Both HBO’s The Vow and Showtime’s Love Fraud take us along in real time, and we meet people who talk about how they were defrauded and/or dehumanized—by NXIVM and Richard Scott Smith, respectively.
Showtime
Couples Therapy: a review of Showtime’s incisive glimpse inside a therapist’s office
Showtime’s terrific new unscripted series takes us inside a therapist’s office for weekly visits with four couples.
Fourth Estate has access to The New York Times, but less insight
A Review of Showtime’s The Fourth Estate, a look inside The New York Times that is often compelling reality television. But there’s also something missing.
A new series goes inside the New York Times; The Circus season three has a new co-host
Showtime will go behind the scenes with politicians and journalists in upcoming series.
Mark Halperin fired from The Circus after at least 12 women detail sexual harassment
Mark Halperin, one of the three stars of The Circus and one of its executive producers, has been dropped by Showtime from any future seasons of the political reality series after at least 12 women have described sexual harassment and assault by Halperin.
Footage from Showtime’s The Circus becomes a Trump documentary
One of 2016’s best reality series, The Circus, is spinning off a feature-length documentary about Trump’s path to the presidency. It will premiere at Sundance and air on the network next month.
Review: The Circus is an essential, thrilling behind-the-scenes look, but not at politics
A review of Showtime’s The Circus, which follows Mark Halperin, John Heilemann, and Mark McKinnon on the campaign trail, and shows how the media makes news.
The presidential campaign is becoming an actual reality show
Saying that the 2016 presidential campaign is becoming a reality show doesn’t seem like news, it just seems like an obvious metaphor, and not just because that blowhard from The Apprentice is now a credible candidate. But starting in January, Showtime will actually… continue reading
Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish get a reality series
The University of Notre Dame’s football team the Fighting Irish will be followed for a documentary series all season long on Showtime. The straightforwardly named A Season With Notre Dame Football debuts Sept. 8, three days after their first game,… continue reading
Time of Death: watch and learn as eight people die
Showtime has given me few reasons to remain a subscriber: meddling in creative decisions as they destroyed Dexter, and now doing the same to Homeland, which quickly went from excellent to mediocre. Its reality series haven’t been great; Gigolos, for… continue reading
Gigolos, Polyamory returning to Showtime, but Real L Word becoming a documentary
Showtime’s sexual reality series Gigolos and Polyamory have been renewed for a fourth and second season, respectively, but The Real L Word won’t be back in its current form after three seasons. Instead, it’ll become “a stand-alone documentary” about lesbians… continue reading
Miami Marlins will be followed for second season of The Franchise on Showtime
Showtime’s foray into 24/7-style documentary reality TV about sports, The Franchise, has been renewed for a second season, and will focus on the Miami Marlins, the team formerly known as the Florida Marlins. The show followed the San Francisco Giants… continue reading
Inside Comedy: conversations with comedians, from Kathy Griffin to Jane Lynch
A new documentary/interview series debuts on Showtime tonight, featuring comedians talking about themselves and their comedy with comedian David Steinberg. The premiere episode features Jerry Seinfeld and Don Rickles, while future episodes will include Chris Rock, Jane Lynch, Martin Short,… continue reading
Real L Word’s third season will add New York City, cast members
Showtime has renewed its reality series The Real L Word for a third season, but will film in New York City, in addition to Los Angeles, and producers are searching for new cast members. That’s a shift from last season,… continue reading
Showtime’s Gigolos: women were paid to be on the weak show with an intriguing premise
Showtime is now airing Gigolos, a series about straight male escorts in Las Vegas. And while it’s pretty much the disaster you’d expect, it’s strangely fascinating–and amazingly, the nudity and sex is the least interesting part. The real problem is… continue reading