TV Squad

Showtime content on Windows Vista

Adam Finley — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, PVR Wire, Video, Cable/Satellite

Computer users running Windows Vista with Windows Media Center will soon be able to download and purchase original content from Showtime, including full episodes, cast information, and various video highlights. Unfortunately, this is only available to people running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate and not to folks like myself still running Windows Media Center on Windows XP. I've been meaning to upgrade, but I'm an extremely lazy man.

I've already said it about a million times, but I'm always happy to see evidence of this sometimes atavistic industry's realization that "television" no longer refers to just the "TV set." As more and more people turn to the Web to see their favorite programs, partnerships like this make a lot of sense. More ways to watch means more people watching, and that's never a bad thing.

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This American Life premiere is online

Anna Johns — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:43:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Web, Documentary

Despite all the rave reviews and my own personal adoration for This American Life, I did not subscribe to Showtime so I could see the televised version of the PBS radio program. But Showtime is crafty. The network has posted this week's premiere episode of This American Life online (for free!) and now I am in love with it. I never thought that This American Life needed pictures to go with its stories, but the story of Chance the bull seems like it would be lost without video.

Take a look at the premiere and tell me what you think. I like it, but I still think I'm too cheap to get Showtime. I keep hoping they'll all be available on iTunes.

(By the way, if you are a fan of This American Life, you'll probably get a kick out of this parody by San Francisco sketch comedy group, Kasper Hauser. Their Ira Glass impression is dead-on.)

[Via Pop Candy]

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Chris Ware animates This American Life

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Showtime, OpEd, Animation, Documentary

This American Life starts up on Showtime this Thursday, March 22nd, and one of the first four episodes features an entire segment animated by Chris Ware. If you haven't seen Ware's art before, then you've been missing out. He's been feature in The New York Times Magazine, was in the "Masters of American Comics" touring museum exhibit, and is an artist who really captures angst well. Whoever thought that would be considered a huge plus.

You can watch Ware's This American Life segment here. I really enjoyed the way it captures the spirit and theme of the radio show. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think.

[Thanks, Mike]

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The Tudors - an early look

Julia Ward — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Showtime, OpEd, Early Looks

So, it turns out Henry VIII isn't just that portly guy at the Renaissance Faire with a gigantic turkey leg greasing up his maw. He was an athletic would-be humanist with an over-the-top appetite for sex and a body hard enough to qualify him for gay porn, or at least, that's how Showtime's The Tudors, the latest in bodice-ripping historical dramas, portrays him.

Continue reading The Tudors - an early look

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David Duchovny to star in new Showtime series

Bob Sassone — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Showtime, Cable, Premium Cable, Celebrities

Former TV stars don't fade away, they just get new gigs on hip new shows on cable.

David Duchovny, Agent Fox Mulder of X-Files fame, has just signed on to star in a new comedy for Showtime. He'll play a writer named Hank Moody who is divorced with a 16 year-old daughter. He's not only still in love with his ex-girlfriend, played by Natasha McElhone of Solaris), but he has a lot of addictions too. The show will premiere this summer and be paired with another quirky show, Weeds. There's no title yet, though the pilot was titled Californication.

This might be the series that finally makes me get Showtime. Oh, this and This American Life.

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TV Squad lists your season and series premieres and finales

Richard Keller — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, HBO, Showtime, Programming, The CW, USA, FX, Sci Fi, Comedy Central, TNT

Hola, mi muchachos and muchachoettes! It is I, Schedule Boy, back from wherever the hell I was. I'm here this time to present a comprehensive list of upcoming season and series premieres and finales for you, my adoptive TV Squad family.

What a crazy season its been! Shows that had so much potential (The Nine, Studio 60) struggled to stay on the air, while others (Ugly Betty, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, 30 Rock) surprised us with their growing fan bases and popularity. Then there were shows like ER that made a sudden comeback and ones like Gilmore Girls and Scrubs that didn't seem to find their way for the first half of the season. Well, at least we could be confident that hits like Grey's Anatomy, American Idol, 24 and Lost would carry us through the season. Then again, maybe not. Like I said, crazy season.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this fine presentation, presented in color with limited commercial interruption. You can find the list of premieres and finales (as well shows returning from hiatus) after the jump. Remember, dates are subject to change, so we'll be updating as time moves forward.

Continue reading TV Squad lists your season and series premieres and finales

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The Tudors online preview

Julia Ward — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:09:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Showtime, Web

Holy history porn. If you dig Rome, and Deadwood does it for your fictive nonfiction-loving self, then Showtime's The Tudors may be right up your alley. It's a journey through Henry VIII's kingship and many, many marriages with more tits, ass, intrigue and bloody violence than you can shake a royal stick at.

Showtime is offering a VIP preview of The Tudors' first two episodes online. (The password is "king.") The series, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, premieres on Sunday, April 1st at 10PM. The series focuses primarily on the king's affair with Anne Boleyn, his obsession with producing a male heir and the political intrigue of the court. And, did I mention that it's essentially softcore for the Anglophile set?

[Via Pop Candy]

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Buzz on Dexter's second season

Jonathan Toomey — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:41:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Dexter

Great news here as some info for the second season of Dexter has leaked out, courtesy of the Museum of Television and Radio's annual William S. Paley Festival.

The TV Addict has posted a recap of the Dexter panel discussion held last Wednesday in LA. In attendance was most of the cast as well as the executive producers. Lots of info, but rather than read through it all, here are the highlights:

James Remar, who plays Dexter's father, was quoted saying that, "Harry's bad." Hmmm? Perhaps his motives for fostering Dexter's talents weren't so wholesome?
The second season will explore Dexter's search for meaning. What's his purpose? Why's he here? Sounds pretty deep, but I'm excited to see how the show moves on from the season one focus of The Ice Truck Killer.
Expect to see a lot more of Masuka next season as he's been upgraded to the regular cast.
The second season is currently set to premiere near the end of September.

So there you go. It's not much, but this show is so good that I think I prefer to be in the dark. I still refuse to read either of the novels for fear that I'll find out something I don't want to.

[Thanks to Brent for the tip.]

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Debbie Does Dallas ... Again: Pilot (series premiere)

Keith McDuffee — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 23:58:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Showtime, Premium Cable, OpEd

(S01E01) Obviously since I'm writing about this show, there's no hiding the fact that I watched it. On a Friday night. At 11 PM. Alone. Unfortunately my wife had no interest. Go figure.

I'll break down the premise to you quickly. There's a bunch of girls having sex with guys, each other and themselves. There's lots of nakedness, frolicking and furburgers. The end.

OK, maybe that wasn't all that fair; there weren't many furburgers.

Continue reading Debbie Does Dallas ... Again: Pilot (series premiere)

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Are you ready for a Debbie Does Dallas reality show?

Bob Sassone — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:23:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Showtime, Cable, Premium Cable

I saw Debbie Does Dallas years ago. It was purely for, um, journalistic research purposes, I assure you.

If you haven't heard, Vivid is remaking the movie (remaking a porn flick...let's think about that for a second), and Showtime is also going to have a reality show to find the star! Showtime, with good reason, is a little nervous about the show. Of course, I wonder if this nervousness is really just more hype for the show (Debbie Does Dallas...Again) itself. The reality show will have several porn stars trying to become the next Debbie.

So if people on Survivor have to eat bugs and the people on Project Runway have to actually make clothing to become a designer, won't the people on this show have to...well, I'm sure you can imagine. And imagine you will.

The show starts on March 9 at 11pm.

[via TV Tattle]

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This American Life -- an early look

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Premium Cable, OpEd, Documentary, Early Looks

As we've previously reported, This American Life is coming to Showtime, and we were lucky enough to get a look at the first four episodes. It's no secret that I had high hopes for this show, and was all set to have them crushed, trampled, and stomped upon. However, I'm happy to report that that my hopes are still intact, at least after having seen four episodes. There's still room for my hopes to be smashed into a million crystalline fragments down the road.

First off, if you've never heard an episode of This American Life, it's high time that you head to iTunes and subscribe to their podcast. It's one of the best radio shows I've ever heard, and presents stories from Americans that you'll never hear anywhere else. It's pure documentary work where the hosts and interviewers don't overshadow the subjects, and features as much humor as it does touching drama. A real gem on the radio dial, and it's a labor of love on Public Radio International, which is more famous for its content, and not for the fortunes they pay their hosts.

Continue reading This American Life -- an early look

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This American Life TV show trailer - VIDEO

Anna Johns — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Documentary

I am getting Showtime.

When I read that This American Life was coming to television, I was cautiously optimistic. Ira Glass and crew do such a terrific job telling stories with audio that I admit I was worried about video taking away some of the intimacy. After watching this trailer (it's also embedded after the jump) I was blown away. It looks as beautiful as This American Life sounds. Apparently the producers of the television show found photographers and editors who think the way This American Life is produced. Just like the radio broadcast, the camera shots are from unusual angles. It's pretty much the opposite of anything you'd see on MTV.

This American Life premieres on Showtime on March 22.

Continue reading This American Life TV show trailer - VIDEO

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EchoStar and Showtime bump Showtime Interactive up to 2.0

Matt Crape — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, PVR Wire

CED Magazine is carrying a piece about a continued joint partnership between Showtime and EchoStar which will give birth to Showtime Interactive 2.0. The concept behind the deal is to create a zone accessible via EchoStar PVRs where users can go to get exclusive material.

So far it looks like there will be the usual kind of stuff, like interviews with various celebrities, "the making of" style of videos as well as extras for some of the original content that Showtime puts out.

Continue reading EchoStar and Showtime bump Showtime Interactive up to 2.0

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Sparks fly (from Chicago) between Matlin & Beals

Elizabeth Chan — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:43:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Premium Cable, OpEd, Celebrities

Marlee Matlin and Jennifer Beals are getting closer on screen, then they have been off screen.
Their characters may have just met each other on The L Word, but their friendship spans nearly two decades after meeting on a trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Although they never mention being part of the mile high club, the show forces them to take their real-life friendship to a whole other level as only a love scene can.

In a recent TV Tattler interview about whether its easier to do it with your real life best friend on TV, Beals replies, "Oh, it's horrible. We laugh hysterically the whole time. It's horrible, it's horrible. I try to be professional, and she looks at me and gives me one little look of mischief and we just lose it, and it takes forever to shoot."

Interesting...

Continue reading Sparks fly (from Chicago) between Matlin & Beals

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Penn and Teller back for a fifth season

Julia Ward — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Showtime, Programming, Documentary

Penn & Teller are back for a fifth season of their Houndini-esque debunking act Bullshit! on Showtime. As if there wasn't enough to watch on Thursday nights, ten new episodes will begin airing on March 22nd at 10PM. If you haven't caught the duo's libertarian-leaning act before, here's how the equal opportunity offenders work. Each week the boys take on a controversial subject and, by any means necessary, demystify the "bullshit" that surrounds it. Season five's targets include the obesity epidemic, Wal-Mart and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Penn & Teller come at their subjects with a mix of profanity, humor and moral righteousness. Like Houdini, who spent the latter part of his life exposing fraudulent spiritualists, Penn & Teller are men on a mission. Their collective heart is in this because, more often than not, they see people being exploited or taken advantage of by those who would perpetuate any number of falsehoods for personal gain. They're like potty-mouthed superheroes - fighting for truth, justice and the American way so long as the American way includes naked chicks and carnival barkers.

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Comic Reymundo developing new comedy for Showtime

Adam Finley — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:05:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Showtime, Celebrities

Alex Reymundo, one of the comedians featured in the concert film The Original Latin Kings of Comedy, will star in a new series on Showtime called Hick-Spanic, or, as The Simpsons writing staff might call it, ""Ethnic Mismatch Comedy #644."

Reymundo is developing the comedy, which, like most TV vehicles created for stand-up comics, is loosely based on his own life. Reymundo will play a man of Mexican descent whose wife is a white hillbilly. Their families are engaged in a constant battle over which of their children got the better deal.

Continue reading Comic Reymundo developing new comedy for Showtime

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The L Word's stylish cause

Julia Ward — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Showtime, Web

Showtime series The L Word has partnered with a group of designers to bring the "L"ements of Style to viewers. Top sportswear, jewelry and accessories designers have introduced a line of products that capitalize on the show's sexy image. Ten percent of all sales go to breast cancer research organizations.

Among the designers included in the project are Desperate Housewives' costume designer Cat Adair and Queer Eye for the Straight Girl's token lesbian Honey Labrador. (I'm going to assume that she was named by Ian Fleming.) You can make Honey model the clothes for your amusement online in an interactive fashion show. The items for sale are way more appropriate for your Portia de Rossi lesbian than your Rosie O'Donnell lesbian, but that's pretty consistent with the L Word's glam appeal. Maybe Trump could buy up all the clothes to outfit an army of femme lesbians and send them over to Rosie's house to steal her girlfriend. According to the Don, "it wouldn't be very hard."

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Life After Tomorrow premieres on Showtime

Julia Ward — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:06:00 EST

Filed under: Showtime, Documentary

If you're over 30, you may remember the halcyon days of Studio 54 when, in the late 70s and early 80s, you couldn't snort a line in the ladies room without tripping over a wasted Drew Barrymore and a gaggle of those Annie orphans. Those Broadway babies were the toast of the town back in the day, and a new Showtime documentary - Life After Tomorrow - tracks down those former orphans to find out what happened to their showbiz aspirations. The most famous member of the cast - Sarah Jessica Parker - is on hand for the reminiscences, but so are the 39 other girls that didn't live the dream after their Annie success had come and gone.

The documentary promises some real ugly - eight shows a week, cat-fighting stage moms, salacious stagehands and a Menudo-style dismissal when puberty set-in. There's no business like show business when it comes to robbing childhoods and crushing dreams. Have your children watch this cautionary tale beginning on December 24th.

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Look here to find out when your shows will return from holiday break

Richard Keller — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:09:00 EST

Filed under: ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, HBO, Showtime, Programming, The CW, USA, Sci Fi, Comedy Central

Schedule Boy has returned! Yes, yes, many of you know me as the dashingly attractive Rich Keller, reviewer of such shows as Bones and ER. However, sometimes I need to put on my mask and cape (and nothing else) and take on the guise of Schedule Boy in order to give you, the holiday-exhausted TV Squad readers, a chance to see where season premiere dates will fall or what time your favorite horror movie will air on Halloween night. It's a thankless job, but someone has to do it!

This time around I have been given the task to list the days when your favorite (and not-so favorite) shows will return from the holiday break. Also included in this list will be those shows having late starts to their season, like According to Jim, and those that are coming back from mid-season finales, like Psych. Please be warned that these dates may change, and we will try to adjust the schedule accordingly when we find out about them. So, get your decoder rings out and let's begin . . . right after the jump, that is. Schedule Boy, away!

[Schedule Boy image courtesy of the Hero Machine at UGO.]

Continue reading Look here to find out when your shows will return from holiday break

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Dexter: Born Free (season finale)

Jonathan Toomey — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:31:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Showtime, Premium Cable, OpEd, Dexter

(S01E12) What an absolutely spectacular show. It's going to be a shame if Michael C. Hall doesn't get the Golden Globe because he certainly deserves it. It's funny because at the beginning of the season I said I was going to have a hard time picturing him as anything other than part of the Six Feet Under ensemble. Now that season one of Dexter has come and gone, I can't imagine how Hall ever played the role of David Fisher for five seasons because this is the show I associate him with. He owns this role.

Continue reading Dexter: Born Free (season finale)

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