The HBO Original Programming Thread

[falafel]

I'm slowly working my way through Lovecraft Country, but not because the show is slow. I finished the third episode last night, and they already included enough story and action to fill an entire season in those three episodes. Episode 3 felt like a sharp left turn in the story line, with it only really tying back in in the last few minutes. Still really enjoying it, although last night's was the weakest of the 3 episodes I've watched so far.

Spoiler for Gore:

The gore in this show has been pretty impressive. The scene with the elevator decapitation and the blood pumping out of the neck right towards the camera was something else.

[Non Sequitur]

Just read where Conan O'Brien is ending his run as a late night host and is going to host a weekly variety series on HBO Max.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/media...max/index.html

Conan had this to say:

In 1993, Johnny Carson gave me the best advice of my career: 'As soon as possible, get to a streaming platform'

[Sullyute]

The HBO Original Programming Thread

Just read where Conan O'Brien is ending his run as a late night host and is going to host a weekly variety series on HBO Max.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/media...max/index.html

Conan had this to say:

I think that Conan is like David Letterman, always playing second late-night fiddle and kinda odd personality wise, but as they hit the tail end of their careers, people start to realize their comedic genius.

[Bo Diddley]

I think that Conan is like David Letterman, always playing second late-night fiddle and kinda odd personality wise, but as they hit the tail end of their careers, people start to realize their comedic genius.

I was a Letterman fan from the beginning.

[Commando]

I think that Conan is like David Letterman, always playing second late-night fiddle and kinda odd personality wise, but as they hit the tail end of their careers, people start to realize their comedic genius.

I've always been Conan First as far as late-night goes. His show was so great with Robert Smigel and co. writing. His Conan Without Borders series and his podcast are fantastic. Most definitely the brightest late night host ever.

[Non Sequitur]

I've always been Conan First as far as late-night goes. His show was so great with Robert Smigel and co. writing. His Conan Without Borders series and his podcast are fantastic. Most definitely the brightest late night host ever.

His podcast is easily in my top five.

[Northwestcoug]

His podcast is easily in my top five.

Completely agree. I'll listen to him interview someone I'm not even aware of and still enjoy it.

[UVACoug]

There's a great new HBO Max series (only available on Max, unfortunately) called The Flight Attendant. It's a dark comedy and really funny. Don't want to spoil too much, but the basic premise revolves around a flight attendant who hooks up with a passenger in Thailand, gets black out drunk ... and things get messy (more explanation in the spoilers below). Well acted and well written. Serious at times, but mostly funny. Highly recommend if you have access to Max. I read that a deal with Roku is almost complete, so hopefully it will be more widely available soon.

Spoiler for Mild Spoilers for Premiere:

She wakes up the next day to find the guys throat slit and no memory of how it happened. The rest of the series (3 episodes are out so far) is about her avoiding getting arrested by the FBI and trying to figure out what happened.

[LiveCoug]

The new Wonder Woman movie will be available for no additional charge on HBO Max on christmas..

I'll go ahead and get a month just for that purpose.

[Katy Lied]

I will make sure to miss the new WW, but other than that, it's my favorite streamer right now. Check out The Undoing, which just wrapped up its final episode, so you can binge it. (And you will want to binge it). It also streamed Perry Mason earlier in the year, which I also really loved.

[UVACoug]

I May Destroy You - Saw this one at or near the top of several end of the year "Best Of" lists from critics I like. Decided to check it out and it's great. It's a co-production between HBO and the BBC and is set (mainly) in London. The lead actress (Michaela Coel) is also the creator and writer of the show. She's excellent. Here's a basic plot description from Wikipedia that doesn't give too much away:

Arabella (Michaela Coel) is a Twitter-star-turned-novelist who found fame with her debut book Chronicles of a Fed-Up Millennial and is publicly celebrated as a Millennial icon. While struggling to meet a deadline for her second book, she takes a break from work to meet up with friends on a night out in London. The following morning, she struggles to remember what happened to her, but recalls the events of the night with the help of her friends Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_May_Destroy_You

The subject matter is a bit heavy (rape/sexual assault), but there are plenty of ighter comedic moments to make it easy to digest. Probably doesn't sound too appealing from my description, but I highly recommend checking it out if you are looking for a new show that is funny and well written.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I've been rewatching Crashing. The show is just underrated. I've wanted to watch it again after going through my divorce, but needed some time and space from the actual separate/divorce before watching it again. I watched all of season 1 and 2 yesterday and half of season 3. With the perspective and experiences that I have now, I think the show is even better than I originally thought.

I also watched the Righteous Gemstones again. That one was a reclamation project, as it was one of the last TV shows that I watched together with my ex-wife. Great show and it is nice to tie the experience of watching it to my current situation over my past effed up life/situation.

[Commando]

I've been rewatching Crashing. The show is just underrated. I've wanted to watch it again after going through my divorce, but needed some time and space from the actual separate/divorce before watching it again. I watched all of season 1 and 2 yesterday and half of season 3. With the perspective and experiences that I have now, I think the show is even better than I originally thought.

I also watched the Righteous Gemstones again. That one was a reclamation project, as it was one of the last TV shows that I watched together with my ex-wife. Great show and it is nice to tie the experience of watching it to my current situation over my past effed up life/situation.

HA that show is a blast.

[UVACoug]

If you are a fan of Nathan Fielder (and who isn't), I'd recommend checking out How To with John Wilson (which Fielder is the Executive Producer of as part of his HBO deal). I had a really hard time getting into the first episode and turned it off a few times before watching the whole thing. But by the end of the first episode, I was hooked. Production quality is pretty low. The premise is basically a socially awkward guy in New York video taping random things around the city (and sometimes in other locations) about seemingly random and mundane topics (the second episode, for example, is about scaffolding), but every episode turns into something more sincere and thought-provoking than it originally seems. Not nearly as funny as Nathan for You, but there are some funny moments.

Here's a YouTube video about one of the "scenes" that turns into something pretty hilarious, but quite awkward and wrong:

[falafel]

If you are a fan of Nathan Fielder (and who isn't), I'd recommend checking out How To with John Wilson (which Fielder is the Executive Producer of as part of his HBO deal). I had a really hard time getting into the first episode and turned it off a few times before watching the whole thing. But by the end of the first episode, I was hooked. Production quality is pretty low. The premise is basically a socially awkward guy in New York video taping random things around the city (and sometimes in other locations) about seemingly random and mundane topics (the second episode, for example, is about scaffolding), but every episode turns into something more sincere and thought-provoking than it originally seems. Not nearly as funny as Nathan for You, but there are some funny moments.

Here's a YouTube video about one of the "scenes" that turns into something pretty hilarious, but quite awkward and wrong:

Btw, I watched the video you linked. It was like someone said "How can we take Nathan for You and make it worse?"