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• "True Blood": The Official New Season 2 Poster And Plotlines For The First 3 Episodes [PHOTO]

  We may not be so pleased with True Blood, but it's not about us. Never forget that we're here for you - at least for these next two days, after which your humble correspondent will be here, serving only himself.  Check it out. And this thing we've had together has been fun, hasn't it? More fun than a show full of vampires... Read More... Posted May 14 2009, 10:40 AM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, True Blood, vampires, posters, plotlines, self-promotion, TV promotion, farewells

• "Big Love": That's Ginnifer Goodwin? [PHOTOS]

  Ginnifer Goodwin of Big Love is in W Magazine this month, looking about as un-Mormon as one possibly can. It's like she went right from the Church of Latter-Day Saints to the Justify My Love video...  Read More... Posted May 12 2009, 09:23 AM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Big Love, W Magazine, Ginnifer Goodwin

• The "Grey Gardens" Emmy Showdown Begins

  Okay, so here's how it went down... HBO wanted to maximize their odds to take home as many Emmys as possible for their TV movie version of the acclaimed documentary Grey Gardens starring Jessica Lange and Remote Island darling Drew Barrymore.  They figured the best plan for all involved was to split the difference and push Drew for the best actress category, and Jessica Lange for best supporting actress to try and ensure that both actors took home a shiny statuette, and HBO got to rack up a higher count of Emmys.  Everybody wins!  Apparently, HBO didn't count on Jessica Lange going all Norma Desmond on them... Read More... Posted Apr 24 2009, 12:30 PM by Lindy Parker with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens

• "Trouble The Water", Oscar-Nominated Hurricane Katrina Doc, Tonight At 8:30 On HBO [VIDEO]

  "We're from New Orleans, the 9th Ward. Underwater." This doc follows Kimberly Rivers Roberts, a 9th ward resident, and her family before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina took the 9th ward underwater. Ms. Roberts started filming with her home video camera the day before the Hurricane struck, asking her neighbors what they were going to do with Katrina fast approaching. This film is built in part, on her home video footage. Check out the trailer... Read More... Posted Apr 23 2009, 04:44 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, Trouble The Water

• Congratulations, Jill Scott!

  The singer and star of No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency just gave birth to her first child, a boy! And if this boy's birthdate and birthtime are any indication, he'll be smoking weed within the week! As for the name - it's a mode of transportation, but with funny spelling. Also, if you're superstitious, it might kinda maybe be bad luck... Read More... Posted Apr 22 2009, 04:20 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, babies, Jill Scott, No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency

• Booyakasha! A Legal Victory For Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen [VIDEO]

  Score another one for the comedians, against the people offended by their comedy. Judge Terry Friedman of Los Angeles County Superior Court dismissed a libel lawsuit brought against Mr. Cohen, HBO and the British broadcaster Channel 4 by a woman who said Mr. Cohen had used her name in a comedy routine. Judge Friedman's ruling, and the "libelous" Ali G interview with Gore Vidal, after the jump... Read More... Posted Apr 22 2009, 03:33 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Ali G, Da Ali G Show, Sacha Baron Cohen, libel, Gore Vidal

• True Blood Spoilers: Sneak Peak of Season 2 [VIDEO]

  Here's the thing: We remain hopelessly conflicted about the second season of HBO's vampire drama, True Blood.  We're still recovering from the mind-blowingly bad the season one finale, but we still can't quite let go of our hope that Alan Ball can turn this ship around and steer it to more awesome waters... Read More... Posted Apr 21 2009, 01:45 PM by Lindy Parker with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, True Blood

• "The Wire": David Simon's Original Pitch To HBO

  This is awesome. You know, a common question whenever people hear or read in-depth analysis of great art is "but did he mean all that?" Turns out yeah, he meant all that...  Read More... Posted Apr 16 2009, 05:27 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, The Wire, David Simon, Euripedes

• The 2008 Presidential Election Will Be An HBO Movie [VIDEO]

  HBO is making a film about the 2008 Presidential Election, based on a not-yet finished book by political writers Mark Halperin and John Hieleman. No pressure, though, guys.  Our old friend Sarah Hepola on Salon invited readers to speculate on who would play Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. From where we're standing, it seems like the toughest part to cast is the lead - Barack Obama. Will Smith always seemed like the feature-film choice down the road (the ears help him there) but the biggest movie star in the world probably wouldn't do a TV film. Terrence Howard? Great actor. Jeffrey Wright? Maybe even a better actor. Might not be good-looking enough; is that mean to say? Regardless, with all the twists and turns, it's a great story for a movie - so finish that book, fellas. It's remarkable, in seeing the recent photos of President Barack Obama and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton meeting at a picnic table, that this happened just last February... Read More... Posted Apr 14 2009, 03:59 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, John Edwards, Sarah Palin, Joe Biden, Joe the Plumber, 2008 Presidential Election, Change You Can Believe In, Mavericks

• David Simon, Creator of "The Wire," Takes On Hurricane Katrina

  We've said it before, we'll say it again: The Wire is the shit.  And we are gonna keep saying it over and over until David Simon comes up with something else for us to obsess over and adore like it's the best thing since sliced bread dipped in honey spread with chocolate and wrapped in love. That day may come very soon. He's back at HBO working on a new series called Treme that focuses on a group of New Orleans musicians reassembling their lives after the devastation of Katrina. But, Simon says, the show is not about the Hurricane.  Say what? Read More... Posted Apr 06 2009, 03:00 PM by Olivia Purnell with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, The Wire, David Simon, Treme, Hurricane Katrina

• "No. 1" Reason We Love Jill Scott [VIDEO]

  Deep down, we truly believe Jill Scott is destined to be our funny, sassy, stunningly beautiful BFF.  We were obviously meant to go on long, leisurely shopping trips in which we sip hazelnut lattes, and then go home to give each other pedicures, and watch Ellen.  We love Jill Scott.  And, as Rob Lowe taught us, true love lasts a lifetime.  You can imagine how psyched we were for her new HBO series based on the best selling novel.  In fact, there's only one way we could be more excited about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and that's if we were actually watching it.  Truly, we've never been more depressed that we can't afford HBO.  Do we really have to wait for the DVD?  Why isn't this show on itunes?      Click through for video after the jump...   Read More... Posted Mar 30 2009, 04:30 PM by Lindy Parker with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: HBO, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Jill Scott

• Can Clinton/Blair Compete With "Frost/Nixon"?

  Peter Morgan, the writer of Frost/Nixon, has written an HBO movie about the political relationship between Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. If The Special Relationship (not so crazy about the title, btw) gets greenlighted, HBO viewers will see a couple of bonafide movie stars as the Clintons... Read More... Posted Mar 25 2009, 04:04 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair

• "True Blood" Wants "Blood Hookers" For Second Season (SPOILERS)

  Are "blood hookers" like "blood diamonds"?  You know, you can't purchase them without a form certifying their ethical integrity?  Regardless, it seems the good folks at HBO have put out their feelers to cast a number of guest roles for True Blood's second season. True Blood is kind of like that asshole ex-boyfriend that we've mostly broken up with, but still can't totally stay away from and/or occasionally cyber-stalk. We may have claimed irreconcilable differences with the first season, but we can't help but be curious about the casting calls for season 2... Read More... Posted Mar 13 2009, 04:23 PM by Lindy Parker with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, True Blood

• HBO Is Sorry About “Big Love,” Just Not That Sorry

  Did HBO apologize to the Mormon Church for an allegedly offensive scene that will air in this Sunday’s episode of Big Love?  Yes.   Will HBO be scrapping, re-edttting, or changing said scene in any way? Read More... Posted Mar 11 2009, 04:30 PM by Olivia Purnell with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: HBO, Big Love, Mormon Church

• Upcoming HBO Animal Cruelty Special Has U.S. Pork Producers Scared

  We were going to show a really cute picture of a pig, but then we remembered we ate pork this morning, and felt sad. Then we were going to show slaughtered and/or mistreated pigs, but that was way too disturbing and upsetting. So tattooed pigs it is... Read More... Posted Mar 09 2009, 01:29 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, animal cruelty, documentaries, hog farms, animal rights, pigs

• "Flight Of The Conchords" Poster Contest Winner Announced [UPDATED]

  This was our fave... and it didn't win. Well, sure, they didn't want to cut Milt Glaser a check. But the winner is pretty good too -- click through to see for yourself! Flight Of The Conchords had a poster contest, and the finalists' work is surprisingly great. Bret and Jemaine pick their winner today. We go back and forth, but the poster above, by "jetter", is probably our fave. Although this one, by "catherinepeach", is pretty great too... Read More... Posted Mar 09 2009, 12:27 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Flight of the Conchords, poster contest, Milton Glaser

• Here Comes Larry

  Curb Your Enthusiasm is coming back. Production starts next week, and the show's seventh season will premiere in September. Which means along with being the co-creator and head writer of TV Guide's greatest show of all time, Larry David is the creator and star of HBO's longest-running series ever. He better step it up, or he'll never make it in the television biz. Nobody needs to help this bald brother out... Read More... Posted Mar 06 2009, 09:30 AM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO, TV Guide, Larry David, Seinfeld

• Anthony Kiedis + John Sayles = HBO Series

  Good team. Sayles will write HBO's upcoming series, tentatively titled Scar Tissue, based on Anthony Kiedis' childhood - which, we gather from Kiedis' autobiography, his songs, and the description of this show, was way different from ours...  Read More... Posted Feb 24 2009, 11:11 AM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Californication, Anthony Kiedis, Scar Tissue, John Sayles

• "The Witness: From The Balcony Of Room 306", Tonight At 8 On HBO 2

  Witness is a firsthand account of the MLK assassination, from Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, who was standing next to Dr. King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, when James Earl Ray shot him. It's a half-hour doc, and it's up for the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject this year. Check it out.  Posted Feb 18 2009, 02:22 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Martin Luther King, Documentary

• "Eastbound And Down" Is Like "Bad Santa", But Worse

  We watched the series premiere of Eastbound And Down, and it's dark. really dark. In fact, for a comedy, it's a little angry, and depressing. Main character Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) gets drunk, does blow, hates Jews, loves hookers, curses at children, curses at adults, curses his fate, just curses. Upsets a family. We've seen the show called a more angry, morally repugnant Talledega Nights, perhaps because of the Will Ferrell connection - but, if the premiere is any indication, this show is a lot more like Bad Santa, right down to the fat kid crying. Except Danny McBride is no Billy Bob Thornton. Still, Eastbound did have one of the funniest lines we've heard on TV this year... Read More... Posted Feb 16 2009, 05:15 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Eastbound and Down, Bad Santa

• Joe Buck Replaces Bob Costas At HBO

  This didn't take long. Joe Buck will replace Bob Costas as HBO's star sports guy, a day after Costas left. But what HBO's got planned for Buck sounds kind of cringy... Read More... Posted Feb 06 2009, 04:20 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Fozzie Bear, Bob Costas, Joe Buck

• Bob Costas Leaves HBO for the MLB Network

  This won't affect his contract at NBC at all. But it does mean Costas Now, his HBO show, has become Costas: Then. Baseball's always been Costas' first love, so this isn't that much of a surprise.  But is this a move that's better for Bob Costas than it is for the American viewing public? Our analysis, after the jump... Read More... Posted Feb 04 2009, 04:29 PM by Jake Kalish with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: HBO, Bob Costas, MLB TV

• Wanna Watch Ellen Barkin Get Revenge on Her Ex, Ron Perelman?

  Yeah, we do too.  Why and How after the jump . . . Read More... Posted Jan 30 2009, 02:50 PM by Olivia Purnell with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Ron Perelman, Ellen Barkin

• HBO Executive Freaks Out Mid-Flight Over Missing Obama's Inauguration Speech, Cops And Lawyers Get Involved

  So Shiela Nevins, the head of HBO's documentary films division, was flying Delta firstclass with her husband Sidney Koch to Sundance Tuesday, January 20th at noon. You know, when Barack Obama became President and gave that speech to the world. Nevins made the Delta people guarantee she'd be able to watch Obama, and things were going fine for a while. Until... Read More... Posted Jan 27 2009, 10:30 AM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Barack Obama, TiVo, Sheila Nevins, Sundance Film Festival

• Why Is Sean Hannity At Nevada's Bunny Ranch Brothel?

  Hypocrite alert?  Read More... Posted Jan 26 2009, 04:44 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Sean Hannity, Cathouse, Bunny Ranch brothel

• "Flight Of The Conchords": These Fake "Dave's Pawn Shop" Ads Are Amazing

  Click through for HBO's very funny fake ads for the Mohumbai & Sons Pawn Shop, starring Arj Barker as Dave Mohumbai... Read More... Posted Jan 23 2009, 12:29 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Flight of the Conchords, Dave Mohumbai, Arj Barker, Mohumbai and Sons

• It's Business Time: "Battlestar," "Conchords," "L Word," "Secret Diary," "Big Love" Back This Weekend

  Our rundown, after the jump. Read More... Posted Jan 16 2009, 04:36 PM by Bryan Christian with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Battlestar Galactica, Big Love, Showtime, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Sci-Fi Channel, The L Word, Flight of the Conchords, Billie Piper

• Musicians Will Be Limited To One Song Each At HBO's Inaugural Celebration

  Performers will include Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, U2, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, James Taylor, Josh Groban, Usher, and, of course, Obama's personal fave, Stevie Wonder. And each will be limited to one song. So what will they play? Your guess is as good as ours... Read More... Posted Jan 14 2009, 05:31 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Barack Obama, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, U2, John Legend, Garth Brooks, Usher, John Mellencamp, Mary J. Blige

• HBO's Got The Obama Inauguration Ceremony

  HBO has acquired the rights to the Obama Inauguration opening ceremony. But non-subscribers may not be left out... Read More... Posted Jan 07 2009, 04:44 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, Barack Obama

• Oakland Mayor Doesn't Want Everybody To Think His City Is Full Of Pimps

  Dad is soooo embarrassing sometimes, especially when he "bitch-slaps" his "hoes"... Read More... Posted Dec 23 2008, 02:32 PM by Jake Kalish with | with no comments Filed under: HBO, The Wire, Gentlemen of Leisure, Baltimore, Ron Dellums, American Pimp, Oakland