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John Oliver And HBO Being Sued For Defamation By Coal Tycoon Robert E. Murray


John Oliver HBO

British comedian John Oliver, along with broadcaster HBO and his team of writers for his US show ‘Last Week Tonight’, is being sued for defamation by coal industry tycoon Robert E. Murray.

A lawsuit filed on Wednesday this week (June 21st) cites the most recent episode of ‘Last Week Tonight’ and claims that Oliver and his team “executed a meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character of and reputation of Mr. Robert E. Murray and his companies,” according to a report by The Daily Beast.

Back on Sunday (June 18th), Oliver took aim at Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy Corporation, in a segment that suggested the coal executive doesn’t do enough to protect his employees in the workplace.

Continue reading: John Oliver And HBO Being Sued For Defamation By Coal Tycoon Robert E. Murray

HBO And Jon Stewart Cancel Animated Shorts Project


Jon Stewart HBO

HBO and Jon Stewart have mutually decided to cancel the proposed and much-anticipated ‘animated shorts’ project that had been announced more than a year-and-a-half ago because of technical problems, it has been announced.

The project, first revealed way back in November 2015 shortly after Stewart had signed off from Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ after presenting it for 16 years, had been vaunted as the next step in Stewart’s career after his late night hosting duties.

“HBO and Jon Stewart have decided not to proceed with a short-form digital animated project,” the network said Wednesday (May 24th), according to the New York Times.

Continue reading: HBO And Jon Stewart Cancel Animated Shorts Project

'The Leftovers' Executive Producer Damon Lindelof Discusses Series' Final Season


HBO Damon Lindelof

Following a small community sent into shock by the disappearance of 100 people, 'The Leftovers' has entertained audiences for two seasons now, with series lead Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey. From Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta - the latter of whom wrote the novel of the same name - fans of the show were a little disappointed to discover that the third season would be the series' final outing.

Liv Tyler in 'The Leftovers'Liv Tyler in 'The Leftovers'

Still, in knowing that their show would be coming to an end, Lindelof and Perrotta have been given the chance to give the series an ending they would be proud of. It's always a pain for writers when their creations are cancelled without being allowed to bring a definitive end to their series, so at least this isn't something that has happened here.

Continue reading: 'The Leftovers' Executive Producer Damon Lindelof Discusses Series' Final Season

'Game Of Thrones' Is The Most Pirated Show Of 2016


HBO

In what must have come as a shock to precisely nobody, it was revealed that ‘Game of Thrones’ was the most pirated show of 2016 – a title it has held for the fifth consecutive year.

Despite its massive and continued popularity, the HBO fantasy show has still attracted the attention of illegal streamers and downloaders more than any other television series throughout 2016, and was the most downloaded show on BitTorrent, in data compiled from a number of sources by torrent-tracking site TorrentFreak.

Impressively (but not for the show’s makers) ‘Game of Thrones’ has held this dubious distinction since 2012, and the interest in the series displays no sign of abating.

Continue reading: 'Game Of Thrones' Is The Most Pirated Show Of 2016

HBO Cancels Bill Simmons' 'Any Given Wednesday' After Just 4 Months


HBO

Sports columnist Bill Simmons has suffered the cancellation of his weekly TV show, ‘Any Given Wednesday’, by HBO after only four months on air.

A magazine programme focussing on sports coverage but touching on wider pop culture, Simmons and HBO launched the show to much fanfare in late June, but viewing figures had not been as high as expected, with an average of just 200,000 tuning in live.

Bill SimmonsBill Simmons' HBO show 'Any Given Wednesday' has been axed

Continue reading: HBO Cancels Bill Simmons' 'Any Given Wednesday' After Just 4 Months

Angela Lansbury Will NOT Be Starring In 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7


Angela Lansbury HBO

There was disappointment for TV fans today as representatives for the legendary British actress Angela Lansbury denied widely reported rumours that she was set to make a cameo appearance in the next series of ‘Game of Thrones’.

Speaking on behalf of the 90 year old former ‘Murder She Wrote’ star, a team of representatives told Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday (September 7th) that the reports, started by an article in German tabloid newspaper Bild last week, were not true.

Angela LansburyAngela Lansbury will NOT be participating in 'Game of Thrones'

Continue reading: Angela Lansbury Will NOT Be Starring In 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7

Jim Broadbent Joins Cast Of 'Game Of Thrones' For Season 7


Jim Broadbent HBO

Veteran British actor Jim Broadbent has joined the cast of ‘Game of Thrones’ for its seventh series, in what is described as a “significant” role.

The 67 year old actor, renowned for dozens of award-winning roles in movies, on television and the stage, is to play a major part in the seventh and penultimate series of HBO’s ever-popular fantasy drama when it returns in the summer of 2017, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Jim BroadbentJim Broadbent is to play a "significant" role in 'Game of Thrones' series 7

Continue reading: Jim Broadbent Joins Cast Of 'Game Of Thrones' For Season 7

Kit Harington And Maisie Williams Tease 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7


Kit Harington Maisie Williams HBO

‘Game of Thrones’ stars Kit Harington and Maisie Williams have teased fans of the show with descriptions of how the upcoming seventh season might pan out.

The 29 year old actor, who plays Jon Snow, was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter this week, and was asked the obligatory question of whether he could tell them anything about the next season. Keeping it cagey, Harington replied that he felt it was going to be “very bleak”.

Kit HaringtonKit Harington

Continue reading: Kit Harington And Maisie Williams Tease 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7

Robert Downey Jr. And 'True Detective' Showrunner Rumoured For 'Perry Mason' Revival For HBO


Robert Downey Jr HBO

Robert Downey Jr. is teaming up with the creators of ‘True Detective’ on an unconfirmed TV series for HBO, rumoured to be the mythical ‘Perry Mason’ reboot that has been languishing as an unfinished film project for the best part of five years.

Variety reported on Tuesday (August 15th) that the project in question would be a long-awaited revival of ‘Perry Mason’, the classic courtroom drama that ran from 1957 to 1966. A film version of it was due to begin shooting in 2011, but nothing ever became of it despite multiple attempts to revive it by various studios.

Robert Downey JrRobert Downey Jr at the premiere of Captain America: Civil War

Continue reading: Robert Downey Jr. And 'True Detective' Showrunner Rumoured For 'Perry Mason' Revival For HBO

Natalie Portman To Make TV Debut In HBO Mini-Series 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves'


Natalie Portman HBO

Hollywood A-lister Natalie Portman is set to make her television debut in a new HBO mini-series ‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves’, adapted from the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel and executive produced by ‘Friends’ co-creator Marta Kauffman.

Outside of a guest spot on ‘The Simpsons’, the new drama series will be the first time that 35 year old Portman has starred in a TV show. Her decision to branch out into the small screen from Hollywood is reflective of a growing trend of major names making the same move.

Natalie PortmanNatalie Portman will be starring in an HBO mini-series adaptation of 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves'

Continue reading: Natalie Portman To Make TV Debut In HBO Mini-Series 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves'

Larry David Bringing Back 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' For Ninth Season


Larry David HBO

Five years after it last appeared on TV screens, Larry David’s cult classic sitcom ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ is set to return for a very long-awaited ninth season on HBO.

Comedy writer, actor and stand-up performer David has had a standing, open invitation to make new episodes of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ ever since the last episode aired way back in 2011. Running for eight seasons between 2000 before signing off five years ago, it was HBO’s longest-running scripted series and performed consistently strongly in the ratings.

Larry DavidLarry David is bringing back 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' for a ninth season

Continue reading: Larry David Bringing Back 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' For Ninth Season

Emilia Clarke Explains #FreeTheP Campaign For Equality Of Nudity


Emilia Clarke James Corden HBO

‘Game of Thrones’ star Emilia Clarke has recently been making her views about on-screen nudity very clear indeed – she wants to see more balance between the sexes and the amount of time they have to spend nude in the front of the camera.

The 29 year old British star, who is set to reprise her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series when the sixth season returns later this month, appeared on ‘The Late Late Show’ and explained her point of view to host James Corden in a campaign becoming known as #FreeTheP.

Emilia ClarkeEmilia Clarke has been campaigning to get the 'Game of Thrones' showrunners to 'free the penis'

Continue reading: Emilia Clarke Explains #FreeTheP Campaign For Equality Of Nudity

Emilia Clarke Says Filming Season 6 Of 'Game Of Thrones' "Almost Killed" Cast


Emilia Clarke Game Of Thrones HBO Kit Harington Sophie Turner

Game Of Thrones’ star Emilia Clarke has promised that the sixth season of the medieval fantasy drama will be bigger and more exciting than ever before, but revealed that filming it “legitimately almost killed” the cast and crew.

The HBO series will be returning at the end of April, with Clarke starring once again as Daenerys ‘Mother of Dragons’ Targaryen, in the next adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s series of epic novels. The plotlines are probably the most closely guarded secret in the entertainment industry at the moment, particularly as the timeline will overtake where Martin has actually gotten to with his books.

Emilia ClarkeEmilia Clarke spoke a little about 'Game of Thrones' season 6

Continue reading: Emilia Clarke Says Filming Season 6 Of 'Game Of Thrones' "Almost Killed" Cast

'Game Of Thrones' To Run For Three More Seasons, Claim HBO


Game Of Thrones HBO

It’s just wrapped its fifth season, but ‘Game Of Thrones’ fans will be pleased to know that their favourite show won’t be ending for a while yet. An HBO network executive has claimed that the medieval fantasy drama is likely to continue for a further three seasons.

Michael Lombardo, president of HBO programming, imparted on Thursday (July 30th) that executives are planning to run with ‘GoT’ for at least seven series, and will discuss with the show’s creators about how much longer they would like to go after that.

Game of ThronesHBO's 'Game of Thrones' is likely to run for three more seasons

Continue reading: 'Game Of Thrones' To Run For Three More Seasons, Claim HBO

Time Warner And Dish Network Strike Deal To Make HBO Programming Available


Warner Brothers HBO

Media empire Time Warner Inc. and satellite TV network provider Dish Network Corp. have agreed a new distribution deal which will apparently include making HBO available through Dish’s new online TV streaming offering.

Those with Sling TV, which is Dish’s web TV service, will be able to subscribe to HBO for an extra $15 per month. However, newcomers will not be able to subscribe to HBO using this method unless they also purchase the existing $20 per month online service that already includes other Time Warner channels (like CNN, TBS and ESPN) and add the HBO subscription on top of it, according to the Wall Street Journal.

GoT
HBO shows like 'Game of Thrones' are to be available for Dish Network subscribers very soon

Continue reading: Time Warner And Dish Network Strike Deal To Make HBO Programming Available

Robert Durst Admits, "I Killed Them All" During HBO Documentary


HBO

Real estate heir and long-time murder suspect Robert Durst has been arrested after he appeared to admit to multiple killings for a HBO documentary series. Durst, 71, was arrested on Saturday after he inadvertently admitted to murder whilst shooting The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

Robert DurstRobert Durst [L] has been arrested after appearing to admit to murder during the filming of a HBO documentary [Getty/James Nielsen]

Durst was heard to say "What the hell did I do?...Killed them all of course" into a microphone that he erroneously assumed was turned off. 

Continue reading: Robert Durst Admits, "I Killed Them All" During HBO Documentary

You Can Now Own Awesome Props From HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire'!


HBO Steve Buscemi Jack Huston Michael K. Williams Shea Whigham

Ever wanted to own the iconic mask worn by Jack Huston's Richard Harrow in 'Boardwalk Empire'? What about the suit worn by Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson in the series' opening title sequence? Well, due to an auction currently run by Screenbid, you can own these very items as well as hundreds more like them.

'Boardwalk Empire' ran for five seasons between 2010 and 2014.
'Boardwalk Empire' ran for five seasons between 2010 and 2014.

'Boardwalk Empire' concluded its fifth and final series late last year, leaving HBO with a tone of props and costumes knocking around. Lucking, Screenbid was able to come to the rescue, offering to sell off the props and costumes from some of your favourite prohibition gangsters and bootleggers at an auction, running from 20th to 29th January 2015. 

Continue reading: You Can Now Own Awesome Props From HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire'!

HBO Bill Clinton Documentary Stalled Following Rumoured Disagreements Between Clinton & Director Martin Scorsese


Martin Scorsese Bill Clinton Hillary Clinton Chelsea Clinton HBO

A HBO documentary, directed by Martin Scorsese, about former US President Bill Clinton has stalled. Sources close to the project claim there have been disagreements between Scorsese and Clinton over control of content.

Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton photographed in 2013 at a campaign event for President Obama.

Watch: Chelsea and Bill Clinton Speak During the 2014 Clinton Global Initative in New York.

Continue reading: HBO Bill Clinton Documentary Stalled Following Rumoured Disagreements Between Clinton & Director Martin Scorsese

Creative Primetime Emmy Awards 2014 [Pictures]


Allison Janney James Lipton Bryan Cranston Benedict Cumberbatch Martin Freeman Game Of Thrones HBO

The stars stepped out onto the red carpet for one of the glitziest ceremonies of awards season: the Creative Primetime Emmys.

Having previously won for NBC's political drama 'The West Wing' as White House press secretary C.J. Cregg, Allison Janney’s award for outstanding guest actress in a drama series for her role in Masters of Sex, which also stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, was a particular highlight. 

Backstage, Janney highlighted that playing Margeret Scully was certainly challenging at times. "I felt that Margaret Scully challenged me in ways that I've never been challenged before as an actress on so many levels - on an emotional level, on a physical level - and having to do sex scenes was extraordinarily nerve-wracking and stressful for me and something that I didn't think I'd have to do at this age, frankly," she explained.

Continue reading: Creative Primetime Emmy Awards 2014 [Pictures]

Lily Allen Cites Light Incest As Reason For Turning Down Game Of Thrones - Fair Enough


Lily Allen Alfie Allen HBO

Many were baffled when it turned out Lily Allen didn’t want to act in Game of Thrones. Everybody wants to act in Game of Thrones, it’s Game of Thrones, people probably said. But when you listen to Allen’s reasoning behind turning down the role, you’ll probably develop some sympathy for the decision.

Lily AllenLily Allen didn't fancy what HBO had in mind

“I’ve been asked to do a Game of Thrones cameo, they asked me if I’d be interested in playing Theon’s sister, and I felt uncomfortable because I would have had to go on a horse and he would have touched me up and s***,” Allen wrote in response to a question on a Reddit AMA. “Once they told me what was entailed, I said no thanks. I would be open to doing a musical cameo like Sigur Ros, though.”

Continue reading: Lily Allen Cites Light Incest As Reason For Turning Down Game Of Thrones - Fair Enough

"Game Of Thrones" Season 4 Episode 5 Recap: "Last Of His Name"


HBO Emilia Clarke

We’re halfway through Game of Thrones season 4, and last night’s episode, titled “First of His Name” was your standard midway filler. Not much happened, although some important information was revealed and some crucial minor developments took place.

GoT episode recap Khaleesi isn't much closer to taking back the Iron Throne

Tommen was crowned King, while flirty Margaery gives him the eye and has a bonding moment with Cersei over monstrous Joff. A brief look-in at Danaerys informs us she’s no closer to retaking the Iron Throne, in fact, with her conquered lands falling into the hands of tyrants, she may be further than ever.

Continue reading: "Game Of Thrones" Season 4 Episode 5 Recap: "Last Of His Name"

The Simpsons: So, Who's Going To Die In Upcoming 'Yellow Wedding'?


The Simpsons Al Jean HBO

The Simpsons are reverting to a trick increasingly adopted by TV shows nowadays: killing major characters off. Game of Thrones have a roundabout cull every so often to keep the masses enthralled (don’t kill me because I don’t like Game of Thrones – I think it’s silly and prefer The Wire) and Family Guy took down Bryan recently, only to resurrect him and gain a ratings boost in the process.

The Simpsons

The Simpsons’ "Yellow Wedding" not only confirms Game of Thrones’ entrance into the official zeitgeist (a thing isn’t a thing until Homer’s involved) but it also means the show will incur a death; a major death. It will be "an even bigger deal" than the Red or Purple Weddings that have appeared in HBO’s fantasy melodrama. Seriously, I’m allowed not to like it. 

Continue reading: The Simpsons: So, Who's Going To Die In Upcoming 'Yellow Wedding'?

Netflix Cable Companies - It's Now Even Easier To Watch Netflix


Netflix HBO

At the risk of sounding like official paid editorial for the popular streaming service, the Netflix cable companies making it into a ‘real TV channel’ have now made it so easy to find their content, it’s becoming another word for the medium, like when people started saying iPhone and iPod instead of phone and mp3 player.

Netflix

This deal means that the Netlix app will be added to many set top boxes across America, for those who use RCN, Grande Communications and Atlantic Broadband. Accessing Netflix will then be like switching the channel. We’ll let the people behind it explain it better…

Continue reading: Netflix Cable Companies - It's Now Even Easier To Watch Netflix

Once A "Little-Known British Standup", John Oliver Hits HBO With 'Last Week Tonight'


John Oliver HBO

John Oliver’s ascendance has been startling. He only moved to New York 8 years ago, and between becoming best friends with Ricky Gervais, starring as Prof. Ian Duncan on NBC's ‘Community’ and ‘corresponding’ on Comedy Central's ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’, he’s managed to navigate through a sea of late night talk show hosts to carve out his own: ‘Last Week Tonight’, which premieres this Sunday on HBO.

John OliverJohn Oliver holds up a picture of himself - his face tells the story

He was "a little-known British standup," according to HBO programming president, Michael Lombardo in light of his 8-week sting anchoring in Stewart’s chair while he was off living the director dream, but he quickly impressed him. "I was dazzled by this guy who came in and pulled it off."

Continue reading: Once A "Little-Known British Standup", John Oliver Hits HBO With 'Last Week Tonight'

Things Just Got Serious: Amazon Instant Video Lands The Sopranos, The Wire


Kevin Spacey HBO

Anyone excited enough by the fact Amazon have acquired HBO shows to add to their streaming roster has probably already indulged on The Sopranos and The Wire. But they’ll probably convince a few of their friends to invest in the service just on the strength of those two shows.

Amazon

That’s how powerful the HBO brand is in television, and nowadays, when we say television, we’re not just talking about Sunday nights at 9pm – online streaming is where the medium is going. Amazon’s deal with the cable network is a big one; it adds some of TV’s finest hours. 

Continue reading: Things Just Got Serious: Amazon Instant Video Lands The Sopranos, The Wire

Who Was The Mastermind Behind Game Of Thrones' Purple Wedding?


HBO Jack Gleeson

MULTIPLE SPOILERS ALERT

Yikes, GoT fans! Was Sunday night’s episode of Game of Thrones even more shocking that the Red Wedding? Well, probably not for those that have the read the books, but for the rest of us Joffrey’s agonising death was quite the shocker. If not a total relief, his particular form of douchebaggery had become all too much to bear.

Tyrion Lannister GoT Did Uncle Tyrion kill Joffrey?

Continue reading: Who Was The Mastermind Behind Game Of Thrones' Purple Wedding?

Can 'Game Of Thrones' Get Any Bigger? Alex Graves Says It Already Has


Emilia Clarke HBO Game Of Thrones

Game Of Thrones’ is a cultural phenomenon, whatever you think of the qualities it does or doesn’t possess. HBO’s fantasy drama is as widely watched as any of the big-hitters of the past decade – your Breaking Bads, Walking Deads, etc – as it continuously brings big screen production values to the TV sets. 

Game of ThronesThe show is becoming bigger and bigger in scale (no pun intended) Picture: GoT S04E01

Season Three’s infamous ‘Red Wedding’ set mouths agape and tongues a-wagging when some major character all met their maker in the space of one, one-hour episode. But one of GoT’s directors, Alex Graves, who was behind the camera for the most recent episode, ‘The Lion And The Rose’ said the season 4 finale could be even bigger. 

Continue reading: Can 'Game Of Thrones' Get Any Bigger? Alex Graves Says It Already Has

'Games Of Thrones' Season 4 Episode 2 Breaks Torrent Records. Big Time.


Emilia Clarke Game Of Thrones HBO

Games of Thrones season 4 episode 2 - The Lion and the Rose - broke torrent records for most people simultaneously sharing a file through BitTorrent, attracting more than 193,000 downloads on the evening that it went out. By the end of the first day after its initial broadcast, roughly 1.5 million people had downloaded the episode.

Emilia Clarke Game of ThronesEmilia Clarke in 'Game Of Thrones'

"A few hours after the second episode came online the Demonii tracker reported that 193,418 people where sharing one single torrent," TorrentFreak reports. "145,594 had a complete copy of the episode and continued to upload, while 47,824 were still downloading the file.

Continue reading: 'Games Of Thrones' Season 4 Episode 2 Breaks Torrent Records. Big Time.

'Game Of Thrones' Gets First Multi Season Pick Up Following Huge Season 4 Bow


Emilia Clarke Peter Dinklage HBO Game Of Thrones

Ratings behemoth Game Of Thrones has been handed a further two seasons as HBO build upon the success of their popular fantasy drama. Following the first episode of season 4, which garnered 6.6m viewers, seasons 5 and 6 have been confirmed.

Emilia ClarkeEmilia Clarke relaxes with her big dragon

“Game of Thrones is a phenomenon like no other. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with their talented collaborators, continue to surpass themselves, and we look forward to more of their dazzling storytelling,” Michael Lombardo, president of HBO said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Continue reading: 'Game Of Thrones' Gets First Multi Season Pick Up Following Huge Season 4 Bow

Games Of Thrones' Kristian Nairn Was Waiting For Someone To Ask About His Sexuality


Kristian Nairn Game Of Thrones HBO

Kristian Nairn – known to Game Of Thrones fans as Hodor - has opened up about his sexuality. He’s gay. But instead of keeping it a secret (and why should he?), Nairn was simply waiting for someone to ask him about it.

Kristian NairnKristian Nairn at the 2012 Memorabilia Show at the NEC, Birmingham

It was the fan blog, Winter is Coming, that gave Nairn the opportunity he’d been waiting for, asking the actor a question regarding the “gay community” and his popularity within it. “Well, in all honesty, when you talk about “the gay community,” you are talking about MY community, haha,” he said.

Continue reading: Games Of Thrones' Kristian Nairn Was Waiting For Someone To Ask About His Sexuality

True Detective Finale: Pizzolatto's Thoughts, Critical Reaction And Season 2 Hints


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

For a show constantly shrouded in metaphysical ideology, True Detective’s finale was delightfully simple. What started as cops v bad guys quickly turned into Cohle v Marty, Cohle & Marty v cops, Cohle v Cohle and, perhaps most pertinently, light v dark.

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaugheyMatthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson as Rustin Cohle and Martin Hart in True Detective

As Nic Pizzolatto notes, “Who you tell yourself you are, what you tell yourself what the world is, an investigation, a religion, a nihilistic point of view – these are all stories you tell yourself. You need to be careful what stories you tell yourself.”

Continue reading: True Detective Finale: Pizzolatto's Thoughts, Critical Reaction And Season 2 Hints

HBO GO... Stopped. True Detective Finale Breaks Online Player


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

It doesn’t take a true detective to work out why HBO GO stopped working last night. The Matthew Mcconaughey & Woody Harrelson-starring drama culminated with the finale as angry fans tried to navigate the cable channel’s online service, which buckled under the pressure.

True DetectiveMatthew McConaughey stars as Rustin Cohle in True Detective

It had all been leading up to this. 17 years of harrowing murders, tales of child abuse and a monumental cover up, latched on to by the show’s enigmatic Rustin Cohle (played by McConaughey to devastating effect), who refuses to give up on the Tuttle leads, is tied together in episode 8: 'Form and Void'.

Continue reading: HBO GO... Stopped. True Detective Finale Breaks Online Player

'True Detective' Literally Breaks HBO As Users Scramble To Watch Finale


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

HBO Go's live streaming servers could give no more on Sunday evening (March 9, 2014), such was the demand for the finale episode of 'True Detective'. Nic Pizzolatto's acclaimed crime-drama series has gained a huge dedicated following since its premiere in January, and HBO were seemingly caught out, its servers buckling under the pressure.

True DetectiveMatthew Mcconaughey [L] and Woody Harrelson [R] in 'True Detective'

HBO Go is an app that allows users to stream the channel's shows onto phones, tablets and computers. The problem may lie in the fact that HBO Go users can give out their log-in details to friends and family, and, as the Washington Post reports, there are no publically available metrics on the ratio of users per HBO Go accoubts.

Continue reading: 'True Detective' Literally Breaks HBO As Users Scramble To Watch Finale

'True Detective': Matthew McConaughey Delved Deep Into The 'Four Rust Cohles'


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

True Detective spans 17 years, follows the relationship of two men working on a ritualistic murder case and features one of the most complex, haunting and intriguing characters in TV’s recent history: Rust Cohle, played masterfully by recent Oscar winner, Matthew Mcconaughey.

Matthew McConaughey as Rust CohleMatthew McConaughey as the 2012 Rust Cohle from episode three

For his role as Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey lost 50 pounds, something he said made him acutely aware of what was around him; he was hyper alert He couldn’t get sunlight, couldn’t eat anything outside his controlled diet, and when he found out exercise wasn’t aiding his weight loss, he – in his own words - became “hermetic”.

Continue reading: 'True Detective': Matthew McConaughey Delved Deep Into The 'Four Rust Cohles'

True Detective Fans: Cary Fukunaga Has A New Project On The Cards


Matthew Mcconaughey Fox HBO Woody Harrelson

Fans of HBO’s True Detective will want to pay attention, as the show’s director, Cary Fukunaga – who was in charge for all eight episodes of the Louisiana drama – is at the centre of a pitch for a feature that Fox has bought pre-emptively for “mid-six figures,” Deadline report.

True DetectiveWoody Harrelson [L] and Matthew McConuaghey [R] as Hart and Cohle in 'True Detective'

Fukunaga will direct the project as well as produce alongside Anonymous Content’s Michael Sugar - Fox’s Kira Goldberg and Emma Watts are point on the project, too. Here’s what we know: it’s untitled, set in a contemporary wartime context and is written by Nicole Riegel, who, like Fukunaga, emerged from the Sundance Labs program. That, alongside the fact that Fox went ahead and bought it quicksmart, is all we know.

Continue reading: True Detective Fans: Cary Fukunaga Has A New Project On The Cards

The UK Falls For An Ephemeral 'True Detective'


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

While U.S audiences enjoyed episode 6 of HBO’s True Detective last night, Sky Atlantic aired the first on Saturday (Feb 22) as British viewers got a taste of Rust’s enigmatic ponderings as opposed to Martin’s traditional sensibilities. And then there’s the mysterious, ritualistic murder and constant sense of underlying danger. Needless to say, UK critics were enthralled.

True DetectiveWoody Harrelson [L] and Matthew McConuaghey [R] as Hart and Cohle in 'True Detective'

“True Detective is as cinematic as television gets and, in many ways, is superior to its more prestigious cousin. It’s not just the movie-star cast, or that it was shot on 35mm, or the soundtrack by T Bone Burnett. It’s not even the unusual amount of creative control given to writer Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Joji Fukunaga,” writes Ellen E. Jones for The Independent.

Continue reading: The UK Falls For An Ephemeral 'True Detective'

True Detective Season 2: Which Pairing Can Pick Up From Cohle And Hart?


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO Tom Hanks Paul Dano Christian Bale Giancarlo Esposito Lupita Nyong'o Sebastian Arcelus Bryan Cranston Jon Hamm Casey Affleck Joaquin Phoenix

Nic Pizzolatto put the sincerity and quality of True Detective’s story over multiple seasons of the show, asserting that a strict 8-episode format would be condusive to a strong third act. And judging by the critical claim he’s received – his creation is being talked about in the same breath as The Wire – one is inclined to trust the man who risked everything to write the new HBO anthology series.

True DetectiveWoody Harrelson [L] and Matthew McConuaghey [R] as Hart and Cohle in 'True Detective'

“One of the reasons I wanted to do an anthology format is I like stories with endings. I like a good third act. And continuing serial dramas, they tend to have really good beginnings and really long middles and then sort of have to hustle to develop an ending. And I like the idea of telling a self-contained story,” explained Pizzolatto.

Continue reading: True Detective Season 2: Which Pairing Can Pick Up From Cohle And Hart?

5 Things You Didn't Know About HBO's 'True Detective'


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

Somehow, True Detective’s fifth episode managed to be even better than the explosive fourth, building upon that miraculous 6-minute tracking shot crescendo and supplementing the action – so skilfully predicated by three episodes of character planning – with a heavy dose of intricate plot.

True DetectiveRustin Cohle and Martin Hart investigate the eerie murder in Episode 1

As HBO’s latest ‘have you watched this’ drama rumbles on impressively – brooding performances from Matthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson as Rust Cohle and Martin Hart respectively only add credence to a wonderfully crafted, suspenseful story – here are 5 facts you didn’t know about True Detective. And if you did know them, shut up.

Continue reading: 5 Things You Didn't Know About HBO's 'True Detective'

From The UK To America: HBO Finds Channel 4's 'Utopia'


David Fincher HBO

British conspiracy theory Utopia is heading to the U.S, and it couldn’t have found a better home. HBO are remaking the show, which first broadcast on Channel 4 last year. The stateside adaptation – which comes from the most premium of cable services – will be written by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn and will be directed by, wait for it, David Fincher.

David FincherDavid Fincher will direct the Utopia remake

The pair worked together on the film adaption of Flynn’s book, starring Ben Affleck. Fincher is no stranger to UK – U.S exports; he helmed two episodes of House of Cards – the beautifully shot political thriller adapted by Beau Willamon from the four-episode UK version for Netflix.

Continue reading: From The UK To America: HBO Finds Channel 4's 'Utopia'

Lena Dunham Confirms "Not That Kind Of Girl" Book Release Date


Lena Dunham HBO Girls

It’s finally here, or at least that’s how Lena Dunham put it when she announced that her highly anticipated book, Not That Kind of Girl, is set to be released on October 7, 2014.

Lena Dunham

The popular actor, write, director and basically everything-it-takes-to-get-something-done-er announced the news via her widely-followed Instagram account, following that up with a little Tweet to send her fans in the right direction. This, of course, was met with a tidal wave of excitement from the legions of dedicated Dunham-ites that follow her every move.

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HBO Have Yet Another Winning Formula With 'Looking' - Review Round-Up


Jonathan Groff Murray Bartlett HBO

HBO premiered their latest series last night (19 Jan.), the San Francisco-set Looking, a show about finding the right right partner and who you are in the world. The difference between the new show and countless other series that fit this formula is that it's three central characters, played by Jonathan Groff, Murray Bartlett & Frankie J. Alvarez, are all gay.

Jonathan Groff, Murray Bartlett & Frankie J. Alvare
Jonathan Groff [L], Murray Bartlett [M] & Frankie J. Alvare [R] star in the show

The newly premiered comedy drama managed to draw in promising audience numbers and even more promising critical praise, with a number of early reviews for the show already declaring to fans of the premium cable network that HBO have produced yet another show to become obsessed with. Gaining comparisons to much-praised series Girls, the show promises so much more than being 'Girls with guys' as this modern-day sitcom looks to lift the lid on the still-relatively taboo nature of same-sex relationships in a way that has hardy been done before.

Continue reading: HBO Have Yet Another Winning Formula With 'Looking' - Review Round-Up

HBO's 'Life According To Sam' Is An Uplifting, Enlightening Doc. It's Honest, Too


HBO

Often, documentaries surrounding a rare and incurable disease are contrived and have the specific goal to make their audiences feel bad and moved to action. HBO’s Life According to Sam doesn’t subscribe to any of those tropes, and doesn’t stoop to cheap tricks to garner sympathy.

Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns learned that their two-year-old son, Sam, had progeria back in 1998. Progeria is extremely rare – only 300 cases have been reported in the world. It’s a progressive aging disorder that weakens its victims every day. Sam, though, has outlived his expectancy, as most kids with the affliction pass from a heart attack or a stroke aged – on average – 13.

It’s a morbid subject, but HBO approached the doc with both style an honesty, which culminated in an immensely watchable, heart-warming but not patronising piece. It also highlights just how important Gordan and Scott Bern’s research was for both their child as the field of medicine.

Continue reading: HBO's 'Life According To Sam' Is An Uplifting, Enlightening Doc. It's Honest, Too

Sigur Ros Enter The 'Game Of Thrones' - HBO Drama Casts Musicians


Sigur Ros HBO

The popular swords n' dragons drama Game of Thrones – yet another string to HBO’s impressive bow – has added the Icelandic band Sigur Ros to the cast of season four, which is set to debut in Spring 2014.

Sigur RosSigur Ros and GoT are a perfect fit

The band spoke of their TV triumph on their Facebook page, posting: “goggi, jónsi and orri are currently shooting an appearance for the fourth season of Game of Thrones!” Despite the shows period setting – sort of, it is a fantasy – plenty of contemporary bands have enjoyed turns on the show.

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Something To Fill The Imminent 'Breaking Bad' Void: HBO's 'True Detective'


Matthew Mcconaughey Woody Harrelson HBO

There are only three episodes of Breaking Bad left. Everything needs to be sorted out in three episodes. It seems a lot, but we’re pretty sure that once those credits roll on the season finale, we won’t be left disappointed by the ending. That fact that it’s ended, though, may well leave some people in a state of withdrawal.

Watch the delightfully terrifying True Detective trailer here

Enter True Detective. Starring Matthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson, Kevin Dunn, Michelle Monaghan, Alexandra Daddario and Elizabeth Reaser, the brand new original HBO drama follows two detectives as they hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana, and is set across seventeen years.

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"First Episode, I Kill Everybody" - Steve Buscemi On 'Boardwalk Empire' Season 4


Steve Buscemi Michael K. Williams HBO

It’s a great Fall for TV lovers, isn’t it? We’re half way through the return of Breaking Bad, with season five moving towards a dramatic crescendo and The Walking Dead is back in October. Bookended by these two great shows is Boardwalk Empire, HBO’s prohibition gangster drama that returns with season four on September 8th.

“First episode, I kill everybody, and I can’t really say more than that,” explained Steve Buscemi to CBS. “He’s not a politician any more, so you don’t see that side of him. And he’s not living in the Ritz anymore, so yeah, he’s keeping a little more of a low profile. But he’s still running things, basically.”

Continue reading: "First Episode, I Kill Everybody" - Steve Buscemi On 'Boardwalk Empire' Season 4

Lights Go Out On Broadway For James Gandolfini


James Gandolfini Jessica Lange Alec Baldwin HBO The Sopranos

Broadway will dim its lights on Wednesday (June 26, 2013) in tribute to actor James Gandolfini, the Tony award nominee who died in Italy last week aged 51. The Broadway League announced that theatre marquees will go dark for one minute at 8pm, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Gandolfini was best known for playing New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano on HBO's The Sopranos - considered the greatest television drama of all time - though he also excelled on the stage. In 2009, the actor earned a best actor Tony Award nod for his role in Yasmina Reza's comedy God of Carnage, which he produced two years later at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre. Previously, Gandolfini had appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire (1992) opposite Jessica Lange and a youthful Alec Baldwin

"Whether on screen or on a Broadway stage, [Gandolfini] made every role believable and seemingly effortless," Charlotte St. Martin, the Broadway League's executive director, said in a statement.

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Michael Douglas Stuns As Liberace In 'Behind The Candelabra' [Trailer & Pictures]


Michael Douglas Steven Soderbergh Matt Damon Dan Aykroyd Debbie Reynolds Rob Lowe HBO Liberace

Michael Douglas as Liberace in Behind The CandelabraMichael Douglas as Liberace in Behind The Candelabra

Steven Soderbergh lands in sunny Cannes this week with his HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, a biopic of the flamboyant pianist Liberace, played by Michael Douglas. The American entertainer's personal life was embroiled in scandal with rumors of homosexuality which he always vehemently denied - this despite his close relationship with a young chauffeur named Scott, 39-years his junior.

Scott, played by Matt Damon, becomes an important figure in the pianist's life and he is even persuaded to under facial surgery by the pianist. It led to a desperate struggle with drugs and various fiery arguments between the pair. "I didn't want to do a biopic in the traditional sense. I wanted to go narrow and deep," Soderbergh told the Los Angeles Times of the movie, "It's Alice going down the rabbit hole. That's a much more elegant way to get into Liberace's life." On his love scenes with Damon, Michael Douglas told the New York Magazine, "Once you get that first kiss in, you are comfortable.Matt and I didn't rehearse the love scenes. We said, 'Well - we've read the script, haven't we?"

Watch the 'Behind the Candelabra' trailer!

Continue reading: Michael Douglas Stuns As Liberace In 'Behind The Candelabra' [Trailer & Pictures]

When Lena Dunham Met Sarah Jessica Parker At The Met Ball [Pictures]


Lena Dunham Sarah Jessica Parker HBO

What could possibly happen should Lena Dunham ever meet her hero Sarah Jessica Parker? That's what fans of the Girls star have asked themselves over the past year, but the waiting is finally up: the two women have finally met, at New York's Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on Monday night (May 6, 2013).

Dunham has made no secret of her love for Sex and the City or its influence on her award winning show. During an interview with TIME magazine, the writer and actress explained, "That was sort of the first thought was that Shoshanna [Zosia Mamet's character] would have moved to New York because of Sex in the City.  And a lot of these girls, even Hannah who might make fun of the girl who wears the "I'm a Carrie" T-shirt, part of the reason she came to New York is clearly because she thought she was a Carrie. It's almost like not only is this a show that talks about Sex and the City, these are women who couldn't exist without Sex and the City."

So what happened when Dunham met Parker? Well, there was plenty of hugging, plenty of air-kissing and plenty of animated conversation. Dunham wore a slender black Erdem gown while Parker, 48, opted for a Giles Deacon satiny print gown with mohawk-style headdress.

Continue reading: When Lena Dunham Met Sarah Jessica Parker At The Met Ball [Pictures]

Christopher Abbott Abruptly Leaves 'Girls' After "Issues" With Lena Dunham


Lena Dunham Allison Williams Christopher Abbott HBO

Just when things were hotting up between Christopher Abbott's character Charlie and Allison Williams' Marnie on HBO series Girls, the actor has abruptly left the series due to issues he was having with creator Lena Dunham. Abbott played Marnie's college sweetheart Charlie, a sort of weedy good-looking New Yorker who ends up becoming super-desirable after setting up his own social media company and renting a swanky office in Manhattan.

Anyway, his character was just beginning to gain a little prominence in the show - which follows the lives of various twenty-somethings in Brooklyn - when he had an almighty row with Dunham over the direction of season three. They've just started work on Season 3, and Chris is at odds with Lena," a source said. "He didn't like the direction things are going in, which seems a bit odd since the show put him on the map," said a source familiar with the discussions. 

Abbott's representative offered little in the way of a full explanation for his sudden departure, though did say, "[Chris] is grateful for the experience of collaborating with Lena, Judd[Apatow], and the entire 'Girls' cast and crew, but right now he's working on numerous other projects and has decided not to return to the show." He recently appeared in the indie movie 'Burma' which debuted at SCSW last month and is set to star in drama 'The Sleepwalker' from director Mona Fastvold. The movie tells the story of a woman whose life is shattered over the course of a long weekend when her estranged sister Christine arrives unannounced in the middle of the night, with no memory of how she got there. 

Continue reading: Christopher Abbott Abruptly Leaves 'Girls' After "Issues" With Lena Dunham

Game Of Thrones Season 3 Trailer Finally Hits (Watch)


Thomas Sangster HBO Clive Russell Richard Dormer Paul Kaye Anton Lesser Tobias Menzies Tara Fitzgerald Kristofer Hivju

Game of Thrones season 3 is on it’s way, and if the dark television adverts aren’t enough to convince you, then the new trailer will have to do. And it’s good; oh it’s good. If you thought seasons 1 and 2 were big, then it’s about to get bigger.

We’ve only got around a month to go before the season three premiere, so HBO have really made us wait for this trailer. But now it’s here, we can’t wait to see some epic sword sinking action. This new season will see 14 – that’s right – 14 new cast members for the show.

 

Continue reading: Game Of Thrones Season 3 Trailer Finally Hits (Watch)

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