Tell Me You Love HBO

Last night, Tell Me You Love Me, HBO's newest one-hour-long drama premiered with much ado and almost as many commercials as that Justin Timberlake thing. I don't usually like to form an opinion on shows based on pilot episodes, but the internet is abuzz today with talk about the show so I thought I'd throw my two cents in.

From the outset, I knew a point of comparison for this show would be the brilliant Six Feet Under. Although centered around death, Six Feet Under was really about relationships, familial and sexual and marital. From the first episode of Six Feet Under on, we were thrown headfirst into a troubled family and all the crazy characters of that family, the Fishers, and all those around them.

After one episode of Tell Me You Love Me, I can't say I know much about any of these characters except that one couple is not having sex, one couple is trying to have a baby, and another couple is young and likes to have sex.

Okay, so I guess I'll talk about the sex now. Everyone else is. There's a word for the kind of sex we saw on display last night. It's called pornography. The producer and headwriter Cynthia Mort joked that she didn't think people would pay much attention to the sex (at least I hope she was joking). HBO has been showing nudity and sex scenes for years on their dramas, but this was long, drawn-out, choreographed sexual escapades.

In other words, gratuitous.

From the outside, one could say the enormous amount sex and the extreme display of flesh was a simple ratings ploy. If this was any other network, I would say they're right. But this is HBO and HBO, to me, has more credibility than... well, anybody and anything.

So the question remains, was all the sex trying to prove something? I kept watching the episode wondering if there was hidden meanings in all the bare asses and naked breasts.

Early in the episode, therapist Mary Coster looks at two pictures of naked bodies for a photo for a book she's writing about sex. A scene or two later, the young couple gets down and dirty and certain flashes evoke those same images. Okay, that's interesting. But by the fourth sex scene in single hour, I started to wonder if this wasn't just a way of shocking people.

Well, I'm not shocked. And frankly, I was kind of bored. Six Feet Under had a lot of sex, some of it graphic, but all of it served some purpose. Some overlaying story arc that needed to be shown during that sex scene, not just two straight people getting it on for fun.

Furthermore, trying to go beyond the obvious, the show seriously lacked a sense of humor. The premise of the show, couples dealing with relationship issues through therapy, is serious stuff. You must buoy that seriousness with some kind of comedy. A joke here or there or - shit, have someone fall on a rake, if that's all you can come up with.

All that being said, I will watch another episode, just because it's HBO and because I'm damn loyal. But there better be some serious improvement or I'm out.

Curiosity - Tell Me You Love Me

A new HBO show is debuting next week on September 9 - Tell Me You Love Me.

The show looks at the connection, or disconnection, between sex and intimacy, as seen through the stories of three couples who attend therapy sessions with Dr. May Foster. Dave and Katie, in their 40s, are outwardly happy, but have stopped having sex. Carolyn and Palek, in their 30s, want to have a baby, but the pressure to get pregnant is taking a toll on them. Jamie and Hugo, in their 20s, are engaged, but trying to resolve issues with fidelity.

The commercials have been airing after Big Love and Flight of the Conchords. I'll admit I am curious as to what the show has to offer. I mean, it's on HBO so it has to have some watching value. Although, I hope it isn't all about couples fighting, because that is just depressing. I guess we will see...

Some People

Don't Love Flight of the Conchords.

No HBO?

We have talked about Flight of the Conchords A LOT lately but some of you may still not have seen it because you don't have HBO.

Guess what? You are not out of luck. Check out AllFOTC.com to see every episode from Season 1. I totally recommend "Sally" as the best episode to watch from this season.

YES!

Yes!

BOOGIE!!! ROBO BOOGIE!!!

Flight of the Conchords renewed for another HBO season starting in 2008.

OK, honestly I think my (and Elad's) love for this show has gotten to the point of obsession. When you can't go a few hours without singing the lyrics of the songs and you can't say the word "yes" without the accent....

All I gotta say is...

IT'S BUSINESS...IT'S BUSINESS TIME!

And for now...check out this interview with Jermaine and Bret by Alan Sepinwall.

Flight of the Conchords

You know just a few weeks ago I was saying there pretty much was nothing worth watching on TV during the summer. But over the past few weeks I have totally been proven wrong. As you have seen in earlier posts, I have been watching "The Starter Wife", "Big Love" and "Making the Band 4" but now I have come across a show that has given me some good laughs for the summer.

Flight of the Conchords is a show on HBO (Sunday night at 10:30) about these two guys in a band (title of show is name of band) from New Zealand. They are trying to make it in NYC but are having little success.

Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement are actually a real band who even performed at Bonnaroo this year. They have a quirky indie-rock style. With songs like "You could be a part-time model" you know you are in store for laughs. The writing on the show is hilarious as well.

And honestly, the first episode still has me quoting lines and imitating Jermaine's dance moves. The second episode wasn't as much of a hit in my book, but I bet after a second watch I will pick up on more jokes.

So if you like shows like Arrested Development and think music by people like Weird Al or Tenacious D are funny - then check out this show!

You can check out some clips on HBO's website. You can also check out Mel's video blog (vlog?) on HBO's website. Mel is their "fan base" - or their only fan.

UPDATE: Thanks Elad for giving me the link to the video of "Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" or as I like to refer to it - "Part Time Model" - check it out!!!!

The Sopranos - How Did It End?

The debate over how The Sopranos ended has been a heated one over the past week since the finale. It has gone from anger (due to the black screen ending) to convictions that Tony is Dead.

And someone had the time to sit through that last episode and pull it apart - scene by scene - color by color - close up by close up. And the end result? Tony is dead.

Check out this great article that will hopefully give you some closure.

David Chase did, after all, insist: “Anybody who wants to watch it, it’s all there.”

And if that is not enough - check out Tony is Dead.com

UPDATE - Oh wait there is more - today via Best Week Ever. Half the stuff it says at BWE is made up - but hey, it's still fun to read :)

The Sopranos is Over

The Series Finale aired last night and many Soprano's fans are angry. The show ended with Tony and his family sitting around a diner eating onion rings, all while Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" played in the background. As Meadow walked into the restaurant the screen turned black for maybe 30 seconds and then the credits rolled.

Oh, and Phil Leotardo was killed. So Tony won?

What are your thoughts?

Check out this interesting reaction via the Village Voice.

"Even if David Chase, who wrote and directed the final episode, was demonstrating the existential and endless loop of Tony's life or the moments before the hit that causes his death, it still robbed the audience of visual closure."

HBO

I love all those HBO Original Series. They are all well done and have great characters. Big Love. Rome. Sex and the City. Curb Your Enthusiasm. Six Feet Under.

But 2 shows that I was never really able to get into for one reason or another (usually lack of HBO) were The Sopranos and Entourage.

The Sopranos are back for their last season. I know the gist. Mobsters. Italians. Killing. Betrayal. Who is going to replace Tony? I saw a few episodes last season about a coma and Tony's dreams in the coma. I'm not really sure where the show is at, but is it worth it to start watching now?

Entourage reminds me of a bunch of guys who think they are too cool. I'm not so into the idea of watching these cocky guys flirt with hot girls every week. Am I wrong about this show? Is there more to it? Is this a show I should not be missing?

The End of Rome

No, I'm not talking about the fall of the Roman Empire. I am talking about the end of the HBO TV Series Rome.

Last night was the final episode of the Series. Fans (like myself) are sad to see the short lived (2 season) series go. The ending was a little dull, but tied up all loose ends. It was entitled "De Parte Vostro" (About Your Father).

Octavian got his victory. Mark Anthony and Cleopatra get to live their love out for all eternity thanks to mutual suicides (after Cleopatra first tricked Anthony into killing himself to save Egypt and her crown, but then realized Ocatvian has a dead soul, she then killed herself). Atia (still depressed) got to be Rome's first citizen and put little Mrs. Octavian in her place. Vorenus somehow lives over a month with a wound that should have killed him in an hour. He makes it home in time to make peace with his children. Pullo has a son (Caesarion - who was being displayed as Cleopatra and Caesar's son, but we all knew it was Pullo's all along) and Octavian believes Caesarion is dead so there is no threat to being the only heir of Caesar. (Where the title of the episode comes from - "About your father...")

It's very true that the show did not follow history exactly. Caesarion most definitely was killed by Octavian and Atia was not as cruel as the TV show made her out to be (among many other inaccuracies). But for the sake of drama (and the characters of Pullo and Vorenus) other story lines were created.

Overall the show was a success in my book. The characters were great, the sets (which were real Italian towns) were amazing and the storyline flowed. Of course it got all too expensive for HBO's taste and so it had to go. Long Live Rome!