Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan cast as leads in Showtime’s “Masters of Sex”
Michael Sheen - Provided Photo
Lizzy Caplan - Provided Photo
Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan are set to star in the Showtime drama pilot “Masters of Sex,” according to a news release,
The pair will play the 1960s human sexuality pioneers William Masters and Virginia Johnson.
The pilot will be directed by Academy Award nonimee John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love”).
Production will begin in New York in March on the series, which is an adaptation of Thomas Maier’s book “Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, The Couple Who Taught America How To Love.”
Sheen recently starred in the film “Beautiful Boy,” the Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated movie “Midnight in Paris” and will return in the role of Aro in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.”
His television credits include “30 Rock” and “The Special Relationship” in America, as well as “Fantabulosa” and “Dirty Filthy Love” in the UK.
Caplan has had roles in such movies as “Mean Girls,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” and “Cloverfield,” and she can currently be seen on television in a multi-episode arc on “New Girl.”
Other television credits include “Party Down,” “True Blood,” “The Class,” and “Freaks and Geeks.”
Michelle Ashford (“The Pacific”), Judith Verno, and Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly (“Justified”) serve as executive producers.
Michael Sheen and Tammy Rosen are producers on the Sony Pictures Television show.
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
“House of Lies”: Premiere episode of new Showtime series available online now
From left, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell star in "House of Lies" - Showtime Photo
The premiere episode of the new Showtime comedy series “House of Lies” is available for viewing on the network’s website www.sho.com, or click here, as well as on YouTube: click here. It is also featured on select television providers’ free On Demand channels and websites.
The premiere is also accessible on Showtime apps on iPhone, iPod Touch and Android smartphones and tablets, in addition to the Showtime Social app for Ipad, Nook and Kindle Fire tables, and for download as a free video podcast on iTunes (itunes.com/houseoflies).
“House of Lies,” starring Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, debuts at 9 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 8, as part of the Showtime Free Preview Weekend, which allows the network to be viewed for free to non-subscribers in 60 million households, according to a news release.
The summary of the show, provided by Showtime, is as follows:
“House of Lies” is the new dark comedy about all the screwed up ways big business is practiced these days. The series, based on the hit tell-all book from best-selling author Martin Kihn (House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time), peels back the bull to reveal a world few know exists and fewer still have experienced. Meet Marty Kaan (Cheadle), the big-money earner at Galweather & Stearn, along with his hot, young team – The Pod – of big-balling power players – Jeannie (Bell), Clyde (Ben Schwartz) and Doug (Josh Lawson). Marty and The Pod’s work life is all first-class, top-shelf, black Am Ex, the best suites at the nicest hotels. Marty is the ultimate power player and under his direction, this ruthless, pull-no-punches team is here to stick it to the man by beating the corporate suckers at their own game. Dawn Olivieri, Donis Leonard, Jr. and Glynn Turman also star. “House of Lies” is created and executive produced by Matthew Carnahan. Jessika Borsiczky, Stephen Hopkins and Don Cheadle also serve as executive producers.
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
“Dexter” finale comes across as betrayal to fan
As a major “Dexter” fan, I was considerably disappointed, to put it lightly, with last night’s sixth season finale.
I’m afraid one of my all-time favorite shows has jumped the shark.
And for a series about a blood spatter analyst by day/serial killer by night, that’s quite a jump.
SPOILER ALERT! Don’t read any further if you haven’t seen the finale.
For Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) to discover that she’s in love with him – her adopted brother since childhood – is abominable, not only because of the situation, but because it’s such a cheap way for the story line of the show to go.
And, besides that detestable element, “Dexter” fans were also subjected to Deb witnessing Dexter taking out this season’s nemesis Travis (Colin Hanks), the Doomsday Killer – a definite no-no.
One of the best aspects of the series is Dexter and Deb’s brother-sister relationship, as co-workers for Miami Metro Homicide (Deb’s a lieutenant), and when they’re not on the job — again, the emphasis is on their BROTHER-SISTER relationship.
Dexter’s the one guy Deb has always been able to trust, and now she sees him killing someone?
And, besides his son, Deb is the only one Dexter really cares about.
Another of the essential components of the show is that Deb didn’t know about Dexter’s homicidal tendencies, and we fans never wanted her to find out — at least I didn’t!
The “Dexter” writers have their work cut out for them for the next season and then some — I don’t know how it can recover from this debacle.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
From left, Josh Cooke, C.S. Lee, Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall in "Dexter" - Showtime Photo
“Dexter” and “Homeland” season finales to air Sunday
Michael C. Hall of "Dexter" - Showtime Photo
The sixth season finale of “Dexter” and the first season finale of “Homeland,” which will be a special extended hour-and-a-half episode, are set to air at 8 and 9 p.m. respectively Sunday, Dec. 18 on Showtime.
The summaries for the finales, provided by Showtime, are as follows:
In “Dexter’s” finale, the Miami Homicide Division is in a race against a lunar eclipse to catch the Doomsday Killer before he commits his final gruesome act. Will Dexter (Michael C Hall) be able to beat them to it? Meanwhile, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) struggles with, but finally faces up to, a new emotional reality. “Homeland’s” finale finds Carrie (Claire Danes) near-catatonic and confined to bed as events swirl around her. Meanwhile, Brody (Damian Lewis) makes his final preparations for the Vice President’s policy summit. The pieces to a deadly puzzle are falling into place, but even as she springs into action, Carrie may be too late to put it all together. When the crisis finally hits, no one—not even Carrie—can foresee the outcome of Abu Nazir’s long-awaited attack.
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Damian Lewis and Claire Danes of "Homeland" - Showtime Photo
“Web Therapy” renewed for second season on Showtime
Lisa Kudrow of "Web Therapy" - Showtime Photo
The online-turned-television comedy series “Web Therapy,” starring Emmy Award winner Lisa Kudrow, has been picked up by Showtime for a second season, according to a news release.
Kudrow plays Fiona Wallice, a self-professed and egocentric psychotherapist who treats patients for three minutes via webcam.
The second season of “Web Therapy” will consist of at least ten, half-hour episodes to be broadcast in 2012.
Upcoming guest stars include Meryl Streep, Rosie O’Donnell, Conan O’Brien, Molly Shannon, Minnie Driver and Selma Blair.
Lily Tomlin returns as Fiona’s judgmental mother, while Dan Bucatinsky continues his role as Fiona’s assistant turned ghostwriter and Victor Garber is back as Fiona’s husband Kip, whose double life challenges her.
The plot summary for the second season involves Fiona playing the woman-behind-the-man in Kip’s political campaign as she juggles her flourishing career as an author and advising woeful clients.
Kudrow, Bucatinsky and Don Roos created “Web Therapy” for Is or Isn’t Entertainment, with Kudrow, Bucatinsky, Diane Charles and Ron Qurashi serving as executive producers. Roos also serves as director.
The original online episodes of the series are sponsored by Lexus and can be seen on LStudios.com.
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
“Dexter” renewed for two more seasons
Michael C. Hall of "Dexter" - Showtime Photo
Showtime has ordered two more seasons of its award-winning drama “Dexter,” according to a news release.
The series, which stars Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall as Miami police department blood-spatter expert/serial killer Dexter Morgan, is currently in its sixth season
The seventh and eighth seasons will be comprised of 12 episodes each, with season seven beginning production in 2012 in Los Angeles
Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas and James Remar also star in “Dexter.”
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
“Homeland” renewed for second season
Damian Lewis and Claire Danes of "Homeland" - Showtime Photo
Showtime has ordered a 12-episode second season of the drama “Homeland,” which stars Emmy Award winner Claire Daines, Golden Globe nominee Damian Lewis, as well as Emmy and Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin.
Danes’ character Carrie Mathison is a driven CIA officer battling her own psychological demons while becoming convinced that the intelligence that led to soldier Nicholas Brody’s (Lewis) rescue was a setup and that this national hero may be connected to an Al Qaeda plot set to be carried out in America.
“Homeland” premiered as the network’s highest-rated freshman drama series ever, registering 4.4 million viewers across platforms in its first week. The show has continued to increase overall viewership since its debut, with its most recent episode delivering “Homeland’s” best ratings-to-date this past Sunday, according to a news release.
Season two begins production in spring 2012.
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Rejoice “Dexter” fans: sixth season begins Sunday
Michael C. Hall as "Dexter" - Showtime Photo
Keep the faith “Dexter” fans, the sixth season of the Showtime series is almost upon us.
And this season the serial killer with a moral code is exploring the spiritual side of life as he tries to decide what beliefs he wants to pass on to his toddler son.
In the first episode of this installment of the show, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) attends his 20th high school reunion with a former Prom King on his hunting list.
Meanwhile, Miami Metro Homicide, where Dexter is employed as a blood spatter analyst, faces a grisly, faith-inspired murder.
Dexter’s sister and co-worker/detective Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) also plays a heroic role during a crime and soon will have a couple of life-changing choices to make.
Special guest stars this season include Colin Hanks (“The Good Guys,” “Roswell”) as Travis Marshall and Edward James Olmos (“Battlestar Galactica” “Miami Vice”) as Professor James Gellar, who are teaming up to portray a duo of pretty twisted villains, and actor/musician Mos will be playing Brother Sam, a minister with a criminal past.
One of the most enticing elements of the series is watching Michael C. Hall’s enthralling performance while waiting to see if Dexter gets caught acting out his serial killer impulses and how the writers are able to come up with ways for him to escape any time he comes close to being discovered.
Additionally, the show has managed to be thrilling each year, while also actually serving up a bit of humor along the way.
I don’t think this year will be any different - “Dexter’s” adversaries won’t have a prayer against him.
The sixth season of “Dexter” premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on Showtime.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Claire Danes and Damian Lewis shine in “Homeland”
Damian Lewis and Claire Danes star in "Homeland" - Showtime Photo
In the new Showtime series “Homeland,” Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is a CIA case officer chasing down threats to United States security in the Middle East when her investigation sets off a serious diplomatic incident.
Her field status is taken away from her and she is then assigned a desk job at CIA headquarters.
However, Carrie had already received a message that an American prisoner of war had been turned by Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who has been missing in action for eight years and presumed dead, is suddenly recovered in Afghanistan,
Carrie suspects he’s the POW that’s a danger to his own country, but how far will she go to prove it?
And, is her suspicion correct, or is she completely off base and her sanity is unraveling?
These questions make this show compelling, along with Danes’ and Lewis’ performances.
Danes skillfully makes her character’s good intentions in keeping the U.S. safe completely clear while also displaying Carrie’s manic side.
Lewis is equally good in his portrayal of Brody, reacting to situations in ways you’d think a POW would react in most ways, but always seeming to be hiding something.
Morena Baccarin, who plays Brody’s wife Jessica, and Mandy Patinkin, who plays Carrie’s mentor and boss Saul Berenson, offer solid support in a show that is both provocative and intense.
“Homeland” premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 on Showtime.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Kings of Leon documentary to premiere on Showtime Aug. 21
The Kings of Leon (Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill, and Matthew Followill) in "Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon" - Photo courtesy of Showtime
“Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon” is scheduled to premiere at 9 p.m. Aug. 21 on Showtime, according to a news release.
The documentary on the Grammy Award-winning rock band, which includes two members who were born in Oklahoma City, Matthew and Nathan Followill, begins at the annual Followill family reunion in Talihina.
First-time director and Followill friend Stephen C. Mitchell links personal home videos, unedited interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of the band’s journey – from their small-town beginnings spent in poverty and touring the Bible Belt with their Pentecostal evangelist minister father and devout mother – to rock stardom.
For more information, click here.
