Tag Archives: HBO

If We Controlled Your Remote… 8/12/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Phoebe’s Choice

That feeling when you remember that your favorite action movie star also stars in an HBO comedy-drama? Yipeeeeeeeee!!! That was me last week when I realized season four of Ballers, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson & Rob Corddry as a pair of financial managers who manage the money and careers of pro football stars. Last season revolved around a huge campaign to get an NFL team to move to Las Vegas, where business magnate Wayne Hastings Jr. was working to expand his already impressive casino empire. Just before the finale we found out Hastings had divested himself from AFM, Spencer’s firm, and was working instead with Candace, who sat in much better favor with the board of NFL owners.

Last year’s finale signaled to us the general direction of the show, a move to California. Ricky & Charles took a flight to L.A. together, where they had diverging goals. Ricky was there to chase after the woman he loved, Amber. Charles was there to interview for the General Manager position of the L.A. Chargers. At first Charles bumbled his way through it, but then he broke through and it seemed like he was going to get the gig. Ricky went to Amber’s mom’s house, where he told her he was ready to give up football entirely and raise their child together.

Meanwhile up in San Francisco at the owner’s meeting, Team AFM had flown in Anderson’s brother with the big bucks to bid on the move to Vegas. Hastings’ team went first and the owners liked their pitch. But then Spencer hit the meeting with an onside kick when he suggested in an impassioned speech that the Raiders should stay in Oakland. And that they deserved a new stadium, one built with Julian Anderson’s private money, not the 700 million the taxpayers in Vegas had agreed to pay. He punctuated the well-articulated pitch by drawing the owners’ attentions to the huge crowd he’d organized to assemble in the streets below. They chanted their support for the Raiders. Later that night, they got the news that the owners decided to move the team to Vegas, but they did want ASM to finance the stadium construction with Julian’s money.

So tonight we start with season four and a definite shift to L.A. & Vegas as the setting for the show. Can’t wait to see where this one goes!

On tonight’s episode, “Rough Ride,” Spencer and Joe weigh the pros and cons of acquiring an extreme-sport agency. Ricky sets down roots in LA with Amber and their daughter but finds himself yearning for something else. Charles rallies a group of disgruntled employees as he begins his new tenure with the Rams.

Find out how the new season goes tonight on HBO at 10/9c.

I’ll also be tuning in for my other new late summer fav, Preacher.

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Exactly How Big Has Game of Thrones Become?

There is no doubt that Game of Thrones has been one of the most spectacular success stories of recent years. According to reports, filming on the eighth series has now ended. Numerous leaks from the filming have led to feverish speculation on sites such as Mashable about what the future holds in store for the residents of Westeros and Essos now.

Yet, as well as looking ahead, this is also a good moment to look back at just how big Game of Thrones has become since first crashing onto our screens back in 2011. Since then, millions of viewers all around the planet have been hooked on this fascinating, violent, and sometimes funny series. So, what has happened so far, and how much of a following does this series now have?

IMAGE SOURCE: Flickr.com

The Story So Far?

You probably already realize that Game of Thrones is based on a series of epic novels by George R.R. Martin called “A Song of Fire and Ice.” The TV show isn’t a straight re-working of these books, though. Instead, it is a loose adaption that is based on the original plots rather than slavishly following them. The success of the TV series has increased interest in these books, with sales now at over 70 million.

The seven seasons that we have seen so far have produced some thrilling moments and a huge amount of talking points. From a horse being beheaded in the first season to Theon Greyjoy’s grisly treatment in season three, and on to Arya killing the Freys in the seventh season, this has been a genuine roller-coaster of a show. The most memorable moments have provoked a great deal of debate and boosted the profile of the show immensely.
 

 
Season seven ended in typically intriguing fashion. This lighthearted recap from Vanity Fair gives you a chance to catch up if you missed this last season. Things are nicely poised for the eighth and final season. How will the drama and intrigue that has captured our imagination for the last few years finally come to an end?

The premiere of season 8 has been confirmed by HBO as arriving to our screens in 2019, so there is a bit longer to wait before seeing what happens next. Meanwhile, a data scientist named Taylor Larkin used a complex algorithm to work out that there is an 83.77% chance of Daenerys Targaryen dying and a 72.91% possibility of Jaime Lannister meeting his end in this series – we’re champing at the bit.
 

Merchandising Galore

The runaway success of Game of Thrones has, unsurprisingly, led to a huge amount of merchandising deals that bring a staggering variety of products to fans who are eager to experience the show in their everyday lives. Some of the most popular items in this vast range have been T-shirts, mugs, masks, figures, coins, and tumblers.

The brand has also appeared in the world of gaming as well. Winterfell and other iconic settings have featured in mobile games, MMO titles, and text-based adventures. Microgaming has also released a slots game described by Betway Casino as an “immersive” take on the theme. Among the many video games are Game of Thrones Ascent and Game of Thrones: Conquest, where players can become a Lord in Westeros.

Special dates such as Mother’s Day tend to see the show’s merchandising heavily marketed, and even Amazon is selling Father’s Day clothing. There is also a Live Concert Experience tour featuring music from composer Ramin Djawadi. Naturally, the Blu-Rays and DVDs have proved to be popular purchases, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling box set in more than 10 years.
 

 

Viewing Figures and Awards for the Television Show to Date

Game of Thrones has received public approval and critical acclaim right from the very start. Viewing figures have risen steadily over the course of each season, as new viewers who have been attracted see what all the fuss is about. The premiere of the first season was watched by over two million people in the US, but by the season finale, the audience had grown to more than three million.

The finale to season 7 drew an incredible 16.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched show in the history of the series. With so many people looking forward eagerly to the final season, it is likely that the eighth installment of the show goes on to break even more records next year. Internationally, it is now shown in more than 170 countries.

In terms of awards, the show has gathered numerous AFI Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards, Emmy Awards, and a host of other prizes from all over the world. As for the actors, Peter Dinklage leads the way with two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe at the time of writing. It seems certain that the final season will add more trophies to this haul.

The worldwide success of Game of Thrones marks it out as one of the iconic TV shows of this generation. If the final season is as exciting as what has gone before, then we can look forward to plenty of thrills when it hits our screens in 2019.

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If We Controlled Your Remote… 5/13/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

Tonight, NBC airs the 2-hour season (possibly series) finale of Timeless. Last week, Lucy, Rufus, Wyatt, and Jiya traveled back to 1981, the day of the attempted assassination of President Reagan. They assumed Rittenhouse’s target was the president but were surprised to learn that they were trying to kill a young Agent Christopher so that she wouldn’t be around in the future to form the Time Team. During the mission, the team discovered that Rittenhouse was forcing people to act as sleeper agents, sending them into the past, to await activation for unknown missions. Meanwhile, in the bunker, Mason & Christopher remained suspicious of Jessica’s return and tried to figure out the reason Rittenhouse saved her. Once the crew returned, Wyatt got a double-whammy of surprises. Jessica revealed that her brother Kevin was still alive – but in Wyatt’s reality, Kevin had died of leukemia when he was three. And then Jessica also revealed that she was pregnant.

Why did Rittenhouse save Jessica, and is she working for them? Why did they save her brother, and what does he have to do with all of this? Can Jiya’s visions of the future be changed, or is Rufus doomed to die in the Wild West? (It seems easy enough for him to just avoid ever going back to that time period!) At the time I’m writing this, NBC still has not announced the fate of the series, even though the network will be announcing its Fall schedule on Monday morning. Tonight’s finale is a fun, exciting, and action-packed 2 hours. This show has found a great mix of action, drama and humor, and I hope we get to see more. Unfortunately, the season ends in an amazing cliffhanger, so I really hope we get a third season to see what happens next. Fingers crossed that at the time you are reading this, the series has already been renewed for a third season!

On tonight’s episode, “The General; Chinatown,” the team partners with Harriet Tubman to thwart Rittenhouse’s plan to alter the outcome of the Civil War; Jiya escapes from Rittenhouse but is stranded in 1888 with no way home; the fractured team goes back to save her.

See how the season (series?) ends tonight on NBC at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Deception, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, Fear the Walking Dead, Killing Eve, Worst Cooks in America, Trust, Westworld, and Silicon Valley.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 4/22/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

It’s been over 15 months since the first season of HBO’s Westworld came to a close, but the show finally returns tonight! The series is set in a high-tech theme park called Westworld, where realistic-looking robots, called hosts, allow guests to live out their deepest and darkest fantasies. As the first season came to a close, several of these hosts woke up and started having their own thoughts. They went against their programming and started hurting the guests. Park programmer Bernard also discovered that he was not actually human, but rather a host, and that park creator Dr. Robert Ford had used him to kill people and then wiped his memory. There was a bit of a power struggle happening behind the scenes at the park. Corporate wanted to get rid of Ford, and Delos executive director Charlotte was secretly working with disgraced Narrative Director Lee Sizemore, who was helping her reprogram one of the retired hosts so that she could smuggle information out of the park.

Maeve was the madam at the Mariposa Saloon when she woke up. She then convinced one of the park technicians to alter her programming — increasing her intelligence level to the highest setting — and to remove the explosive that kept her confined to the park. However, just as Maeve was about to leave Westworld, she had second thoughts and decided to go back to find the daughter she remembered from one of her past narratives. At the same time, Ford was having a gala to launch his final narrative before retiring. Thirty years earlier, Dolores, one of the first hosts, had accidentally killed one of her creators. Upon waking up, she experienced this all over again, shooting Ford in the head as he was giving his speech. The guests started to panic as the other hosts also started attacking them. Long-time park guest William (aka the Man in Black) was actually thrilled by this turn of events. For years he had grown tired of the safety of the park and had been striving for the next level of this game, where the stakes and danger were real.

I have been looking forward to the second season for a long time. How will things change now that Ford is presumably dead and the hosts are running amok? Will there still be guests at the park, or are the hosts completely running things now? We got a glimpse of Samurai World during Maeve’s escape — how will that play into things this season, and are the hosts there also becoming self-aware? Did the Man in Black survive the onslaught of hosts, and if so, what is his current plan? What information is Charlotte trying to steal, and what does she plan to do with it? How will the Delios folks respond to the news of what’s happening in Westworld? And are there others like Bernard who don’t yet know they are hosts? This evening I will be attending a special premiere event being held in Boston, where they will air the season premiere (only a couple hours earlier than it airs on HBO) and have a Q&A with some of the cast, followed by a Sweetwater & Mariposa-themed after-party. It should be a fun time, and I’m really glad to have this show back!

HBO sent the following description for tonight’s premiere, “Journey into Night”: The puppet show is over, and we are coming for you and the rest of your kind. Welcome back to Westworld.

Don’t miss the exciting 75-minute season premiere tonight on HBO at 9/8c.

I’ll also be watching/recording Deception, Timeless, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, The Last Man on Earth, Fear the Walking Dead, Killing Eve, Worst Cooks in America, Trust, Silicon Valley, and Barry.
 
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If We Controlled Your Remote… 1/22/18

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

A couple months ago, HBO and director Stephen Soderbergh teamed up to produce the Mosaic app, which provides a unique interactive story experience on iOS and Android devices. The mobile app allows users to interact with the cinematic murder mystery by selecting which character’s perspective to follow at various points in the story. Soderbergh has now taken the footage that was shot for this joint venture and has edited it into a more traditional, linear TV format. The 6-part Mosaic limited series will air on HBO across the next five nights.

The psychological thriller tells a story of love and murder in a small town, where each character has his or her own version of the events to tell. As the series opens, popular children’s book author/illustrator Olivia Lake (Sharon Stone, Agent X, Basic Instinct) crosses paths with potential suitor Eric (Frederick Weller, Banshee, In Plain Sight) and handyman/aspiring artist Joel (Garrett Hedlund, TRON: Legacy). The series also stars Jennifer Ferrin (Time After Time, Falling Water), Beau Bridges (Bloodline), Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman), Devin Ratray (The Tick), James Ransone (Bosch), Jeremy Bobb (Godless, The Knick), Michael Cerveris (Gotham, Fringe), and Maya Kazan (Sleepy Hollow, The Knick).

I was a huge fan of Soderbergh’s previous cable series, The Knick, and so I’m really looking forward to seeing his latest work. Mosaic has a stellar cast, and I’m always down for a good murder mystery! I have already set my season pass to check out this limited series.

On tonight’s premiere, “Meet Olivia Lake,” children’s author Olivia Lake attends a lavish party, during which she notices handsome bartender Joel and offers him a place to live; wealthy financier Michael O’Connor enlists a con man to convince Olivia to sell her picturesque property.

Catch the series premiere tonight on HBO at 8/7c.

I’ll also be watching/recording The Good Doctor, Better Late Than Never, The Resident, Supergirl, and The Alienist.
 
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