Tag: HBO
On the Boardwalk
Terence Winter recalls the origins of Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire and explains how he created the characters and conflict that would carry the show through five seasons on HBO.
There will be blood
Violence and sex have become common features of TV drama – but are these often graphic depictions key to the success of a show?
Lindelof joins Drama Summit West line-up
Damon Lindelof, the prolific showrunner, producer and film screenwriter behind cult series The Leftovers and Lost, is the latest high-profile speaker to join the line-up at Drama Summit West, which takes place in LA on May 19.
End Game
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss discussed on-set disasters, character deaths, celeb cameos and plans for life after the fantasy series during a keynote chat in Austin.
Kings of the wild frontier
Period dramas are never far from our screens, but they currently appear to be more popular and diverse than ever. Stephen Arnell examines the current trend for costume series.
Westworld and The Crown head Golden Globe noms
The nominations for the 2017 Golden Globes Awards were unveiled this week. As always, Game of Thrones will be the TV show to beat, but there are some strong contenders…
Drama behind bars
As Prison Break returns to television after an eight-year absence to bolster the line-up of jail-set dramas on air, DQ explores why viewers love to lock themselves up with convicts.
Stranger than fiction?
As Donald Trump prepares to move into the White House, Stephen Arnell questions the future of political dramas under the new president.
Classic sci-fi novels – TV’s new frontier
News that Robert Heinlein’s iconic book Stranger in a Strange Land is to be adapted for TV signals a growing interest in the potential for adapting classic science-fiction novels.
Scripted series battle to get noticed
It’s increasingly tough for dramas to gain attention – even if they are great shows. Slow starts for Humans and The Young Pope mean word of mouth and catch-up viewing will be important. Also, finalists for the C21 Drama Awards have been revealed.
Tackling the darkest subjects
Writing about real-life topics always demands accuracy and compassion. But in the case of child-killing stories, it’s also important to have a genuine justification for telling the story. Andy Fry reports.
Amazon, BBC, HBO spend big on scripted
There’s no evidence of drama investment slowing down, with some of the industry’s heavy-hitters betting big on writing and production talent. However, shared risk seems to be the order of the day…
Grisham gets the TV treatment
With legal dramas still in demand, there are reports this week of a new series based on a classic John Grisham novel. Also, plenty of shows are going into development at the big four US networks.
Lethal Weapon, Westworld start strongly
As content buyers and sellers head for Mipcom, Fox will be pleased with the performance of its movie reboot Lethal Weapon, while HBO’s Westworld and FX’s American Horror Story also shine.
Israeli and Icelandic formats crack US
There’s evidence that US networks are still on the hunt for international formats this week following HBO and NBC pickups. Meanwhile, European historical coproductions also continue to attract investment.
HBO civil rights drama gets writer
A high-profile drama about the death of Emmett Till is to be written by rising star Steven Caple Jr. Meanwhile, BBC3 is gearing up for the latest Doctor Who spin-off, Class, scripted by Patrick Ness.
The bumpy road to success: Drama’s most troubled productions
With HBO preparing to debut the much-anticipated Westworld, Stephen Arnell finds that, despite its troubled production history, the show looks certain to be the cable channel’s latest hit.
Game of Thrones and OJ dominate Emmys
HBO, FX and Netflix were the big writing winners at this year’s Emmys, sparking interesting discussions about the future of Game of Thrones and the issue of diversity
Gilligan brings cult following to HBO
Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan is writing a miniseries about the Jonestown massacre for HBO. There’s also news this week of a boy-band drama from Dick Wolf – involving ex-One Direction pop star Zayn Malik.
The Last Ship extends tour of duty
US cable network TNT has greenlit a fifth season of hit series The Last Ship before season four hits the air. Elsewhere, there is news of a new Nordic noir series and a macabre Aussie thriller.