Showtime Archives - Page 14 of 17

“The Last Play at Shea” brings music, baseball together

November 11, 2011 Tom Comi

One of Billy Joel’s most famous songs is “New York State of Mind,” a sentiment that couldn’t possibly have been more fitting for the documentary The Last Play at Shea. Airing tonight on Showtime (9:30pm ET), The Last Play at Shea — narrated by Alec Baldwin — merges a nostalgic look at the historic stadium with live concert footage by Joel. The structure was demolished not too long after the documentary was filmed. Ask one New Yorker what Shea meant to them, and they will tell you that it was the home of the New York Mets. Ask another, and […]

Showtime doc “A Game of Honor” dives deep into Army-Navy game

October 12, 2011 StayTuned Staff

College football has a lot going against it lately. The constant scandals that only seem to get uglier with each revelation are rivaled only by the heated discussion over the morality of paying the players nothing while the colleges make millions. But one thing that remains true and pure is the annual Army-Navy game. The new documentary, A Game of Honor, provides unprecedented access to the football programs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Viewers will delve deep into the back stories of the student athletes involved in the game, […]

Showtime’s “Homeland” is a taut post-9/11 thriller

October 2, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jay Bobbin Only now, a decade after 9/11, would a network attempt a drama series such as Homeland. Another threat of terrorism on U.S. soil informs the purposely intense, grim Showtime drama series, which premieres tonight and airs Sundays at 10pm ET/PT (Showtime has already posted the pilot episode online, however). Executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa invoked a post-9/11 world in their work on FOX’s 24, but they draw a much more direct bead on the theme as CIA agent Carrie Mathison (played by Temple Grandin Emmy winner Claire Danes) pursues just-rescued American POW Nicholas Brody (Damian […]

Showtime posts “Homeland” pilot online

September 13, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Following a recent trend of networks posting pilot episodes online in advance of their fall premiere dates (as FOX recently did with New Girl), Showtime has uploaded the full pilot (although a note at the beginning indicates it has been edited, perhaps for content) for its new thriller series Homeland, which premieres Oct. 2 and stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

TCA Summer Press Tour: Torture, Witches, H8Rs, Love Labs and more

August 5, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP Thursday was my first full day at the TCA press tour, and the sessions ran the gamut with mostly interesting, and sometimes odd, panels of Showtime and CW programs. Things kicked off with Damian Lewis talking about getting peed on a few days ago, and finished up with talk of Dr. Drew’s Love Lab, if that gives you any indication of the day. “Homeland” Security The first panel was for Showtime’s new drama series Homeland, which looks really good. Stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis and Morena Baccarin were here to discuss it, along with executive […]

Showtime debuts “Homeland” trailer

August 4, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

This morning at the TCA press tour Showtime premiered a new promotional trailer for its cool-looking new drama series Homeland, which premieres Oct. 2 (following the season premiere of Dexter) and stars Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin and Mandy Patinkin. Danes plays a CIA officer who becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to the rescue of a U.S. soldier (Lewis) who had been missing and presumed dead was a set-up and may be connected to an Al Qaeda plot to be carried out on American soil. Howard Gordon (24) is an executive producer.

TCA Summer Press Tour: CBS/Showtime/CW party is a moment of Zen

August 4, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP Yesterday I made my way out to Beverly Hills to round out the relay team of Channel Guide TCA Press Tour coverage (see earlier posts from Barb Oates and Ryan Berenz for more TCA adventures and info). I’ve been doing this tour for over a decade now, and I always feel somewhat out of sorts on the first day I get here. Obviously, jet lag and a long travel day factor into this, but there is something more, I think. Something like the culture shock one may get when traveling to a foreign country, and […]

Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” takes a ludicrous idea to hilarious extremes

July 20, 2011 StayTuned Staff

If you’re looking for proof that Lisa Kudrow is nowhere near as dopey as her character Phoebe was on Friends, look no further than her latest project, Web Therapy, which premiered on Showtime last night and airs Tuesdays at 11pm ET/PT. The improv-heavy series features Kudrow along with a rotating cast including Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, Victor Garber, Lily Tomlin, Alan Cumming, former Friends costar Courteney Cox and others, and presents an insightful, witty sendup of the unregulated world of online business. In the series, Kudrow plays Fiona Wallice, a clever, attractive woman whose brilliant new idea is to administer […]

“The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants” premieres July 13 on Showtime

July 12, 2011 Ryan Berenz

Sports have been described as the ultimate reality show. Maybe that’s why we find reality series about sports so compelling. On Wednesday, July 13, at 10pm ET, Showtime calls a new documentary series up to the majors with The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants, a joint effort of Showtime and MLB Productions. This series embeds a camera crew with the reigning World Series champs, capturing what happens on and off the field with the players, coaches and front-office personnel. The series airs for six consecutive Wednesdays. Viewers will get an inside-the-clubhouse look at what goes into making […]

“Nurse Jackie” season finale is a heart-stopper

June 21, 2011 Tom Comi

Just when many Nurse Jackie viewers felt like the show was mired in a third season slump, the Showtime hit responded in a big way last night with a shocking finale that leaves its fans anxiously waiting for season 4. Nurse Jackie has always straddled the line between comedy and drama, but it has never really been able to successfully do both on a consistent basis. Understandably, it’s tough to find the right balance of humor when the setting for most scenes is the emergency room of a New York City hospital (for those who don’t watch, it’s kind of […]