Vacation Robo-Post: Has HBO Lost It?

I only wish I had HBO. I have to wait till the seasons of HBO shows are out on DVD. I love the direction they are turning, I think they will definitely soon be balancing their arty fare with some more mainstream appeal, but I hope that they continue to have interesting, thought-provoking, unusual shows!

Hey HBO, I likes me some car crashes and thangs that go boom!!!

I'm a big HBO fan, loved Deadwood and SFU, still think Big Love is among TV's better dramas, but one of the main reasons I have HBO is for Real Time With Bill Maher... Bob Costas' show is pretty good as well.

BILL MAHER... oh man I'm so glad they have the podcasts available on iTunes because I have missed Politically Inocrrect sooo much. I used to watch that show in Middle School and early High School until it was canceled. Those were sad times.

Don't watch a single movie so this concerns only the original series. I don't like everything they do. And I think that some shows fall far short of their potential way too often (Entourage). But when I sit down to think about what shows I seek out, many, if not most, are HBO shows (Conchords, Big Love). And I really like the ability to see them on-demand. So while I grumble as much as the next guy, I think it's worth the money.

Very pissed about the cancellation of John From Cincinnati. It deserved another season, at least.

I think it was Martin Scorsese who once said that he doesn't have sex scenes in his movies becuase it stops the movie cold. I think I tend to agree. Sex has little dramatic or comedic purpose. You're looking at actors buidling characters with their whole minds and bodies, but in sex scenes you're seeing the actors' bodies up close and the focus shifts from the performace and the character to the body part exposed. There is always a matter of titilation and the act itself shows little dramatically.

I don't know. I haven't seen "Tell Me." But I would think the constant sex would be distracting.

What is the attraction to Bill Maher? The guy is insufferable, pompous and arrogant....not to mention irrational and illogical. All that aside, he isn't even funny. And no, I'm not some sort of right wing, neocon nutjob. I hold his buddy Ann Coulter in the same regard.

Also, someone needs to introduce the guy to a bottle of shampoo and stand him out in the sun for an afternoon.

I'll care about what his celebrity guests have to say on current events about the same time as a I care what Hannity and O'Reilly have to say.

I have waited so long to discuss the current state and future of HBO so I am going to make sure I say as much as possible.

It's too bad that HBO wasn't able to find its next hit before The Sopranos ended. If that had happened we wouldn't be having this discussion. But now it is obvious that they are going to have to re-brand their network. I've heard some good things about the hour long comedy 12 Miles of Bad Road, Alan Ball's True Blood soundd like it could be a hit. But the latter show won't premier until late 2008 or early 2009. I want to stress the fact that I DO NOT believe that HBO will ever have another mainstream hit like the Sopranos. I would be shocked if an HBO series ever got above 10 Million viewers again. The first episode of The Pacific mini-series may have a chance becasue of success and popularity of Band of Brothers. But that is a mini series not TV show.

The Pacific, the Band of Brother for the Pacific theatre will air in mid 2009. Then there is the show which I think has the best shot at becoming a hit: A Song of Ice and Fire, based on the George R.R. Martin novel series. But it's not even a done deal if it will go into production at this point. So the earliest that it will air will be around 2010!! So basically, I am giving HBO a three year window to rebuild and rebrand itself with those dramas. And what do I know, they probably have other projects that will be released in that time period that nobody knows about yet.

Another problem that HBO is facing is the rising success of other cable networks, especially in the summer time. USA, TNT, FX, Showtime, and now AMC to name a few. With these networks each having one, two, or three hit shows HBO has some competion. HBO didn't really have any cable competion in the late 90s and early 2000s (except for maybe FX). Though, I want to focus on one network in particular, the other pay cabler, Showtime.

Yes, currently Showtime does have a better slate of original programming: Weeds, Californication, Brotherhood, and Dexter. I havn't seen The Tudors so I do not know how good it is. However, they only have half the subscribers as HBO and have a horrible movie package which prevents people from tuning in to its channels. Preventing expousure of these great shows to the public. Dexter's Season One finale drew 1.2 Million viewers, which was the highest rating for Showtime in two years. Weeds Season 3 Premier was seen by a little over 800,000 viewers which was its highest draw to date. As you can see, Showtime still has a long, uphill battle if they ever want to pass HBO.

So its been two and half months since The Sopranos ended and there are those who want to declare HBO dead. A lot more time will have to pass for me to ever consider having such a thought. I just can't think of putting the nail in the coffing to a network that in the past 10 years brought us dramas such as:

The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Rome, Carnivale and Big Love.

And comedies such as: Sex and the City, Curb your Enthusiasm, and Entourage.

I still haven't really forgiven HBO for canceling Deadwood, one of the best if not the best show ever on television.

I stuck with JFC but never really connected with it and I never marveled at it like Deadwood. I am even more upset now that I hear Milch is moving to a new show rather than anyone thinking about doing the Deadwood movies like they said they would.

That said, I do applaud them for taking on Flight of the Conchords, which is original and hilarious. But there are some dark days ahead where I may consider canceling my subscription, as it's very expensive and perhaps not worth the 1-2 shows that I'm watching on HBO at this point (Conchords, Entourage).

Between the sports, original movies, and a handful of good shows still on they aren't going to have a problem.

Chris: Do you work for HBO? You spewed out those numbers and development info as if you were reading from a press release.

Chris: Do you work for HBO? You spewed out those numbers and development info as if you were reading from a press release.

And as far as people who don't have HBO: if you don't have the network, you're in no position to comment on their programming. And if you don't have HBO, it's time to get into the 1980's.

I think that HBO is doing what they've always done - take chances. They've had successes, but this isn't the first time they've had failures (cough, The Comeback, cough). I disliked JFC for about seven episodes, then it clicked and while I don't like it as much as Deadwood, I appreciate it now. I kept watching, even after not liking the show, because it was HBO, and because I knew what I was watching was good, if not traditionally so. This trust they've built will keep them rolling.

Consider the new shows on their lineup:
- a modern tale of Jesus told through a dysfunctional family in a surfing community
- a sitcom about a folk duo from New Zealand that is mostly about them trying to avoid sex
- a show about couples therapy with graphic sex
- a show about Vampires that is meant to be taken seriously

That's a network taking chances. When you take chances, there's a lot more failures, but if HBO can keep the new stuff coming, they'll stay established as a quality network. The most important thing for art is that it keeps being produced. It doesn't have to be good to be talked about, as long as it pushes the envelope.

Michael

No. I do not work for HBO. In fact, I didn't even start watching HBO dramas until this year when I began watching TV on DVD. Most of that info. came from various press releases (I have Variety.com on my Favorites). I always try to keep up on ratings info. and critical reviews so I know how well the shows I watch are performing. Plus, I'm majoring in Accounting and I just naturally remeber trivial numbers and facts. I realized I got a little carried away with my post but I have been annoyed with all the articles I've read about the end of HBO as we know it.

Chris, so you don't work for HBO, you major in accounting. But you shell out the exorbinant fee to subscribe to Variety.com which I know is not free. But you're not even in show biz.

And rather than shell out $10 per month for HBO ($120 per year but your an accounting major so I shouldn't have to do the math for you there), you buy the DVD's of every show for the price of $50-$60 per season, per show, or maybe you rent them for about $4 per disc with about 4 discs each season. Taking into account the amount of shows on HBO, or the amount of discs in each season set, I have to ask: Are you sure you're an accounting major.

Wow, Michael--With that kind of snarkiness, you might want to consider posting over on Swampland.

Such snarkiness, Michael. Did you stray from Swampland?

Michael.

First off, I don't pay any money to read articles on Variety.com. So it is FREE. Not to exorbitant there. Secondly, I use Blockbuster Online Rentals ($15/month for 2 discs at a time, trade them in for FREE rentals at the store) along with my local library which has practically all HBO shows available. I don't buy DVD sets because I know I am not likely to watch them more than one time. So I basically have spent around $60 watching all of the HBO shows I listed. Which is the same price for one season worth of the average HBO DVD Set. So yeah, I am pretty positive I am an Accounting major and I know how to spend my money wisely.

And how could I have watched these shows on HBO at the current moment when none of them are currently airing on it? I know this because my parents do have HBO and I have been living at home all summer long. I'm 19 years old and have just come around to appreciate good drama so that is why I had to catch up through DVDs. And I also don't pay the cable bill.

I don't even know why you are bothering me. Just because I posted a long comment and shared my thoughts while backing it up with information. Sorry if I offended you.

@Keith

The thing I like is he treats his guests who have opposing views with a great deal of respect and that's what I like. The political arena should be accomodating to both views and it never is, beyond that show. He tells his own audience to shut up and apologizes to his guest if they boo that person for stating their opinion.

Too many people nowadays get their opinion from one source and one source only. Head over to Swampland and watch all the whiney KOS folks bitch at the staff. They've got their heads up their own rear as much as the folks who listen to Hannity/Limbaugh all day.

Bill Maher's show is one of the few where you get intelligent debate, and not just a lot of meaningless shouting.

Chris Kw

Thanks for the input. Don't know why you are being bullied for expressing your opinion. I enjoyed reading your post very much! Don't let a bully get you down.

Michael,

Don't see why in the world you would say that people who don't subscribe to HBO shouldn't get to comment on their programming. I don't have HBO because its too expensive but I, like ChrisKw, utilize rentals and relatives' HBO On-Demand! I have watched LOTS of HBO series and don't see why people who have tons of money to blow on cable should have more right to comment.

Well, this post is about where HBO is going, not where it's been. The first commenter writes that she doesn't have HBO and has to wait until the shows are on DVD before she sees them. Therefore she is not qualified to comment on the CURRENT state of HBO and it's series'. She is by her own admission BEHIND.

And I ask anyone to go to Variety.com and try to read articles for free. That is bogus. It is a subscription web site. So either Chris pays for it or uses someone's password who pays for it. But somewhere it is paid for. In his post he discusses what seems like every show on HBO's development slate. This is not something that is readily available in any newspaper. It sounds like something written by the publicity department of HBO. He's talking about 2010.

Am I too cynical or are you all too naive. By the way Time magazine and HBO are both part of the Time/Warner family. Is it soooo out of the realm of possibility that people from the promo department would drop in comments as if they are from non affiliated readers? Remember the movie review scandals from a few years back?...And this is in no way meant to doubt James' integrity or credibility. I read the site every day for his excellent reviews, but this could be going on without his knowledge.

Wow. So you seriously think I am an HBO insider. I am just going to take that as a compliment even though it is more of a back handed compliment. And I will ask you to visit Variety.com. They do have a subscription service for a thing called Digital Variety but I don't have that. I just click on the TV section and read articles free of charge. Maybe I don't get the news as fast becuase I don't have a subscription. I don't know what else to say.

As the first (and eigtheenth) poster, I did forget to mention using relatives' On-Demand on occasion for shows I cannot watch at my home. But I have also been enthusiastically following reviews and discussions of shows that are new that I haven't seen, and they have certainly peaked my interest, and might lead me to decide to get HBO in the future (as soon as I have a bit of disposable income). As far as shows that haven't started airing yet, or speculation about possible directions for future shows, I can't see how it matters whether one has an HBO subscription or not.

Michael,

Whup, whup, whup, whup. Better get out the tin foil hat. Whup, whup, whup, whup. The black helicopters are coming. Lighten up dude. This is Tuned In, not Free Republic.

HBO has been putting the best shows on television for years now. I love the fact that they are willing to go the extra mile with all of there shows and that no item is untouchable. The Wire is an absolute masterpiece that nobody wants to support nationally. Its the best show on TV by far and it doesnt get the press it deserves because its based in the inner city and has a predominatly black cast. How many networks would even try a show with these items as a starting point? Not many.

The reported sex in Tell Me is long overdue for pay cable networks as free cable networks have already incorporated bad language and are pushing down the door on nudity on thier shows. Showtime will follow this path soon as they were already close with Family Business. But they fail to be pioneers and didnt want to push the envelope too far. That is why they have been playing 2nd fiddle for so long as they always allow HBO to set the bar.

American tv has always befuddled me anyway. How is it acceptable to show someone get shot in the face but it is unacceptable to show an erect penis. Lol. Only in America...

Michael, what's with the hostility and vigilantism about who can and cannot post on someone else's blog and/or have opinions? Also, variety.com is free. Seriously. I hate their writing, but you can get articles on their site for free. Also, you can get a list of HBO programs in development on Wikipedia, of all places, at their article "List_of_programs_broadcast_by_HBO". All the shows Chris Kw. mentioned are listed there, so it's not like it's some state secret.

Anyway, Robo-James, just before reading this post, I read an article from The New York Times published the same day about how HBO isn't bulletproof anymore. The only reason it gave (it wasn't looking for reasons why, just whether it was true and what the consequences were) was that HBO has more competition from cable for "edgy" programming, but I'm sure an article about how HBO is too artsy is coming. (I had to look up "jeremiad;" it's a great word that I'm sure I'll have use for in the future.)

I'm only this year getting into HBO shows (I'm liking Big Love and loving Flight of the Conchords), so our relationship doesn't have much history to compare to; regardless, I'm happy with it right now.

i can't believe no one mentioned the Hard Knocks: Chiefs Training Camp show. This is the 3rd season of it, i believe, and there's nothing better on TV right now. Nowhere else can you get an authentic inside look into practices, training camp, meetings, and locker rooms in the NFL. Unlike ESPN, which tries to go behind-the-scenes but censors everything... HBO brings a totally fresh perspective. With characters like Gunther Cunningham, the swearing, tough-love Defensive Coordinator... A look at Larry Johnson's contract holdout and the teammates cheering upon his return to the practice field... not to mention Brodie Croyle's dimepiece of a wife... and Tony Gonzalez's.