch's John From Cincinnati, and the untitled Kanye West project. We can now add two more to that list. The network has picked up a one-hour comedy from producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (Designing Women) called 12 Miles Of Bad Road. The show will star Lily Tomlin as the matriarch of a rich Texas family. Add in the family real estate business and a collection of relatives and hilarity will ensue, hopefully. The idea almost sounds like a Dallas spoof. With Tomlin on board, it will certainly be worth a look. Look for Gary Cole, Mary Kay Place, and Leslie Jordan to also appear.
Also on the slate is a new half-hour drama from Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson. The team behind Entourage is back with Treatment, starring Gabriel Byrne. The show is based on an Israeli series of the same name. It centers around Byrne's character, who is a therapist. He manages to get through his sessions with his patients calmly, but turns into a basket-case when he sees his own therapist. Since I don't get Israeli cable, or speak Hebrew, this sounds like Help Me Help You, without all the yucks. Embeth Davidtz, Mia Wasikowska, Dianne Wiest, Blair Underwood, and Melissa George also star. The network has ordered 45 episodes already.
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Let's talk about spoilers ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-23-2007 @ 1:24PM
Jim said...
Just in case they think I've forgotten, HBO owes me nine more Sopranos eps AND TWO DEADWOOD MOVIES before I consider forming any new attachments. (Sorry about the "shouting.")
Not that I don't think Lily Tomlin is fantastic.
And they've ordered *45* episodes of Treatment already? 45?!? Who's holding onto naked pictures of whom?
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1-22-2007 @ 2:17PM
Scott H said...
Wow, more lame stuff from HBO. I lost HBO in September when my local Comcast moved it to digital-only. I have no regrets, and love having that $17 back every month.
I was a huge fan of many HBO series, from "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Sex and the City" through "The Sopranos", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Six Feet Under", "Entourage", "Real Time with Bill Maher", and even "The Comeback". But I never got into "Rome", "The Wire", "Deadwood", "Carnivale", or "Big Love".
But I'll get my last handful of "Sopranos" episodes on tape from a friend. "Real Time" works great as a free podcast a few days later. And I'll probably buy the next "Entourage" and "Curb" seasons. It's a heck of a lot cheaper.
I think they've lost their programming magic.
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1-22-2007 @ 2:29PM
TVblogger said...
Showtime is the new HBO :) Come on someone had to say it. Once The Sopranos is gone HBO is going to lose a lot of what made them such a big name in the first place.
But, now that Showtime has Dexter...HBO who?
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1-22-2007 @ 4:46PM
assafTV said...
Well as someone from Israel I can tell you a little about the show Treatment (although I've never watched it. It was on our cable platform and I have - and also work at - Satellite platform. In Israel each platform has their own unique channels - plus a basic package that's mostly the same on both - and "Treatment" was only on cables).
The show is a very simple one-setting daily half-hour drama. Each day has a different patient. Every Monday the therapist is with a certain patient, the day after a different one and so on. On Fridays the therapist goes to his own therapist and they discuss about his life and how he's dealing with his patient.
A show like this is heavily dependent on good scripts and good actors because it's basically half-hour of talking heads.
The show got excellent reviews here in Israel and now there are in the pre-production of the second season.
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1-22-2007 @ 5:08PM
SJ said...
After The Wire's fifth season ends, HBO is going to be completely dead.
Deadwood, Rome, Extras, The Sopranos, CYE, Da Ali G Show have all died or are about to die. Only Entourage may last a few more years (and I hope it does).
With Weeds, Brotherhood and the unbelievably awesome Dexter, Showtime is going to be the new HBO it seems.
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