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.
Showtime
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 turn the campaign into an actual reality series: a weekly, real-time documentary series following the… 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, and will have weekly half-hour episodes. Showtime’s announcement said the series–which sounds like HBO’s excellent… 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 example, had potential but wasn’t very real. But tonight, the network debuts an six-episode reality… 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 in places other than New York or Los Angeles. Showtime President David Nevins told TV… 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 last year; that season is now on DVD. The network did not announce a debut… 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, Kathy Griffin, Steve Carell, Sarah Silverman, Robin Williams, Steven Wright, and others. The show is… 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, which focused on Whitney Mixter. The Magical Elves-produced show “will straddle both coasts” and highlight… 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 that it’s just a low-rent show, one not worthy of the network that brought us… continue reading
Real L Word will return, focusing on Whitney; male prostitute series coming to Showtime, too
Showtime’s reality series The Real L Word will return for a second season this summer, but will become “more premium, more exclusive” as it focuses on Whitney Mixter and her friends. Meanwhile, the network is working on a series that follows straight male prostitutes in Las Vegas called Gigolos. The network’s president, David Nevins, told… continue reading
San Francisco Giants will be followed for a Friday Night Lights-like Showtime reality series
Pay cable network Showtime has teamed with Major League Baseball’s production company to follow the San Francisco Giants, the 2010 World Series winners, for a new hour-long reality series that was compared to Friday Night Lights, which Showtime’s new president, David Nevins, produced. It does not yet have a name, but it will air during… continue reading