Sex and the City is almost old enough to drink a cosmo

With much fanfare this morning, Sex and the City is celebrating the 20th anniversary since its debut on HBO in 1998.

Popping up around the web have been stories about the show's place in the late '90s zeitgeist -- and critiques of how episodes don't hold up to our current standards when it comes to LGBT and other minority depictions -- plus click-through galleries of Sarah Jessica Parker's best and worst Carrie Bradshaw fashions.  A blog at cabletv.com has compiled a list of dozens of New York eateries patronized by the fab foursome of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.

But for me, the best way to reminisce about Sex -- and its huge impact on pop culture, on depictions of women on TV, and even on the world's view of New York (sorely needed after the crisis of 9/11) is via a brand-new book published today, Sex and the City and Us, by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.

The author of two other fabulous TV behind-the-scenes companions -- Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted (2013) and Seinfeldia (2017) -- Armstrong takes the reader step-by-step through Candace Bushnell's early years in New York, the origins and evolution of her Sex and the City column, and the development of that material with producer Darren Star into a new half-hour comedy for HBO.  From there, we go behind-the-scenes to learn how characters and storylines were conceived, and how everything changed once the show blossomed into a mega-hit.

Armstrong doesn't shy away from criticisms of the show as well, pointing out places where its conceits haven't quite aged as well as one would like.  And yes, there is mention and some explanation of the Parker-Cattrall "feud," the back-and-forths of which, as the planned Sex and the City 3 feature film met its premature demise, were only becoming public as the book went to print.

Personally, I'm still hoping all differences will be ironed out and SATC3 will eventually happen -- I guess that makes me an optimistic Charlotte.  Yes, some of those over-the-top Sex and the City 2 Dubai moments were more cringeworthy than fun -- oy, those outfits as they walked the desert dunes! -- but one of the things we've always loved about Carrie is her willingness to take chances, including with her fashions.  I, for one, would never have advised wearing a tutu on the Manhattan streets -- especially if there's a chance you'll be splashed by a bus (with your face on it) -- but Carrie somehow made it work.

Yes, some of Carrie's voiceovers or Samantha's double-entendres may no longer seem exactly cutting edge.  But twenty years ago today, Sex and the City was a show that changed the way single women were perceived, and perceived themselves.  It brought whole new glamour to their world, and to New York as a whole.  So let's sit back, binge-watch, and follow along in Armstrong's fabulous new book.  Because after all, as with pizza, even imperfect Sex is better than no Sex at all.

The Much-Needed Return of Tracey Ullman

Last month, at the Television Critics Association (TCA) convention in Beverly Hills, I caught up with Tracey Ullman at the Starz network's party to promote its upcoming miniseries of Howard's End, in which Tracey plays Aunt Juley.  But we critics were even more eager to quiz Tracey about the new season of her self-titled BBC sketch comedy series, whose second season of six episodes debuts here in the U.S. on HBO this coming Sunday, October 20. 

Chatting with Tracey is a particular treat, because you never know which voice might pop out of her mouth to answer your question.  In between laughs, a few fellow critics and I managed to conduct the interview below, with news of this upcoming season.

Must Hear TV:   I'd love to talk with you about everything from your early album, "You Broke My Heart in Seventeen Places," onward -- but let's talk about the HBO show.  Has Judi Dench or Angela Merkel or any of the other real-life people you impersonate gotten back to you about your impression?

Tracey Ullman:  They both have, in a funny way.  Judi Dench really likes it.  She said it was great, and she has a great sense of humor.  So I sent her a present.  I sent a vase, because I do a whole thing where she smashes things.  She did say that “It’s been a bit tricky for her going into shops, because people think, ‘I’m watching you!’”  But she’s had a wonderful sense of humor about it.

And then I was on some BBC show, and they decided to contact the Reichstag and ask Angela Merkel what she thought.  For a TV show to do that -- it's like if your girlfriend says, “I asked, and he really likes you.”  You don’t do that!  So I was on the show, and they brought out this letter with an eagle on it.  It looked very official, from the Reichstag.  Jerry Springer presented me with a letter from the Reichstag saying, “The Chancellor is not here right now, but she would like to say to the brilliant Tracey Ullman…”  so Angela Merkel likes it.

MHTV:  Have you inspired Judi to a real-life life of crime?

TU:  I sent her a vase and a shawl, and she wrote back “I’ve already smashed it.”  She’s been really kind.  I sort of used her brilliance to do something on my show, and it’s very nice of her.

MHTV:  How did you get hooked up with Anthony Atamanuik, who does the Trump character?  How did that come about?

TU:  Well I saw him during the election, and I thought he was the best Trump.  I love Alec Baldwin, who’s amazing, but I love Anthony’s take on it.  We wanted to have Angela and Theresa May talking to Trump.  He has this set, and he’s always dressed as Trump.  He’s never not Trump at the moment!  So he was fantastic.  I’m doing more shows from London…

MHTV:  Earlier, you said three more?

TU:  Yes, I’m doing 3 more before Christmas [to be called Tracey Breaks the News.]  And I’m going to have all sorts of people talking to Trump.  We’ll put bits on his show, and bits of mine.  I love it.

MHTV:  What is this moment like for you, as someone who does this political satire, when the real politics are so insane themselves?

TU:  Really weird.  But it’s exciting.  It’s what people want to talk about.  It’s what people want to see.  Being Theresa May recently was difficult, because she’d had a terrible election.  We had a terrible, tragic fire in England, the Grenfell Tower, and she couldn’t have been having a worse time.  And yet, we filmed a piece about her and there was some empathy within it.  It just kind of worked.  And the makeup is stunning.  I had this Dutch guy who is a sculptor normally, and he does these amazing makeups on me.  But I like doing this.  I’m trying to do my own Saturday Night Live in England.  I’d like to do everybody.  It’s a great time to comment about it all.  I did sort of Melania Trump as a Russian robot, like her Westworld kind of thing.  They bring her in for a service, because she’s malfunctioning, and won’t hold Donald’s hand.  So that was in the show recently.  And that was fun.  I got a girl who looked like Melania.  I can’t look like Melania Trump, because she’s gorgeous.  But we had our little take on that.

MHTV:  How much time is there between filming in the UK and its airing on TV there?

TU:  Now we’re doing it like 48 hours, some of it.  And we’re going to do it that way with these three shows.  I like live shows.

MHTV:  What can we expect new this season?  New characters?

TU:  I’m really fascinated with Brigitte Macron.  I love Trump saying, “Your wife is so physically fit!”  I was so shocked!  But yeah, it’s the same age difference as you and Melania, right?  So that’s one thing.

MHTV:  Did I hear that we'll meet Jerry Hall?

TU:  That’s going to be in this season of the HBO show, yes.  Jerry Hall and Rupert.  Ben Miller is amazing as Rupert.  We haven’t heard from them in season 1.  That’s season 2 that will be on HBO, and goes out after Bill Maher in October.

MHTV:  What season are you in in the UK now?

TU:  I’m doing sort of a more topical show, with season 3 just starting. 

MHTV:  Do you wish that episodes could get on sooner here in the U.S.?

TU:  Maybe they will, if we’re doing a more topical show.  I’ve got people talking to me from America to get it on quicker here.

MHTV:  We need your voice right now in this political climate.

TU:  Things change.  SNL, thank God for SNL!  And Melissa McCarthy.  But things change so quickly.  Sean Spicer is gone.  It’s so immediate.  I mean, I hear Priebus has been fired, and I would have been sitting here today saying, “So you decided to go with the Mooch!”  I don’t know – some days it’s not funny, and some days, it’s like what are you going to do?!  Brexit ain’t funny!

MHTV:  Of all your characters throughout all your shows, who are your favorites?

TU:  I used to do a character years ago called Ruby Romaine.  I’m staying [in Los Angeles] at a hotel here now because I don’t live here anymore, and I’m on Romaine Street.  And I just remember being her, like an old, faded, alcoholic chainsmoker.  I used to love being her more than anything.  And they still have those kind of Hollywood ladies -- there’s very few of them, but you still see them, with cotton candy hair, and the cigarette.  She’d love Trump.  “He’s wonderful.  I gotta tell you, that guy’s gonna get it done.”

MHTV:  How did you get to be such a good observer of Americans?  That’s such an American archetype, Ruby Romaine.  You’re such a keen observer of the British that we learn from you, but how do you know the Americans so well?

TU:  When I came to America – I got married here in ’83.  I’ve lived here for 30 years now.  And I didn’t do anything for two years.  I had a baby, and I just studied America.  I didn’t come here and live here for just three weeks.  I really learned about the culture.  James L. Brooks, who I did my TV show with, used to send me to the American Museum of Broadcasting [now the Paley Center for Media] in New York, saying go there every day and learn.  And I did that for a year.  So I kind of immersed myself in the culture.  And by the time it came to do something, I think I was a participant.  I knew about everything a bit more.  I didn’t just visit.

MHTV:  When you reflect on your career, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

TU:  That I’m still working.  My next job.  That I’m still doing it, and I’ve instigated my own staff.  I know I’ve been doing it a long time, and I notice that there’s a lady [Samantha Bee] finally in the comedy/variety show category at the Emmys again.  And then someone is saying the last time anyone was in it was me, like 20 years ago.  So I guess I didn’t think about being a gal early in my career, but I do now.  I’m still doing it, and I love it. BBC is great, HBO is great, and I'm lucky.  It’s great to be given the opportunity to do it.

And then as we thanked Tracey for the interview, she turned to me with this:

"You remember my son, Buddy?  He's a great kid, but don't give him any liquor or ammunition." -- Ruby Romaine 

I charmed Tracey Ullman into taking this photo booth shot with me, by quoting a line from aged makeup artist Ruby Romaine, as she found herself on a porn set:  "I didn't need a beaver brush when I worked for Mr. Minnelli!" 

RIP Ginny Sack

Back in the summer of 2000, I landed my first freelance assignment for TV Guide: to attend an open casting call for HBO’s newest hit, The Sopranos, being held at a high school in Harrison, New Jersey.

Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic en route – because the show’s producers had vastly underestimated the size of the crowd that would show up. When thousands swarmed the town center of Harrison, and clogged the exit lanes of Interstate 280 in both directions, the town’s cops quickly shut the whole thing down.

I had to cobble together a story – but was later delighted to hear that some good did come of that day. A local New Jersey woman named Denise Borino had been selected to play Ginny Sacrimoni, the wife of Johnny, the New York crime family’s boss. For a follow-up story, I spoke to Borino in February of 2001, as she was filming her first batch of three appearances on the show. Both that day, and when I would subsequently see her at premiere parties for each Sopranos season, Borino – then working as a legal assistant in suburban Morristown-- was down-to-earth, and grateful to have the chance to live out her dream.

Sadly, Denise Borino-Quinn passed away last week of liver cancer, at the young age of 46, just seven months after the death of her husband, Luke Quinn, Jr. Here, my Q&A interview from 2001, with a quintessentially lovely, true Jersey girl.

Q: What is your background? Are you Italian-American like your character, Ginny Sack?

A: I’ve lived in Jersey all my life. I’m originally from Belleville, and then moved to Roseland. I’m 100 % Italian.

Q: How big a fan were you of The Sopranos before your audition?

A: Very big – I never missed a Sunday night. My mom and I would go downstairs, hang out, and watch it together. My whole family is totally ecstatic.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the show from some Italian-American groups. How well do you feel show and its characters reflect your own background?

A: Really not at all. That’s not what my family does. Although some of the traditions, like the Sunday dinners, that’s typical.

Q: What do you think attracts people to the show?

A: It’s filmed here in New Jersey. My friends and I look at it and say “I know where that place is. I’ve been there!” I think that’s really cool. I think on the first episode of season one, they mentioned my high school, West Essex. And I was like “Oh my God!” I love it, because it’s like, “I shop there, or I’ve been there.”

Q: Have you always had acting aspirations? What made you go to the casting call?

A: My best friend Maria Galasso made me go. She called and said, “Come on, let’s do this!” and I was hemming and hawing. She said, “Nobody else can say, ‘We tried.’” And then my boss urged me, too. She said, “Oh, go ahead. You should do this. You’re perfect for it. You should go for it.” They were the deciding factor. So I went and had some pictures redone, and off we went.

Q: But aren’t you a little young to be married to Johnny Sack? How old are you in real life?

A: I’m 37. And I say that without lying. It’s funny because Edie Falco and I are like five days apart. I have no plan to lie about my age. I have no reason to. It’s just a number.

Q: Was the open casting call what you had expected?

A: I knew there were going to be tons of people there, with open casting. We got there at 7:30 in the morning, and there were already so many. People had camped out the night before! I couldn’t imagine it. I had figured, “All right, I’ve gotta dress appropriately – flat shoes, gotta be comfortable.” I ended up meeting a lot of nice people, talking to them in line. It was a really fun day. After a while I was known as “stoop girl,” because after so long standing in line, I was parking my behind on somebody’s stoop.

Q: Were you among the lucky few who were seen in person, before the police shut down the whole casting call?

A: Actually, no. I never made it in through the doors. But then, they gave the address to mail pictures to. I mailed both my and Maria’s pictures in. I didn’t have a head shot, so I sent in two pictures – one of me holding my niece Alyssa from her Christening, and one of me and my two brothers from my brother Vincent’s wedding. I just went to CVS and had copies made. Then a month went by, and I got phone call to go into Manhattan and read for a part.

Q: What do you think the casting people saw in you?

A: I guess because I’m an outgoing little, short person, and I’m a huge fan of the show.

Q: What was your reaction when you first got the call to audition for the show?

A: When I had gotten the phone call asking me to come in for my first audition, the girl introduced herself, and I’m like “Who is this?!” She identified herself, and I started screaming, “I can’t believe this is happening!” I called my girlfriend Maria, and we were just yelling on the phone. I never thought it would go even that far.

Q: What happened after that first audition, to the time you learned you had the part?

A: It was really funny, because I had gone to the first audition, and when I came home that afternoon, there was a message that they wanted me to meet with the director and producer for a second audition. Fine, I went and did that. It was the day of my grandmother’s wake, as a matter of fact. I went to the studio, and took a friend with me who happens to be an Essex County sheriff’s detective. I went and read. The woman who went before me was literally waiting for me at the elevator, and said, “You have the part – you were really good.” Then, the day we buried my grandmother, I got the phone call. I screamed so loud that my father came running out of the bathroom thinking I was being murdered.

Q: In the work you’ve done so far on the show, have the other actors treated you like an actor, or a fan, or both?

A: I don’t even think they realized I was a fan. They just treated me like I was an equal to them. The whole cast was wonderful and warm. They immediately all came and introduced themselves to me. It really is like a family.

Q: What has been your impression of your castmates so far?

A: My very first scene was with James Gandolfini. It was totally awesome. He is just a very charismatic, intelligent, wonderful person. Edie Falco is also really a warm, down-to-earth person. I’ve seen her out of costume, and she’s not at all like Carmela. Michael Imperioli and I must have talked for like twenty minutes between scenes. Tony Sirico had me laughing – he’s definitely a character. He immediately came over to me, excused himself, and kissed me hello. Aida Turturro was really funny, introducing herself to me immediately and asking if I liked the new red shoes she bought. And the one person I really got awestruck with was Stevie Van Zandt – he’s like my favorite. I like Bruce [Springsteen], but I really like Stevie.

Q: Has appearing on The Sopranos been like you’d imagined it would be?

A: More. That first day was one of the most extraordinary days of my life. I came home and was like, “Wow, I can’t believe I was with these people, on the number one show!”

Q: Have you told anyone about your part? Your family? Are you allowed?

A: My family knows about my character, but as far as what I’ve done, I won’t discuss it, although my sister-in-law begs and pleads. [The producers] were very specific that I really can’t discuss things, period. My mother immediately wanted to go to my little hometown paper, but I can’t do anything until my first episode airs.

Q: You said Edie Falco looks different when dressed in character. How did the show dress you? Tell me about getting into character and costume.

A: I really can’t answer that. But I can say that the makeup is different, and is a lot more than I normally would wear. And I dress differently from how I’d go to work. But the nails are my own, which are long, because I do nails part time. And I have big hair. BIG hair.

Q: How do the people at work feel about your newfound fame?

A: Both partners of the small firm that I work for are totally ecstatic. They think it’s like the greatest thing in the world. It’s funny because one of the associates had a closing yesterday and he asked me, “Do you have your pictures?” I had taken photos showing Silvercup Studios, and things like that. They were all really awestruck. “This is really cool!”

Q: Forget them -- how do you feel about it?

A: I’m very nonchalant about it – I think it really hasn’t hit me yet. But [for the premiere], I’m having a party at my house. I’m inviting all my friends, my family – people who mean the most to me.

Q: What food will you serve?

A: Subs, hot wings. Knowing my mother, there will probably be a pot of gravy on. My niece Alexa gets highly insulted if there are no neck bones in the gravy. You throw it in with your meatballs, and your sausage, and your braciole. But I don’t know if I’m going to be able to actually sit there and watch myself in front of everybody. My friends already told me they’re gonna tie me to a chair and make me watch.

Q: About those friends, and family -- do they treat you differently now that you’re a star? Do you think they will later?

A: When he first found out I got the part, my brother Christopher said, “Just because you’re a star now, that doesn’t mean you can get out of making coffee on Sunday.”

Ricky Gervais on The Office?

At the HBO presentation for Ricky Gervais' new self-titled animated show at the TV Critics' Association conference, Gervais revealed that there have preliminary talks about him making some kind of appearance this season on the American version of The Office.

Speaking of that show, which Gervais of course originated back in the UK, he says that it would be a "huge mistake" for him to go back and revisit that series in its original British form, but that maybe there's a slight glimmer of hope that he might someday return to making more of HBO's Extras, which he says he believes still has "a little bit of legs to it."

The Ricky Gervais Show -- an animated version of his hugely popular series of radio podcasts debuts on HBO on February 19 at 9PM. And of course, catch Gervais as the host of The Golden Globe Awards this Sunday night, January 17 at 7PM Eastern on NBC.

Bored to Death in NYC

Last night, HBO premiered its latest comedy series, Bored to Death, with a screening of its first two episodes at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas on 23rd Street, followed by a party at the Tribeca Rooftop. In addition to the show's cast (below), the night lured such celebs and HBO stalwarts as Jason Bateman, Sofia Coppola, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Vanessa Carlton, Mary Steenburgen, comic Todd Barry and SNL's newest addition, Jenny Slate.

Before the screening, HBO President Sue Naegle set a confident tone by noting that "we have so much faith in this show that we called it 'Bored to Death,' despite how tempting that title will be for critics."

Then the show's creator and well-known author Jonathan Ames addressed the crowd. On visits to L.A. to visit his sister, he said, he would always be asked to take meetings with Hollywood networks and production companies. But he never knew why, because although the meetings would be perfectly convivial, full of discussions about favorite books and leaving him with the hilarious impression that L.A. is "incredibly literary," nothing would ever come of them.

Then came a meeting at HBO in New York, where one of the network's producers Sarah Condon asked what he was working on. The answer was a short story called "Bored to Death," in which a hard-drinking and drugging author and freelance journalist, named Jonathan Ames, decides to moonlight as an unlicensed private eye. "I told her I thought it would make a great movie," Ames admitted last night. "Then I remembered where I was, and said, '...or TV series."

The results of that meeting were on the big screen at the Clearview, with the incredibly likable Jason Schwartzman playing Ames' amiable small screen alter-ego, Zach Galifianakis as his bearded slacker artist friend, and Ted Danson as his pot-addicted, id-driven employer at a New York-like magazine.

While watching the pilot episode, I was struck by how different the show starts out from HBO's other recent comedy launch, Hung. I had felt the Hung pilot started out way too slow, taking forever to launch its hero into the escort business because it wanted to make sure to convince us how desperate he was, by serving up blow after blow to his financial and emotional security. Bored to Death takes the opposite tack. Jonathan gets dumped by his girlfriend, who does mention that he should be more of a man of action. He loves Raymond Chandler novels. Boom! Before you know it, he places an ad on Craigslist advertising himself as a private eye. No explanation given.

If you're willing to buy this, however -- and to be fair, maybe we'll get more back story or motivation in episodes to come -- stick with Bored to Death after the pilot. Hung got better and better after that first episode, finally freeing Ray to see clients and have hilarious complications ensue. Rome, too, took 3 or 4 episodes to get juicy after being front-loaded with setup; I have a few friends who quit that show too early, and now regret it. And The Comeback got really good only at the end of its first and -- unfortunately, because by then the show had alienated too many -- only season. More than with broadcast TV, where if a pilot sucks the show may forever suck too, it seems that HBO has a pattern: stick with the show at least through its 3rd or 4th week. You'll usually be rewarded.

Indeed, Episode 2 of Bored to Death is fantastic. Kristen Wiig shows up as Jonathan's client, with the wavy hair and vintage dress of a film noir femme fatale, but the hilarious neuroses and comic delivery that are by now Wiig's trademark. Her story -- and Danson's too, allow for Schwartzman, in his character's puppy-dog dorkiness, to have some really fun comedic and even slapstick moments. And Galifianakis provides, as you would expect, some great sidekick comic relief.

Bored to Death is HBO's broadest comedy in years, and is a refreshing surprise. I heard from some normally tough media critics -- albeit, yes, a lot of women with crushes on Schwartzman -- that the series only gets better through at least the 5 or 6 episodes they've already seen in advance. So check it out, Sunday, September 20 -- up against the Emmys, unfortunately -- at 9:30. It's inheriting the second half of True Blood's time slot, so all you have to do is continue your HBO habit.

Long Live the Queen!

This past Saturday night, just as HBO was unspooling her hilarious new comedy special Long Live the Queen, the self-proclaimed "lovable Queen of Mean" Lisa Lampanelli (in truth one of the nicest people in showbiz) was hosting a premiere party of her own, filled with friends and family, at New York's Friars' Club.

Frank and I were so happy to be invited to watch the special live, along with Lisa's mother, father, equally loud and funny sister Nancy, her brother and assorted other Lampanellii and Lampanelliites.

The special -- taped before a live audience in December in Santa Rosa, CA -- airs again on HBO on Feb. 3, 6, 9, 12, 16 and 18.

Click here to check HBO's web site for more info on Lisa and the special, as well as watch an outrageous clip.

The "Bad Road" Not Taken

A few months back, I had the chance to see all six existing episodes of the comedy 12 Miles of Bad Road, which HBO had originally picked up, to much fanfare, and then mysteriously cancelled in mid production.

The series was created by now-legendary Designing Women scribe Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, and had a first-rate cast.  Lily Tomlin.   Mary Kay Place.  Leslie Jordan.  Gary Cole.  And so many other fabulous actors you may not yet know by name, like Katherine LaNasa, Leigh-Allyn Baker (from Will & Grace), Eliza Coupe (now on Scrubs), Kim Dickens, Tara Karsian and Ilana Milicevic.

But more important than its amazing pedigree, 12 Miles of Bad Road was simply just a fun, funny show.  With the timing of its production, it seems to have been at least partially a victim of the writers' strike of 2007-08.  But HBO's cancellation of a series in mid-production is exceedingly rare.  Remember, they even let that turkey John From Cincinnati hit the airwaves.

It's a mystery why the network never let 12 Miles find the fans -- like the Designing Women devotees and Lily Tomlin adorers -- who were waiting for it.  Here's the best I can do:  a trailer for the never-to-be show (unless HBO relinquishes it to another network, I hope, I hope!):

President Obama in the Dollhouse?

Yes, I knew Obama was about to move into a new house, but the Dollhouse? ...  

Let me explain.  Today at TCA, Fox presented a panel of the producers and stars of Dollhouse, Joss Whedon's highly anticipated series about a unit of "dolls," men and women whose memories and identies are hollowed out, only to be refilled anew each week to go on a mission or fulfill a fantasy.

(The show had worried fans by going back to the drawing board recently; Whedon, who appeared on live link from Boston, says that the original pilot was not a true example of what the show would ultimately be.)

On the panel was lead actress Eliza Dushku, as well as her co-stars Tahmoh Penikett, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman, and Harry Lennix.

You may recognize Lennix from his recurring role as a very Obama-like president on HBO's hilarious comedy Little Britain, USA.  I asked him if it might be odd, now that the HBO comedy has been renewed for a second season, to be simultaneously filming a comedic role as a hopefully noble president, and a more mysterious role on Whedon's new drama.  The answer:  he hadn't yet heard about Little Britain's renewal, but called the show's stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams "geniuses" and said he hopes that in their show's upcoming season, his U.S. president will get a second term.

Dollhouse

premieres on Fox

Friday, February 13, 2009

9 PM Eastern

"Son, do you like to watch gladiator movies?"

Today at the TCA, Starz announces a new drama series Spartacus, from film producer Sam Raimi and his team, to premiere in the fall of 2009. According to producer Rob Tapert and producer/writer Steven S. DeKnight,  it will be heavily visual, with lots of green-screen action and effects.  "We're a green-screen show.  We'll never go outside.  We're not building Rome, outside of a 3-D model," Tapert says, in comparison to HBO's excellent but middling-rated series Rome.

DeKnight explained that the idea to the show came to him when he noticed the lack of "hard R" type of drama series on cable TV.  And so Spartacus, the story of a slave leading a rebellion in ancient Rome, will bring you the tough stuff.  In fact, the producers explain, the first draft of the show's pilot is "right now more NC-17, but we're going to tone it down slightly."

The TV version of Spartacus will, in merely its first season, cover story terrain that the famous film depicted in a mere 5 minutes.  With the luxury of season after season of storytelling, the producers explain, their show will be able to go into much more depth and background story.  And, it will be even more violent and sexual -- for example, delving into the gay subject matter,  a la the infamous "oysters/snails" gay scene between Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas which was cut from the original film, is not out of the question.  "There will definitely be gay characters on the show, and relationships," DeKnight promises.

"This was a brutal time in history, and the Roman society was taught not to shy away from blood and violence.  These gladiator fights could be incredibly brutal, guys going at each other with swords and tridents and various weapons," the writer continues.  "We're not shying away from that element, but embracing it.  But we're not going for a horror movie mentality."

And as far as sexuality, "the times [had] a completely different feel.  It was completely acceptable for a man to have sex with his slaves, the female and sometimes the male slaves.  It was somewhat trickier for a woman.  But as far as sexuality, we're trying to put it on screen not just because we can, but because of story.  If the story leads us to an extremely violent or sexual moment, we want to be able to show it."

And attention, well-built actors out there:  the producers are still searching for their Spartacus, the next Kirk Douglas.   "We are actively looking.  We have casting directors everywhere, and we're right smack in the middle of that," Tapert says.  And the search will take the world over.  "We want someone who is an undiscovered action star -- the Viggos, the Daniel Craigs, the Russell Crowes.  There aren't too many who are midwestern American boys, but we'll take 'em where we find 'em."

They'll have to find 'im soon -- production of Spartacus begins in New Zealand in March, 2009.

Rob Thomas is a busy boy

In 1998, Rob Thomas created ABC's beloved drama Cupid, starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, which was cancelled after merely one season.  In perhaps a first for network television, Thomas is getting a do-over over a decade later, with a new version of Cupid, this time starring Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson, to debut, again on ABC, this spring.

In between Cupids, Thomas developed a following as a writer as the creator and executive producer of Veronica Mars, and as the creator of the current incarnation of 90210.  Now, Thomas is about to be even busier, having not only Cupid and 90210 on the air, but also Starz' new comedy series Party Down.  (The show, Thomas says, was originally developed 5 years ago for HBO, to star Paul Rudd, who is now one of this version's executive producers.)

Party Down follows a team of Los Angeles cater-waiters -- a sextet of dreamers and wannabes -- stuck working for tips while hoping for their "big break."

Having opted out of "normal" lives of traditional jobs and nuclear families, our crew of misfits -- with the exception of the ruefully jaded Henry -- pass the days assuming that their time in catering is just a brief place-holder before success inevitably transforms them from unremarkable unknowns in to "Somebodies."

Each episode of this half-hour comedy finds our hapless team working a new event -- from sweet sixteen affairs to gay weddings to mobster acquittal parties to porn awards -- where they inevitably get tangled up with the colorful guests and the absurd dramas of their lives.

Party Down is, ultimately, a comedy about waiting.

About the misadventures you endure while waiting on others.  And about the life you lead while waiting for your real one to start.

But the most important reason to watch Party Down is the amazing cast Thomas has assembled.  Thomas has been a fan of Lizzy Caplan -- from CBS' underrated and prematurely cancelled comedy The Class and most recently from HBO's True Blood -- since her days on Freaks and Geeks.  Ken Marino, from MTV's comedy troupe The State and most recently as a gay demon on the CW's Reaper, worked with Thomas on Veronica Mars.  Thomas has known Adam Scott -- most recently seen on HBO's Tell Me You Love Me -- since their days both living in Texas.  And most impressively, also after having worked with her on Mars, the creator has secured the services of the amazing, Out actress Jane Lynch, a legend from, among other films, The L Word and the Christopher Guest-directed comedies like Best In Show.

Party Down premieres

Friday, March 20, 2009

10:30 Eastern

HBO's In Treatment: Appointments now available only 2 nights per week

Breaking News:  In her introduction to the panel (just executive producers Stephen Levinson and Warren Leight) of HBO's half-hour series In Treatment, which has been renewed for a second season, network president Sue Naegle announced that the show's season 1, Monday-to-Friday 5x per week air schedule "proved to be challenging for people... It was such an unusual pattern, it was hard for people to get into it 5 nights a week."

"People really watched [episodes] stacked," Naegle continued.  "A marathon on the weekend or lots at a time."  And so, the network has changed its strategy for In Treatment -- "a show we really believe in," Naegle added.  Because "Sunday is our big night of programming," HBO will now give us a double-dose of Gabriel Byrne as Dr. Paul Weston on Sundays, followed by 3 more episodes to air on Monday.

5 nights a week was "a tough schedule if your name's not Jay Leno," Naegle joked in her introduction.   Regarding the change, "we want to let people dig in and watch more than one at a time, and to make it easier to [follow] the show."

The first season of In Treatment earned five nominations for this Sunday night's Golden Globes ceremony -- more than any other show on television.  Hopefully, star Gabriel Byrne is home resting up for the big night; he was, after Patrick Swayze, the second big, disappointing no-show of the day here at the TCA (Naegle announced that the New York-based star is battling the flu.)

PS -- Leight reveals that if you need to catch up on your Treatment before the Season 2 premiere in April , Season 1 will be again available via HBO On Demand starting in February.

Breaking News: Curb Your Enthusiasm to return!

For Jay, who called into my Must Hear TV segment on The Frank DeCaro Show this afternoon, asking about the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm: news hot off the Variety press says that Curb is slated to go back into production in December, to make 10 episodes which will air in 2009.
Click here for the story.

Just a Late-Occurring Thought About This Week's True Blood

In case you haven't seen this past Sunday's episode (10/5) of HBO's True Blood ...

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

Okay then. I know Bill was so hungry on his return home from battle that he and all his senses were concentrated on the yummy eggs and toast that the "widow" was cooking up on the hearth.

But didn't he at any point smell the three or four rotting corpses up in the loft? That must have been a pretty overwhelming stench.

Just wondering.



Oh, by the way, I just want to go on the record and say: I'm pretty sure I've figured out who the killer is (and no, I've never read any of the Sookie Stackhouse books. But if you think about the last few episodes, it's actually quite obvious!)

And did anybody notice the guest spot by William Schallert -- i.e., Patty Duke Show dad Martin Lane -- as the mayor of Bon Temps?! It's a long way (and it's been more than 4 decades) between Brooklyn Heights and Louisiana!

A Good Week for Television, the Worst Week for Pants

Only two weeks into the official new season, and TV has already gone right into the toilet -- literally.

On Sunday's installment of AMC's Mad Men (titled "Six Month Leave"), Joel Murray's Freddy Rumsen, known to like to take more than just a little nip during office hours, got a little too...er... "relaxed" and made a puddle in his pants. The 1962 solution to having an alcoholic running one of your crucial accounts? Offer him six months off, paid, to dry out. I found it fascinating that, whereas those deviating from the "ideals" of race and sexuality apparently deserve no respect in the Camelot Era, Peggy and Don both make it quite clear that Freddy's problem is no laughing matter.




Not to be outdone, on the very same night that Freddy was letting loose on Madison Avenue, an unlucky Louisiana cop met the same fate on HBO's True Blood. In an episode entitled "Escape From Dragon House," the offending officer stops Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) on their drive back from vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport, only to end up being "glamored" by Bill into surrendering his gun. Then, as our fave mixed living/undead couple drives off for home, we see just how badly Bill has quite literally scared the piss out of him.



And then there's the matter of True Blood's Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), Sookie's nymphomaniacal brother. After nervously downing an entire vial of "V Juice" -- aka vampire blood -- rather than the recommended two drops, Jason develops a painful penile priapism that puts pressure on his poor pants.

And lastly, there's CBS' Worst Week. As much as I loved the pilot of this show -- and want to continue to support it as a new network comedy -- I was dismayed to see the moment in this clip, from the show's second episode, "The Bird." When Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) manages to recapture his soon-to-be father-in-law's beloved pet finch (after already having accidentally killed its mate), he doesn't do the logical thing, and make himself out to be a hero. Instead, he hides the poor creature in his pants pocket, only to have it mistaken for a bulging boner when he encounters his sis-in-law-to-be in mid breast-feed. And then, going for the laugh, Worst Week has Sam smack down the bird in his pocket, killing the poor thing.

I found it so hard to watch, if it hadn't been for my partner Frank shooing me away so he could watch Fox's Fringe in the next room, I would have given up on Worst Week right there. But since I adore the show's cast and think its writing is mostly clever, I will give Worst Week a third try next week. Just remember, CBS -- there's nothing funny about animal cruelty.

Desecration of one's pants, however -- now that's a totally different story.

And Now, a Word From...

Steve Dildarian
Creator/Executive Producer/Actor, HBO's The Life and Times of Tim

The first thing I noticed about Steve Dildarian is how modest he is. After all, the guy just landed the Holy Grail gig of television: his own half-hour series on HBO! Dildarian comes from an advertising background, having conceived, written and produced quite a few innovative Super Bowl spots for Budweiser. Now, his newest TV creation, The Life & Times of Tim, debuts this Sunday at 11 PM on the premium cable network.

On the night of the show’s debut at the New York Television Festival last week, I sat down for a one-on-one talk with TV’s newest animation impresario. He’s a man who could end up being the next Seth MacFarlane – in fact, before HBO came into the picture, Tim was first developed to accompany MacFarlane’s Sunday night lineup on Fox – but he reminds me much more of a young Ray Romano.

Dildarian voices the lead character of Tim himself, and so as I then sat down with the preview DVD HBO provided of the show’s first three (hilarious) episodes, I thought back to something the show’s publicist had said: it’s funny to realize that I have met the real man behind a voice which will undoubtedly soon be famous.


Must-Hear TV: How did Tim come about? When you were working in advertising, were you itching all that time to get into animation?

Steve Dildarian: No, actually -- I couldn’t have had less to do with animation. I worked in advertising for 12 years, in New York at BBDO and Cliff Freeman and Partners, and then I moved out to San Francisco to work for Goodby, Silverstein and Partners. And a lot of little opportunities came up that eventually led to the Tim short. I was lucky enough to work on Budweiser which gives you opportunities to do a lot of different things that are not commercials per se but just entertainment. A lot of what they do is just fun character development. So it was kind of a perfect scenario, if you have TV In the back of your head, to work on Budweiser. You’re really doing the same thing in a lot of ways. So we did some animated things for their website.


MHTV: Like the famous Super Bowl commercial with the Budweiser frogs?

SD: I wouldn’t even consider that animation, even though it’s animatronics. But that gave me half the experience I needed to learn about creating voice tracks. It was all very improv driven, and I learned over a good four to five year period how to work on that and let it be disciplined and quick, and hit the beats of the joke, but still be loose. And then we did some other projects, like the “Budweiser rejected ads” and a few things that never saw the air, and I did a voice for a donkey commercial that I wrote for the Super Bowl. So you put all these things together and suddenly, although I started out as a guy who just wrote TV commercials, then I was also a guy who can draw, and who can do voice-overs, and to do animation. It gave me the three things you need.


MHTV: In addition to being a writer, were you always a visual artist as well?

SD: Before [the time I was developing Tim], I had never drawn in my whole life or done anything visual. I just wrote. But I think it was simmering in the back of my head. My dad was a painter, so maybe it’s in the blood a little bit. And I started doing oil paintings painting myself about seven years ago. It slowly built up to be a pretty big part of my life, and I began selling [my work] in different stores in San Francisco. For the first time ever, I took things I created visually somewhat seriously even if they were silly and naïve and ridiculous. And that is what really led to this show. This is all based on my original drawings even though I don’t draw it anymore. Advertising and painting and all these little things I picked up along the way added up to a whole new career, I guess you could say.


MHTV: Where did the idea for The Life & Times of Tim come from?

SD: I had the idea for a short film that seemed funny: you get caught with a hooker and how do you explain your way out of it? That’s what this is all based on, and the version of that story you’ll see in the pilot was reinvented. The original film didn’t have the family -- just the girlfriend busting in, and it was half the length.


MHTV: That wasn’t based on any personal experience, I hope!

SD: (laughing) No, hopefully not! That’s the first question everyone asks. All the stories in this show, people ask if that happened to me. So, I wrote the short, and I was going to shoot it live action to be honest, but I couldn’t figure that out. So then started animating it [instead], and learned the hard way really, in iMovie.


MHTV: Backing up, you’d worked in advertising, creating 30-second spots. What made you want to invest your time into writing a “short,” which for you would be a longer form?

SD: I don’t know if it was even a conscious decision. I had doing advertising for a while and doing fairly well at it. At some point, you’ve had a bunch of Super Bowl commercials on, and when you’ve done something like the [Budweiser spot with the] lizards, it’s hard to top that in popularity. In some ways, I felt like I’d kind of done it. I’d gotten into a little bit of a rut. So I started looking to new things to challenge myself, and the short film was one of probably five things I was doing at the time. And this one just happened to gain more momentum.


MHTV: How did the short film morph into something for TV?

SD: We made this short and submitted it to festivals, and won best animated short at the comedy festival in Aspen in 2006. I was simultaneously making short film #2 and #3, and writing what became a draft of a pilot script with the same characters, just to see where it could possibly go. And, getting an agent at Endeavor, who hit the ground running the first time he saw it. He said, “This is going to be a TV show, I promise you,” just from seeing the first short. He said it was perfect, totally of the moment and what people want now, and fresh and original. Then, we sold it to Fox, and spent a whole year making it for them. But it didn’t work out in the end.


MHTV: How far did the process get? Did Fox have you make the pilot, only to decide not to pick up the show when they announced their fall schedule at their upfront that May?

SD: Exactly. Fox liked it quite a bit from what I know, and everyone was happy. But it’s hard to take a project like this and visualize it coming on after Family Guy. It’s just a whole different vibe, and I almost don’t blame them for in the end saying, “It’s not us.”


MHTV: But HBO is not exactly known for animation. So how did Tim then end up there?

SD: It’s amazing. I didn’t think it would ever end up there for whatever reason. But as soon as I talked to HBO and heard why they liked it and what they wanted to do with it, it was just a fundamentally different approach to how they wanted to develop it. Everyone at the networks had said, “Here’s what we have to change. Here’s what is wrong with that that can’t be a TV show.” And HBO said almost nothing along those lines. They just said, “It’s great. We loved it. Go back to where you started and make more of those.” It was total purity of vision and voice, and that’s what I think has built their network as far as I can tell. They really respect the creator’s voice for the show.


MHTV: How long does Tim’s production process take?

SD: It depends on how you stagger the production. If you’re just making one of them, you can do it in about a month or so. You write it, and once you have a script the illustrators can crank out all the background and character drawings in less than a week. Part of that is because of the simplicity of the animation, and part of it is also the way we edit it. If you have a scene that can go for three minutes and have a bunch of different shots and different animations within that, it’s usually based on one drawing. How long can that ever take? A few hours? The artists draw straight into Photoshop. And the shots are wide and mediums and close-ups, and you edit it the way you would edit a film or live action.


MHTV: What is it like doing double duty, doing the voice of Tim?

SD: The voice part is actually the most fun. Just spending two days where we’re just goofing around, because it’s really not a structured, disciplined thing. We’re all together in one room, because that’s the heart and soul of the style. We improv a lot, and for any given scene we might do a dozen takes, where each one is very different. We give the actors a lot of freedom to make it their own.


MHTV: Who are the other actors on the show?

SD: It was great because half of the regulars are just my friends from San Francisco who really don’t do this for a living. Especially MJ, who plays Tim’s girlfriend Amy. She’s never done a voice-over in her life. She’s just a friend where I said, “Hop in and read it,” and she just so happened to nail it. She does have a natural confidence and ease behind a microphone which a lot of people don’t have. And she went in to test at Fox, HBO, everywhere – and no one’s ever even hinted at recasting. Fox did make me recast other characters a good amount, so we undid a little of that when we went to HBO.

We’ve supplemented that with a lot of great people from LA. Now it’s a great combination of friends goofing off, and some really talented stand-ups from LA. Nick Kroll has been a big part of the show, playing Stu. And Peter Giles is playing the boss, and he’s put whole different spin on it. We made the character black, kind of based on his performance, and it just turned into something it never was on paper. Then we have people like Jamie Denbo, Lizzie Caplan, Eddie Pepitone – people who are fantastic but I would never have thought of. And we’ve gotten some big names [as guest stars.] Bob Saget, Jeff Garlin, Cheri Oteri.


MHTV: What have you learned so far as writer and actor from your experience doing Tim?

SD: The big thing I think I’ve learned so far is how to give freedom to the actors. A lot of writers get an idea in their head and they try to force it upon actors. And I think you have to steer the ship as a writer or director, but in the end, it’s the actors who are the characters. It has to be made their own. If you don’t give them the freedom to make it their own, you’re not creating something that will come across as real. So in the best cases, I’ve learned to let the actor in some cases rethink the entire character. The Stu character, and same with the boss – those two actors took their characters somewhere different, and I ran with it. Hey, if it works it works, and you’re making it funnier than it was. There’s no place for ego in that case. Good ideas can come from anywhere.



The Life and Times of Tim
Series Premiere
Sunday, September 28
11 PM Eastern
HBO

Welcome to Little Britain, USA

Welcome to Little Britain!

This Sunday night, September 28, HBO premieres Little Britain USA, an American version of Matt Lucas and David Walliams' monster hit from across the pond.

From its airings on BBC America, the show has garnered a devoted cult audience of fans in the US as well -- many of them celebs admiring the show's uniquely British combination of high wit and lowball, often scatological humor. (And of course, its trademark drag -- which, Walliams has explained, was never intended as a joke in and of itself, but merely a way for him and Lucas to portray a fuller range of the citizenry.)

In a preview video on HBO's web site for the show, Rosie O'Donnell recounts how her agent called to tell her she'd received for Rosie a script to appear in a really rude sketch about a weight loss group, where the leader would pick on her for being fat and be disgusted for her lesbianism. Luckily, Rosie recognized her agent's description of Marjorie Dawes and her vicious leadership of the "Fat Fighters." "Is it Little Britain?!" Rosie recalls asking excitedly.

"Rosie was fantastic, because obviously there are some pretty outrageous things in there, and she didn't ask us to change a word. So that just showed what a brilliant sport she was," Walliams recalled as the two men appeared at a July appearance in front of the TV critics' convention in Beverly Hills. And so, Rosie appears in a hilarious sketch in this first of hopefully many seasons of Little Britain USA; she's joined in other episodes by both British and Yank celebs, like Sting, Paul Rudd and Robert Vaughn, who as fans begged to be included on screen this time around, and David Schwimmer, who signed on to direct many of the new show's segments.

"There's a lot of cruelty in the show," Walliams added. And of course, that's what makes it so brilliant! The duo haven't pulled their punches for America, if Marjorie's assessment of Rosie is any indication.

"The material is all new," Lucas explained. "So if you have already seen the show, you can sort of approach it as Series 4. But if you haven't, which is what we imagine it will be [because] the majority of our audience here will be new, this is very much Series 1."

And so, Marjorie is joined once again by many of the show's other beloved and equally biting characters, like incomprehensible and attitudinal teen Vicky Pollard (now in boot camp in Utah); bitchy and obese Bubbles deVere; unconvincing cross-dresser Emily Howard; self-repressing gay Daffyd Thomas; and supposedly wheelchair-bound Lou and his caretaker Andy, now on holiday in Mississippi. Add to all that new characters, like homoerotic bodybuilders Mark and Tom and, in a change inspired by the Larry Craig scandal, a sexually shamed senator (a revision of Little Britain's similarly apologetic MP) -- and you have what Lucas and Walliams hope will be something uniquely American.

To get their impressions of us down perfectly, the two traveled around the U.S., and saw more of its weirdness than probably have most Americans. They shot sketches on both the East Coast and in California. They went to Dolly's Dixie Stampede in Branson, Missouri, and marveled at a sign in town that read "Welcome to Christian Country." ("We don't have anything like that in England," said Walliams.) And at a rifle range in Wilmington, North Carolina, they met a sheriff who so enjoyed handling his guns that he inspired a new character, who literally gets turned on by the release of his firearm.

Now, as the show gets set to debute here (it will air also in the UK), Lucas and Walliams have returned to their native England -- for now. "We're bi," Lucas answered cheekily when asked in which country the two plan to be spending their time in the foreseeable future. "We seem to be about half the year in the States and half in Britain, which kind of suits us really."

"Obviously it was really great to spend as much time to... get inspiration... because we wanted to do some American characters in the show. We wanted to refresh it, even just for ourselves creatively," Walliams chimed in. Then, in a comedically pointed note to HBO president Sue Naegle, he added, "We're obviously hoping if we get picked up for a second season -- please -- then we'll be spending more time here."


Little Britain USA
Series Premiere
Sunday, September 28
10:30 PM Eastern
HBO

Entourage Returns

This coming Sunday, September 7, Lloyd, everyone's favorite beleagured assistant, is back. And of course, so are Ari Gold, his abusive agent boss, and star client Vincent Chase and the rest of his Entourage.

Frank and I were lucky enough to attend the show's Season 5 Premiere here in New York last night, witnessing the flash bulbs of the red carpet outside midtown's Ziegfeld theater and the screams of fans behind barricades calling out for series star Adrian Grenier as he stepped out of his limo.

Inside, the list of stars included not just Entourage's now-famous cast and always famous crew -- the show was inspired, and is partly produced, after all, by Mark Wahlberg -- but also some of our fave actors from other HBO hits. From Oz, there was Chuck Zito and Lee Tergesen, who also just finished a run on the network's Generation Kill. From The Sopranos, there were Aida Turturro -- looking fresh and tan from a summer spent out in Montauk, she told us -- an all-grown-up Robert Iler, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who we know will appear as herself on Entourage this season.

And if the first two episodes are any indication, what a season it will be. The premiere installment smartly starts out with a recap of last season, courtesy of film critic Richard Roeper savaging Vincent Chase's flop film Medellin; after all, that film-within-a-show's disastrous debut was -- can you believe it -- just over a year ago! Now, Vince and Turtle are holed up in a secluded spot in Mexico -- of course, with beautiful girls -- hiding from the world and its critics. Eric has founded The Murphy Group, and has even picked up a couple of other clients. And Johnny Drama is still with Jacqueline, his conquest from Cannes; but tout non va bien.

Like with the Roeper cameo, Entourage seems to have included even more real-world elements this season. (We've already read about NBC President Ben Silverman filming an appearance, and look in episode 1 for real-life Endeavor agent Richard Weitz as one of Ari's minions.) Later, at HBO's after-party at the Chelsea nightclub Mansion, Frank and I talked with Carla Gugino, who looked gorgeous in a jewel-toned green dress and who is back as agent Amanda, and Constance Zimmer, who revealed that her character, studio executive Dana Gordon, will be back "with a bang" in episode 7. "It's so hard to wait that long!" Constance told me. "I beg [showrunner] Doug [Ellin] to put me in earlier. Of course, that's a nice problem to have!"

Constance also said that she and Carla had just been talking about how they, in their 30s, seem to represent "the mature woman" on a show like Entourage. That's because, of course, all the young female conquests the show is famous for are back -- like Gossip Girl's red-hot Leighton Meester, who was also there last night, as Vince's new gal, pop star Justine Chapin.

As we downed mini-burgers and really good margaritas, we bumped into some other celebs who were apparently there to worship as fans: David Feige, the inspiration for and co-writer of TNT's new hit Raising The Bar; Julie Rottenberg, a writer from Sex and the City; and Xanadu's Broadway stars Cheyenne Jackson, Kerry Butler, Annie Golden and Whoopi Goldberg.

But my favorite encounter last night was with Lloyd himself, aka Rex Lee. I first met Rex a few years ago, and he contributed to my book, The Q Guide to The Golden Girls. I was happy to see in last night's episodes that not only has Rex's name been added to Entourage's opening credits, but it is in place of the word "Roxy" on that Sunset Strip nightclub's iconic marquee. How does that feel?, I asked him as I squeezed in for a hug and the above picture. "It feels great," Rex was able to say -- before being pressed into more photos with partiers, all of them wanting their own little piece of Lloyd.


Entourage
Season 5 Premiere
Sunday, September 7
10 PM Eastern
HBO